Creator tool / 06
Subtitle Cleaner
Strip markup, drop empty cues, fix overlapping timings, and merge repeated lines.
Subtitle Cleaner: TOEA removes styling tags, discards cues left empty, pulls back any end time that runs past the next cue's start, and merges consecutive cues holding the same line. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- YouTube tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
SRT or VTT · up to 5 MB, or paste below
Choosing what to clean
Each fix is optional. Leave markup removal off for professional files, where italics mark off-screen voices, song lyrics, and titles, and turn it on for downloaded or automatic captions, where tags are usually leftovers such as <font> colours or positioning codes like {\an8}.
Merging joins consecutive cues with identical text only when the gap between them is half a second or less, so a line genuinely repeated later is kept. Overlap fixing is safe to leave on for nearly every file.
What cleaning does not fix
The cleaner changes timing and markup, not wording. Missing punctuation, wrong names, and rolling captions that repeat part of the previous line with new words added still need editing by hand. It also does not re-flow long lines.
After cleaning, check pace and line length with the reading speed checker, and if the whole file is early or late, correct it with the timing shifter.
How to use it
- Choose a subtitle file or paste its text.
- Pick which fixes to apply.
- Download the cleaned file.
Privacy & limitations
The file is read and rewritten in your browser and never uploaded. The file is written back in the format it arrived in.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Why do overlapping cues matter?
When one cue is still on screen as the next begins, players show both or flicker between them. Pulling the first end back just before the next start fixes it.
Which repeats are merged?
Only consecutive cues holding the same text, which is how a caption held across a pause is usually stored. The same line said again later stays separate.
Will it remove italics?
Yes, if markup removal is on. Turn it off to keep formatting and apply only the timing fixes.
Does it work on auto-generated captions?
That is what it is for. They commonly carry markup, blank cues, and overlaps all at once.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required