How to write captions

A caption should add a reason to watch or a reason to comment. It should not retell every word already burned onto the video.

Evergreen

On-screen text and the caption box do different jobs

On-screen captions are for sound-off viewing and for the line you need them to read. The description or caption box is for the extra context, the keyword a search might use, and a question you actually want answered.

Write the way you talk. One idea. If you need a paragraph, the video was probably unclear. Hashtags are a seasoning, not the meal. Two or three specific ones beat a block of twenty.

Frequently asked questions

Should I hide the caption and only use on-screen text?

Put the promise in both if the platform folds long captions. The first line is the only line many people see.