Video without captions — the fix
One or more <video> elements do not have a <track> element with captions or subtitles, making the content inaccessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Where this fits: accessibility in SEO
Accessibility overlaps heavily with SEO because both depend on machine-readable structure: alt text, heading hierarchy, labels, contrast. Screen readers and search crawlers consume the same signals. Accessible sites rank better not by special treatment but because the same fixes — descriptive alt attributes, proper headings, real link text — are exactly what search engines parse for meaning. It is also, in a growing number of jurisdictions, the law.
Why video without captions hurts your rankings
WCAG 1.2.2 requires captions for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media. Without captions, deaf and hard-of-hearing users cannot access spoken content in videos. Captions also benefit users in noisy environments, non-native speakers, and users who prefer reading.
This is a high-severity issue: it directly suppresses rankings or click-through on the pages it affects. It belongs in your current sprint, prioritised by how many pages carry it.
How to fix it
Add a <track> element with kind='captions' (or kind='subtitles') to each video element. Provide a WebVTT (.vtt) file with accurate, synchronized captions.
<video controls>
<source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
<track kind="captions" src="captions.vtt" srclang="en" label="English" default>
</video>Accessibility best practices
- Give every informative image an alt attribute that describes its content; decorative images get alt="".
- Maintain heading hierarchy — never skip levels for styling reasons.
- Make link text meaningful out of context; screen readers list links in isolation.
- Keep text contrast at WCAG AA (4.5:1) minimum.
- Make everything keyboard-operable with a visible focus state.
The full library: SEO best practices, by category.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Video without captions" mean?
One or more <video> elements do not have a <track> element with captions or subtitles, making the content inaccessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing users.
Why does video without captions matter for SEO?
WCAG 1.2.2 requires captions for all prerecorded audio content in synchronized media. Without captions, deaf and hard-of-hearing users cannot access spoken content in videos. Captions also benefit users in noisy environments, non-native speakers, and users who prefer reading.
How do I fix video without captions?
Add a <track> element with kind='captions' (or kind='subtitles') to each video element. Provide a WebVTT (.vtt) file with accurate, synchronized captions.
How serious is this issue?
This is a high-severity issue: it directly suppresses rankings or click-through on the pages it affects. It belongs in your current sprint, prioritised by how many pages carry it. It belongs to the accessibility family of checks.
How do I find every page affected by this on my site?
Run a free Dr Urls audit: it crawls your site, detects video without captions on every affected page, shows example URLs, and generates a ready-to-use fix task. Re-scan after fixing to verify the issue is gone.
Does your site have this issue?
A free Dr Urls audit crawls your site, finds every page affected by video without captions, and hands you a ready-made fix task.
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