Transcript
A transcript is the full textual record of an audio or video, including dialogue and significant non-speech audio. Transcripts make audio-only content accessible to deaf users and audio+video content accessible to deafblind users.
Detailed explanation
WCAG 2.1 SC 1.2.1 (Audio-only and Video-only, Prerecorded) at Level A requires a transcript for any prerecorded audio-only content (e.g., a podcast). For video-only content, the alternative is a transcript or audio description. Captions alone do not satisfy 1.2.1 for podcasts.
Transcripts also have major SEO benefits: search engines and LLMs index transcript text, surfacing audio content in search and AI Overview results that pure-audio embeds miss entirely.
How this applies to Shopify stores
Shopify storefronts that publish a brand podcast or founder video should publish a transcript on the same page or a linked subpage. AccessComply detects pages with audio/video and no associated transcript.
What merchants should check next
Treat this term as a practical audit prompt, not just a definition. Check the storefront pages where the concept shows up in real customer journeys: product discovery, add-to-cart, cart drawer, checkout handoff, account login, and support contact flows. If the issue affects code, verify the rendered HTML and computed browser output after the theme change. If it affects copy or media, keep the merchant-facing wording accurate and easy to maintain.
Primary source: w3.org