TikTok subtitle format

TikTok is one of the strictest delivery targets for timed text: short lines, plain cues, and conservative reading speed matter more than fancy styling. This guide is for editors exporting from Premiere, DaVinci, or caption tools who need uploads to survive without silent failures.

Export plain SRT, not styled WebVTT

If your editor exports WebVTT with cue settings, regions, or inline font tags, assume TikTok will strip or reject them. For social delivery, export SRT with comma decimals and no markup. If you only have VTT, convert and normalize before upload — see SRT vs VTT.

Line length and CPS on vertical video

Viewers read faster on phones in portrait; long single-line cues overflow visually even when the platform accepts the file. Practical targets:

• ~20–28 characters per line when you can split without breaking grammar.
• Two lines maximum per cue.
• Lower CPS on rapid dialogue — if two speakers overlap, fix timing first.

CaptionPass's TikTok preset applies stricter wrap and reading-speed checks than the generic safe baseline. Background: reading speed for captions.

Overlaps and duplicate cues

Auto-captions merged with a translation track often produce duplicate or overlapping cues. TikTok players may show flicker or drop lines. Trim overlaps before upload — fix overlapping subtitles.

When captions “vanish” after upload

If the upload succeeds but text never appears, run the same triage as other platforms: encoding, format, overlaps, and disabled tracks in the host app. Start with why captions are not showing.

Official reference

TikTok's help article on subtitles: Subtitles and closed captions (TikTok Help). Use it for UI steps; use a validation report for file-level defects.

Export workflow

1. Lock picture to 9:16 and match caption safe area in the NLE.
2. Export SRT, UTF-8, no font/color tags.
3. Split long lines and debounce overlaps on montage cuts.
4. Run CaptionPass with the TikTok preset; download and re-upload.