Adding captions to your videos can boost engagement by 352%! ...a statistic I might have made up, but the truth remains: captions significantly enhance viewer interaction. Especially on social media platforms where attention spans are short, animated captions make videos more engaging and easier to follow without sound.

In this guide, I'll show you how to add stylish captions for free using CapCut.

Step 1: Edit Your Video 🎥

Start by editing your video. Once you're done, head up to the 'Captions' option at the top left, a feature recently added to CapCut.

Click on 'Auto Captions.'

This function will transcribe your dialogue and present a caption track above the timeline. Click 'Generate' to create the captions.

Step 2: Review and Edit Captions ✍🏻

Review the automatically generated captions. If there are any errors, you can fix them by clicking on the text layer and updating the word in the top right. You can also see the entire script of your video line by line, where you can add or delete lines as needed.

Step 3: Fill in the Gaps 🗒

CapCut might leave small gaps between words or miss some dialogue frames. To fix this, hover over the end of a caption line, click, and drag it to cover the gaps.

Step 4: Customize the Style 🖋️

The default captions are basic, so select the entire caption track, then go to 'Text' and 'Templates' at the top right. 

Here, you'll find a variety of caption styles. Choose one you like, and it will apply to the entire caption track. You can further customize fonts, sizes, and styles under 'Basic.' 

To apply changes to the entire track, ensure 'Apply to All' is selected.

Step 5: Customize Individual Words 👌

If you want to highlight specific words, like making "352%" larger, split the caption where the word starts, duplicate it by holding down 'Option,' and adjust the duplicate's size and text.

Additional Features 👀

In the 'Animation' tab, you can find more caption effects. You can also add captions manually by selecting 'Caption Templates' from the 'Captions' menu and syncing them with your video's timing.

Final Thoughts 💭

Automatic captions in CapCut can make your videos stand out online. To learn more about CapCut’s features, check out my complete video editing master class, where I take you from beginner to pro in just one day. Captions are a great way to boost engagement, but making your videos cinematic can also capture viewers' attention. Check out my video on top 10 tips for achieving cinematic edits in CapCut. 

Captions and cinematic edits are powerful tools for making your videos more engaging. Try these tips, and watch your social media engagement soar!