Steps
Add captions to your project
Open your project in the editor and tap Add Captions. Captions auto-transcribes your audio and places styled text on the video. If captions already exist, skip to the next step.For more detail, see the Add Captions guide.
Open the Styles panel
Tap the Style icon in the captions toolbar to open the Styles panel. You’ll see 75+ templates organized by category.
Choose a style for your platform
Use the platform recommendations below as a starting point. Tap any style to preview it live on your video before committing.TikTok: Bold, high-contrast, word-by-word or short-phrase display with active word highlighting. The feed is fast and competitive, so your captions need to grab attention immediately. Try: Grit, Kai, Rocket.Instagram Reels: Slightly more polished and aesthetic than TikTok, but still energetic. Centered captions perform well. Try: Prism, Sonnet, Kai.YouTube Shorts: Similar energy to TikTok, but viewers often skew slightly older and content can be more informational. Readable styles with clear word highlighting work well. Try: Core, Rocket, Grit.LinkedIn: Clean, professional, minimal or no animation. Subtlety signals credibility. Try: Byline, Blueprint, Sonnet.Podcast clips / educational content: Prioritize readability over flair. Single word or short phrase display, clean font. Try: Clarity, Core, Byline.
Adjust caption position
Drag the caption block to reposition it on the screen. Platform-specific placement:
- TikTok / Reels: Center of screen or lower third. Avoid the very bottom where the UI overlays (like/comment buttons) cover your captions
- YouTube Shorts: Lower third works well; the top is often safe too
- LinkedIn: Lower third, centered
Customize the color
In the Styles panel, tap Color to adjust the text color, active word highlight color, and background fill. Match your brand colors for consistency across all platforms.The active word highlight is especially important for engagement. It draws the eye and helps viewers follow along even when watching without sound.
Preview before exporting
Scrub through your video at multiple points, especially in bright scenes, dark scenes, and anywhere your background changes dramatically. Make sure the text remains readable throughout.If legibility is a problem in certain spots, see the Readable Captions guide for fixes.
Word highlighting boosts watch time on every platform
The active word highlight (where the currently spoken word is emphasized with a different color, size, or background) is one of the highest-impact caption features across all platforms. It creates visual motion that holds attention, and it helps viewers follow along without needing the audio on. Enable or customize word highlighting in the Styles panel under Word Effects. You can set the highlight color, add a background box behind the active word, or increase its size relative to the rest of the text.Tips
- Never use light-colored text on a light background. Add a stroke, shadow, or background fill to ensure contrast
- Keep captions in the bottom third for TikTok and Reels to avoid being covered by platform UI elements
- Use the same style consistently across your videos to build visual brand recognition
- Shorter display units (one word at a time, or two to three words) perform better on mobile than long lines of text
What’s next?
Caption Styles
Full reference for all style options and how to customize them.
Word Effects
Set up emphasis, supersize, AI Emojis, and active word highlighting.
Choosing a Style
Pick the right style based on your content type and audience.
Readable Captions
Ensure your captions stay legible on any background.