Guide
How to make captions that hold attention
In short video, captions are more than accessibility: they are what keeps people scrolling on mute. Small details make a big difference.
A few words at a time
Whole sentences on screen make viewers read ahead and miss the video. Show a few words at a time, in step with speech. Word-by-word captions, which light up each word as it is spoken, are the format's standard for a reason: the eye follows the voice.
Big and readable on a phone
The screen is small and the video moves fast. Use heavy type with an outline or background that keeps contrast over any image.
Away from the buttons
Platforms put the profile name, description and buttons along the bottom and the right side. Captions stuck to the bottom get hidden. Place them a little above the lower center, away from the edges.
Highlight what matters
Color or emphasis on key words (a number, a name, the turn of the sentence) helps people scrolling fast catch the idea at a glance. Use it sparingly: if everything stands out, nothing does.
Check before posting
Automatic transcription gets most of it right, but names, brands and slang can come out wrong. A quick check keeps a silly typo from becoming the topic of the comments.