Captions often get added after everyone has approved the video, which is when you discover that a product name is wrong or a line covers the button you're demonstrating. It's easier to handle those problems when captions are part of the delivery plan from the start.
This guide focuses on producing and checking the caption version of your video. Choosing whether to translate it for another audience is a separate decision; here, the job is to make the spoken explanation and meaningful sounds available as readable, correctly timed text.
Agree on what the caption deliverable contains
W3C describes captions as text for speech and meaningful non-speech audio, synchronized with the video. A transcript of the spoken sentences is a useful input, but it doesn't by itself specify when each line appears or account for sounds needed to understand the scene.
Ask where the video will be published and whether that player accepts a separate caption file. Also ask whether you need a version with the captions permanently visible in the image. These are different deliverables, so list them separately instead of asking for a vague 'captioned version.'
In a hypothetical account-invitation demo, the narration explains sending an invite while an alert indicates a failure. If that sound carries information the viewer needs, the caption plan should account for it. This example is invented; review the actual audio in your film to decide what matters.
Correct the text before polishing how it looks
Start from the final spoken audio and an approved list of product terms. Compare generated text against what was actually said, especially names, abbreviations, quantities and words that change the meaning of an instruction.
For the invitation example, confusing 'can' with 'can't' would reverse the explanation. A misspelled feature name may also make the viewer search for a control that doesn't exist. Those corrections matter more than choosing a background style for the captions.
If the narration itself contains a product error, fix that too. Silently replacing the words in captions leaves people hearing and reading different claims. Keep the script, audio and caption text aligned so there isn't a separate version of the workflow in each.
Break cues where the explanation remains understandable
Review how a sentence is divided across caption cues. Try to keep connected phrases together so the viewer doesn't have to remember a dangling word while watching the interface. A break between 'send' and 'the invitation' may feel awkward if the action happens during the gap.
Watch the cues at normal playback speed with the product action visible. If a line arrives after the relevant menu has closed, either the timing or the edit needs attention. Don't judge the captions only by reading the file in a text editor.
There isn't a single reading duration that makes every line work. A familiar short label and a sentence with several unfamiliar product terms need different attention. Reduce unnecessary wording in the underlying narration when needed rather than asking the viewer to read faster.
Reserve space around the detail you are demonstrating
Place the captions into the actual composition before finishing the cut. In the invitation example, a bottom-aligned caption could cover a confirmation banner. Moving the video into a smaller social layout may create a new overlap even if the desktop version was clear.
Check contrast over the busiest background the caption crosses, not just over the opening scene. If the interface changes between light and dark areas, a treatment that worked in one frame may become hard to read later.
Keep product labels and caption text visually distinct. The viewer should be able to tell whether a word belongs to the interface or is part of the explanation. You can reposition the caption or reframe the scene without making the product itself say something different.
Track fixes by cue and by video version
Use a review record that identifies the export and the relevant moment. The hypothetical note below separates a transcription problem from an overlap so the editor knows what needs to change.
Video version: invitations-v3. Moment: Invitation failure appears. Caption text issue: Check whether the speaker says 'can't' rather than 'can.' Source of truth: Final approved audio. Placement issue: Caption covers the failure banner. Required result: Viewer can read both the caption and the product message. Follow-up: Review the changed cue in the next exported video. Delivery required: Confirm supported caption file plus any version with visible captions.
Check the caption file in the destination player
A caption file that looks right in your editor still needs a playback check after upload. Confirm that the intended language track is attached to the correct video, the first and last cues appear, and later cues haven't drifted after an edit.
Check how the player handles line breaks and caption placement. If you also deliver a version with text permanently in the image, give it a clear name so someone doesn't unintentionally add another visible caption track over it.
Caption file support varies by publishing destination. MDN documents WebVTT as a timed-text format used with HTML video tracks, but that doesn't mean every platform accepts the same files. Confirm the destination's requirements before exporting the caption package.
Keep captions attached to the next revision
When the product video changes, put captions on the same revision checklist as the picture and narration. Removing a scene can shift every later cue even when most of the words remain unchanged.
Archive the final caption file with the matching video and the corrected terminology list. That makes the next update a continuation of the approved work instead of another round of guessing which transcript belongs to which cut.