A big share of people scroll with their sound off — on the bus, in bed, at work. Without captions, your video is just a person moving their mouth. Good on-screen captions keep those viewers watching, make your message clearer for everyone, and make your content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Burned-in vs automatic captions
Most apps can create automatic captions that viewers switch on. They're helpful, but you don't control how they look, and many viewers never turn them on. Burned-in captions are part of the video itself, so everyone sees them, styled the way you want. For short-form, burned-in captions are usually the better choice.
Always check automatic transcriptions before you burn them in. Names, numbers and slang often come out wrong.
Keep it to one short line
The biggest caption mistake is showing whole sentences at once. Viewers have to stop and read, and they miss what's happening in the video. Instead:
- Show one short line at a time — around two to five words.
- Change the line as you speak, so text and voice stay in sync.
- Break lines at natural pauses, not in the middle of a phrase.
Make it easy to read
- Bold, simple font. Thin or fancy fonts are hard to read on small screens.
- High contrast. White text with a black outline or shadow works on almost any background.
- Big enough to read at arm's length, but not so big it covers your face.
- Sentence case is easier to read than ALL CAPS for long stretches. Save caps for single words you want to shout.
Highlight the important words
Highlighting one key word per line in a different colour — often yellow — guides the eye to what matters: numbers, names and the main idea. It also adds energy without extra effects.
Don't highlight everything. If every word is coloured, nothing stands out. One or two per line is plenty.
Mind the safe zone
On Reels, TikTok and Shorts, buttons, your username and the caption cover parts of the screen — mostly the bottom and the right side. Keep captions in the middle area of the frame, a little below the centre, so nothing hides them. Preview your video inside the app before posting to check.
Match the caption to the moment
- For a calm story, use simple captions with small, smooth changes.
- For a fast list or hype video, quicker word-by-word captions and pop animations fit the energy.
- For a tutorial, keep captions steady and clear so people can follow each step.
Don't forget the hook text
Separate from spoken captions, put your hook as a short title at the top of the first frame. That way even a viewer who doesn't hear your first words knows why they should watch. Need a hook? Try the HookKit hook maker.
Caption checklist
- Burned in, checked for spelling.
- One short line at a time, in sync with your voice.
- Bold font, white with black outline.
- One key word highlighted per line.
- Inside the safe zone, not covered by buttons.
Captions are one part of a good edit. For the rest, read How to Edit Short Videos That Keep People Watching.
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