Marking Clarifying Additions in Transcripts
Marking Clarifying Additions in Transcripts records a distinct W3C-supported accessibility writing task while keeping implementation mechanics and unsupported house-style rules outside the guidance.
Clarifying information can be added to a transcript when it is clearly marked so readers can tell that it was not part of the actual audio.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
Do not silently rewrite the spoken content or present editorial additions as though they were part of the original audio.
Further guidance
Content
Use a clear device such as brackets for inserted words or a separately headed section for editorial context that was not spoken.
Purpose
Marking the addition preserves the distinction between the source audio and helpful transcript-only context.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Transcripts — W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (opens in a new tab)W3C Web Accessibility Initiative · W3C WAI guidance on descriptive transcripts, transcript structure, navigation, clarifications, speaker presentation, and selective timestamps.