WCAG 1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded): what it means and how to fix it

Level A · Perceivable · Updated

Short answer: Prerecorded video with sound needs synchronized captions that include speech and important sounds, so deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors get the same information.

What it requires

Any prerecorded video that has audio must have captions that are synchronized with the video and cover all dialogue plus meaningful sounds (for example "[alarm beeping]"). Media that is clearly an alternative for text already on the page is exempt.

Who it affects

Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors, and anyone watching without sound.

How it shows up in ADA website claims

Complaints filed by deaf plaintiffs commonly cite product, promotional or instructional videos without captions, as well as auto-generated captions that are too inaccurate to follow.

How to check your site

  1. List every video on the site, including embedded YouTube and Vimeo players and background hero videos with sound.
  2. Turn on captions and watch a minute. Are they accurate, synchronized and complete?
  3. Auto-generated captions count only if they are accurate. Unedited ones often are not.

How to fix it

Upload a caption file (WebVTT .vtt or SubRip .srt) to your video host, or reference one in HTML:

<video controls>
  <source src="demo.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  <track kind="captions" src="demo.en.vtt" srclang="en" label="English" default>
</video>

On YouTube and Vimeo, start from the automatic captions and correct them in the editor; it takes a few minutes per minute of video. Silent background videos do not need captions, but they should not autoplay for more than five seconds without a pause control.

Frequently asked questions

Are YouTube auto-captions enough?

Only if you review and correct them. Uncorrected automatic captions frequently get names, product terms and numbers wrong, which defeats the purpose.

Do videos without speech need captions?

If the video has no audio at all, captions are not required. If it has music or sound effects that carry meaning, describe them.

What about a transcript instead?

For prerecorded video, WCAG 1.2.2 asks for captions. A transcript is still useful, and it helps search engines, but it does not replace captions.

Automated rules that test this (axe-core): video-caption. Our scanner runs these checks.

Other commonly cited criteria

Read the official WCAG 2.1 specification at W3C.

Proof of Access provides technical accessibility assessments. We are not a law firm and nothing on this page is legal advice. If you have received a demand letter or a lawsuit, talk to an attorney.