<track>: The TRACK Element
Last updated: 2026-10-13
<track>The TRACK Element
Specifies a text track (subtitles, captions, chapters) for audio or video, usually a .vtt file.
| Category | Links & Media |
|---|---|
| Content Model | Void element |
| Allowed Parents | Any element that accepts flow content |
| Content Tag | Self-closing — no closing tag needed |
| Status | Standard |
📝 Syntax
<track src="..." kind="subtitles">⚙️ Attributes
This element supports the global attributes plus the following:
| Attribute | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
src | Track file URL, usually .vtt. | |
kind | Track kind: subtitles/captions/descriptions/chapters/metadata. | |
srclang | Language code of the track text, e.g. zh, en. | |
label | User-visible name of the track. | |
default | Marks this track as the default. |
▶ Example
Edit the code below and see the live result in the playground:
🌐 Browser Support
| Browser |  Chrome |
 Edge |
 Firefox |
 Safari |
 Opera |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <track> | ✓ v1 | ✓ v12 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 | ✓ v1 |
| Supported in all major browsers | |||||
Tip： track is a void element; kind sets the type (subtitles/captions/chapters…); default marks the active track.
❓ FAQ
QWhat does the track tag do?
A
<track> adds text tracks to <video>/<audio>: WebVTT files provide subtitles (kind='subtitles'), chapters, descriptions and more, with the browser handling synchronization.QAre srclang and kind required on track?
Akind defaults to subtitles but writing it explicitly is recommended;
srclang is required when kind is subtitles (e.g. srclang='en'); with multiple subtitle languages, mark the default with the default attribute. Accessibility laws typically require a subtitle track on video.QHow do I write a WebVTT subtitle file?
AStart the text file with
WEBVTT; each cue is 'timecode + text': 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:04.000 followed by the content on the next line, saved as .vtt. Reference it with src='sub.vtt' in track; local testing needs an HTTP server (not loaded under file://).🏷️ Related Tags
💡 Related Cases
More case studies coming soon — check back later.
📚 Related Tutorials
