Caption generator
YouTube Shorts Caption Generator
A Short loops. Viewers meet the opening line twice, sometimes three times, before they decide to swipe, so the hook has to read instantly and the ending has to hand back to the start cleanly. This generator captions a vertical Short from its audio, sizes the text for a phone and keeps it inside the Shorts safe zone, away from the title, channel name and the button column.
Start with 3 free minutes. Free exports may include a CapsAI watermark.
Upload Video
For best results, upload a video with clear speech. You can review and edit the captions after generation.
Drag and drop video or
Accepted formats: MP4 and MOV, with a 9:16, 16:9 & 1:1 aspect ratio supported only.
English subtitle example: This is a preview of the subtitle design Please transcribe to get your video
What the captions look like
Loop-friendly opening
Here is the part everyone skips.
The first caption is also what plays after the loop restarts, so make it a complete thought on its own.
Three-step list
1. Boil. 2. Blend. 3. Rest for ten minutes.
Numbered captions help viewers who scrub back through a 30-second Short.
Punchline with a pause
...and that is why I do not fry anything anymore.
Hold the last caption until the audio ends so the loop does not cut it off mid-word.
Hindi Short
ये ट्रिक दस सेकंड में समझ आ जाएगी।
Devanagari captions at a size that stays readable in the Shorts player.
What you get
- Caption sizes and presets meant for a vertical phone screen
- A safe-zone check so the Shorts interface does not hide your text
- Hinglish, Hindi and nine more spoken languages for Indian Shorts channels
- Burned-in captions show even when the viewer never taps CC
- Clip a long video first, then caption each Short from the same account
Where it helps
- Recipe and how-to Shorts cut from a longer tutorial
- Comedy and reaction Shorts where the punchline must land on the last frame
- Study and exam-tip Shorts in Hindi or Hinglish
- Fitness Shorts with a count or timer spoken aloud
How it works
How it works
Step 1
Start with the vertical cut
Shorts are 9:16. Export the final cut as an MP4 or MOV; the uploader accepts files up to 10 minutes, which covers any Short.
Step 2
Upload and choose the language spoken
Pick Hinglish, English, Hindi or one of eight other Indian languages so the draft matches the audio.
Step 3
Shape the captions around the loop
Make the first caption a full thought, keep each line to a few words, and let the last caption run to the end of the audio so the restart is clean.
Step 4
Keep text inside the Shorts safe zone
The lower part of the frame carries the title, channel name and description; the right side carries like, dislike, comment and share. Place captions in the middle band and preview the overlay with the Shorts safe-zone tool.
Step 5
Style for a phone and export
Large, high-contrast text with a word-by-word or karaoke preset reads well at Shorts speed. Export the captioned MP4 and upload it to YouTube as a Short.
Choose your spoken language
What to do next
Related tools
Questions
Where is the safe zone for captions on YouTube Shorts?
The middle of the frame. YouTube overlays the title, channel name and description at the bottom and the engagement buttons down the right edge, and the top carries the search and camera icons. Keep captions clear of all three; the Shorts safe-zone tool shows the overlay on your own video.
Should I use YouTube's auto captions or burn them in?
YouTube's automatic captions stay off until the viewer taps CC and use YouTube's fixed style. Burned-in captions are always on, in your style, and you corrected them first. You can do both: burn in captions for the feed and leave YouTube's own track on as well.
Can I download an SRT file to upload to YouTube?
The export is an MP4 with the captions burned in. Separate SRT or VTT files are not available from the editor yet; the standalone converters under /tools work on subtitle files you already have.
How do I caption a Short I already uploaded?
Captions are burned into the file, so export the captioned MP4 from CapsAI and upload it as a new Short. If you only have the published version, the Shorts downloader saves an MP4 of your own Short to upload here.
Does a Short need word-by-word captions?
Not always. Word-by-word suits fast hooks and a single speaker. A list or a calm explanation reads better as full lines with a karaoke highlight. Preview both on your Short before exporting.
Is there a watermark on free exports?
Free exports may carry a CapsAI watermark; watermark-free export comes with a paid minute pack. There is no subscription.
Write the captions for the loop
Because a Short restarts the moment it ends, the first and last captions sit next to each other in the viewer's mind. Open with a line that stands alone, close on a complete sentence, and avoid a caption that straddles the cut.
Bigger than you think
Shorts are watched on a phone, often outdoors. Text that looks fine on a laptop preview is small on a six-inch screen. Use a larger size than you would for a landscape video and a strong outline or background so the words stay legible over bright footage.
Learn more