axe-core rule: video-caption

Videos are missing captions

Fix reference | BarrierScan

What it is

Video elements have no caption track, so the audio content is unavailable to anyone who cannot hear it.

Who it blocks

Deaf and hard-of-hearing users, plus everyone watching with sound off (the majority of mobile viewers). Product videos without captions lose their sales message for these viewers.

How to fix it

Add a captions track (WebVTT file) to every video with spoken content. For hosted players such as YouTube, upload or correct captions in the platform; do not rely on auto-captions for product or legal content.

Example fix

<!-- Before -->
<video src="/media/how-to-assemble.mp4" controls></video>

<!-- After -->
<video src="/media/how-to-assemble.mp4" controls>
  <track kind="captions" src="/media/how-to-assemble.en.vtt" srclang="en" label="English">
</video>

This is one of the barrier types BarrierScan checks for on every scan. Request a free accessibility scan to see whether it appears on your site, alongside the rest of the automated findings.