Strip Timecodes and Cue Numbers, Keep the Structure
Remove every timecode and index number from an SRT or VTT file while keeping each original caption line intact. No merging, no re-sequencing, no upload.
Your files never touch a server. Every conversion on this page runs locally in your browser using the JavaScript FileReader API. Nothing is uploaded, logged, or stored. Safe for confidential Zoom/Teams recordings, unreleased video, and legal interviews.
How timestamp removal works
Every subtitle cue (whether SRT or WebVTT) carries three parts: an index number, a timecode range, and the caption text itself. The index and timecode exist purely to synchronize text against video playback; once you just want to read the content, they're pure noise. This tool removes exactly those two parts and leaves the third untouched, one caption per line, in the original order.
That's a deliberately different default from SubToolDesk's SRT-to-TXT and VTT-to-TXT converters, which flow fragments into full paragraphs by default. Here, each original caption stays on its own line, useful when you want to compare the cleaned text against the video segment-by-segment, or when you're editing a script and want to preserve exactly how it was originally broken up.
How to remove timestamps from SRT or VTT (step-by-step)
- Drop your
.srtor.vttfile onto the converter above, or paste the raw text. - The format badge confirms what was detected; no manual format selection is needed.
- Leave Merge into paragraphs off to preserve one line per original caption, or turn it on if you change your mind and want flowing prose instead.
- Optionally enable Strip speaker labels and Strip formatting tags for a fully clean line.
- Copy or Download the result as plain text.
Before and after
Before: 12 00:04:21,100 --> 00:04:24,650 We shipped the new onboarding flow last month. After: We shipped the new onboarding flow last month.
Common reasons to strip timestamps without merging
- Script review: comparing a cleaned transcript line-by-line against the original video cut.
- Closed-caption QA: checking caption text for typos without the visual clutter of timing data.
- Feeding a downstream tool: some translation or summarization tools expect one segment per line rather than full paragraphs.
- Teleprompter prep: keeping natural pause points that match the original caption segmentation.
Still 100% client-side
As with every tool on this site, the file is processed entirely in your browser. No server round-trip, no file storage, and no account. That matters just as much for a quick script cleanup as it does for a confidential interview transcript.
What counts as a "timestamp" here
This tool targets the two pieces of metadata every SRT and WebVTT cue carries: the sequential cue index (the lone number on its own line before the timing) and the timecode range itself (HH:MM:SS,mmm --> HH:MM:SS,mmm for SRT, or the period-separated equivalent for WebVTT, including any trailing cue settings like align:start). Both are recognized and removed regardless of which format the source file uses. You don't need to tell the tool which one you're working with.
How it differs from a simple find-and-replace
It's tempting to think a regular find-and-replace in a text editor could do this job, and for a well-formed file, it mostly can. The gap shows up with real-world files, which carry enough formatting quirks and inconsistencies to trip up a naive pattern match. SubToolDesk handles those irregularities the same way a video player's caption engine would, so you don't have to clean the file up by hand first.
Looking for a chat or message export instead?
This tool is built for SRT and WebVTT subtitle cues, where the timestamp sits on its own dedicated line. A WhatsApp or iMessage export timestamps every line inline instead (like [1/5/24, 9:14 AM] Alex: message), which needs different detection logic. For that format, use Remove Timestamps from Messages instead.
Pairing this with the other toggles
Timestamp and cue-number removal is always on for this tool's output (that's its entire purpose) but it composes with the two other independent toggles. Turn on Strip speaker labels if your source also prefixes lines with names, and Strip formatting tags if it contains <i>, <v Speaker>, or ASS override codes. Combine all three for a fully bare transcript, or leave speaker labels and tags in place if you specifically want to keep that information while only removing the timing noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of timestamps in a subtitle file?
Drop your .srt or .vtt file onto the converter above, or paste the raw text into the left pane. The format is auto-detected and every cue index and timecode is stripped automatically, leaving just the dialogue. Press Copy or Download to grab the result as plain text.
Do SRT files have timestamps?
Yes. Every SRT cue has a timecode range (HH:MM:SS,mmm --> HH:MM:SS,mmm) on its own line, directly above the caption text, plus a sequential cue number above that. Both exist purely to sync the line to video playback; this tool removes both and keeps only the text.
Can I remove timestamps from a plain-text transcript, not just a .srt or .vtt file?
Yes, as long as the timestamps sit on their own line in standard SRT or WebVTT cue format (common in transcripts exported from Zoom, Teams, or Otter.ai). Paste that text directly into the converter; it's auto-detected the same way a .srt or .vtt file would be. Freeform inline timestamps embedded mid-sentence in unrelated text aren't what this tool targets.
Can I remove timestamps from a transcript I copied into Word or Google Docs?
Yes, if the underlying text still has its original cue-style timecode lines. Copy the text out of the document (not the .docx file itself) and paste it into the converter above; it works identically to pasting raw SRT or VTT text.
How is this different from the SRT to TXT or VTT to TXT converters?
Those tools default to merging fragments into flowing paragraphs. This tool defaults to keeping each original caption on its own line, so you still see exactly where the subtitle track was segmented, just without the clutter of numbers and timecodes. You can turn paragraph merging on here too if you'd rather have prose.
Does this remove cue numbers as well as timestamps?
Yes, both the sequential index line and the HH:MM:SS timecode range are removed, leaving only the dialogue text, one caption per line.
Can I remove timestamps from a WebVTT file too, not just SRT?
Yes, the tool auto-detects SRT, WebVTT, or plain text and applies the same timestamp/cue-number stripping regardless of source format.
Why would I want to keep the line breaks instead of merging into paragraphs?
Scriptwriters, video editors, and anyone doing a line-by-line review often want to preserve the original segmentation. It mirrors how the captions appeared on screen, which makes it easier to cross-reference against the video.
Does this also strip speaker names and styling tags?
Those are separate, independently toggled controls: turn on Strip Speaker Labels or Strip Formatting Tags alongside timestamp removal if you want all three at once.
Can I remove timestamps from a Zoom or Teams meeting transcript?
Yes, the downloaded .vtt transcript from either platform is auto-detected the same as any other WebVTT file. If you'd rather avoid timestamps in future recordings entirely, Zoom has a setting, under recording preferences, to disable "Add a timestamp to the recording" at the source.