How to add captions to product videos for silent viewing

Many people watch videos with the sound off. They may be on a bus, in a meeting, in bed while someone sleeps next to them, or they may simply prefer it. Others cannot hear the audio at all because of hearing loss. If your product video depends on voice or on-screen speech, these viewers miss the message. Captions fix that. They are also a basic accessibility courtesy, and you can add them without special skills.

What captions are and are not

Captions are text on the screen that matches what is being said or what sounds matter. They are different from a title or a caption under a post. Think of them as subtitles for your own voice. If your video has no speech at all, only music, you may not need spoken captions. In that case, short on-screen text labels for the key points work well, such as "Fits a 15-inch laptop" or "Hand-painted".

Decide what the viewer needs to know

Before adding any text, write down the three or four things your video should communicate. For a product video these are usually:

• What the product is
• The main benefit or feature
• A size, material or detail that is not obvious from the picture
• What to do next, such as where to order

Silent viewers should be able to get these from text alone. Do not stuff every spoken word on the screen if your video is long. Choose the lines that matter.

Three ways to add captions

You have simple options, and none needs to cost anything.

• Auto-generate in a free video editing app. Many phone editors can turn speech into text. This is fast, but always read and correct the result, because names, product terms and Indian-language words are often wrong.
• Type the text yourself in the editing app, placing each line where it should appear. This gives you full control and works for videos without speech.
• Use the caption tool inside the platform where you post, if it has one. Check the text before publishing.

If you speak in Hinglish or mix languages, check every line carefully. Automatic tools may struggle. You can write captions in the language you actually speak, as long as your audience reads it. Our post on writing descriptions in English and Hinglish may help with word choices.

Make captions easy to read

Good captions follow a few rules:

• Use a large, clean font that stays readable on a small phone screen.
• Choose high contrast between text and background. White text with a dark outline or a soft dark box behind it works in most scenes.
• Keep lines short, around one short sentence at a time.
• Show each line long enough to read it comfortably, and then switch.
• Place text away from the product, not over it, and away from the bottom edge where phone buttons or the platform interface may cover it.

Test on your own phone before publishing. If you have to squint, increase the size.

Match the timing

Text should appear when the words are spoken, or when the matching action happens on screen. If a caption appears too early or too late, it confuses the viewer. Scrub through the video once after adding text to confirm the timing.

Keep your wording honest

Captions are still claims. Do not add statements you would not put in the product description, such as exaggerated promises. See avoiding exaggerated claims in product descriptions. Keep captions plain and factual.

Plan the video with silent viewing in mind

It is easier to caption a video that was shot with silence in mind. Show the product clearly, use visible actions such as opening, folding, pouring or wearing, and avoid relying on someone saying "this is the front" when the camera can simply show it. Our guide on recording a short product video with a phone shows how to plan a simple one.