How to Add Captions/Subtitles in Canva Video Editor (and Export SRT/VTT)

You can add captions in Canva Video Editor by using its caption tool to auto-generate subtitles, then editing the text and timing and exporting your captions as an SRT or VTT file (or burning them into the video). The best workflow is: generate captions, clean the text, adjust timing for readability, apply simple styling, then export the right file type for your platform.

This guide walks you through each step, plus line-length rules, platform tips, and fixes for common issues like timing drift and special characters.

• Primary keyword: add captions in Canva

Key takeaways

• Use Canva’s auto-captions to get a fast first draft, then always proofread for names, jargon, and punctuation.
• Fix timing for readability: captions should stay on-screen long enough to read and change on natural speech breaks.
• Follow basic line rules: keep lines short, split at natural phrases, and avoid covering key on-screen text.
• Export SRT for many platforms (like YouTube) and VTT when a platform asks for it or for web players.
• If you need higher accuracy, create an SRT/VTT with GoTranscript, then import that file back into Canva for styling and placement.

Before you start: captions vs. subtitles, and SRT vs. VTT

Captions usually include spoken words plus non-speech audio (like [music] or [laughter]). Subtitles usually focus on spoken dialogue and may be translated.

SRT (.srt) is the most common caption file type, while VTT (.vtt) (WebVTT) is common for web video players and some platforms.

Quick format chooser by platform

• YouTube: SRT is a safe default for uploads (VTT can also work depending on workflow).
• Web players / HTML5: VTT is commonly used.
• Many editors and social tools: SRT is often the most compatible.

If your platform gives you a specific requirement, follow it first and use this guide for everything else.

Step-by-step: generate captions/subtitles in Canva Video Editor

Canva’s video tools let you create captions quickly, then refine them clip-by-clip and line-by-line for clarity.

1) Create (or open) a Canva video project

• From Canva, start a Video design or open an existing project.
• Upload your video/audio, then drag it onto the timeline.
• Play the first few seconds to confirm audio levels are clear and not muted.

2) Generate captions (auto-captions)

• Select your video clip in the timeline.
• Find Canva’s Captions/Subtitles feature (the location can vary by Canva updates, but it typically appears in the editor tools for video).
• Choose the spoken language, then run the caption generation.
• Wait for Canva to create timed text segments on your timeline.

If you don’t see a captions option, check that you’re in the video editor (not a static design), and confirm your account plan includes the feature.

3) Proofread the text (do this before timing)

Fixing text first helps you avoid re-timing segments you later merge or split.

• Correct names, brands, and acronyms.
• Add punctuation so the meaning is clear.
• Decide whether you’re making captions (include non-speech audio) or subtitles (speech only).
• Standardize numbers (e.g., “10” vs “ten”) based on your style.

4) Split, merge, and reorder caption segments

Auto-captions often break in odd places, so reshape segments around natural speech.

• Split a caption when it covers two ideas or two speakers.
• Merge captions when a sentence is chopped into too many short pieces.
• Reorder only if a segment appears out of sequence (rare, but can happen with overlapping audio).

Timing adjustments: make captions readable (not just “accurate”)

Good captions match speech and stay on-screen long enough to read.

What “good timing” looks like

• Start: When the speaker begins (or a beat before, if needed for fast dialogue).
• End: When the speaker finishes, or at a natural pause.
• Rhythm: Change captions on clause breaks, not mid-phrase.

How to adjust timing in Canva

• Select a caption segment on the timeline.
• Drag the segment edges to extend or shorten the time it appears.
• Preview in full-screen playback to confirm it doesn’t flicker or change too fast.
• Repeat for sections where the speaker is fast, quiet, or overlapping with music.

A simple readability check you can use

• If you can’t read it once at normal speed, extend the duration or split into two captions.
• If a caption stays up long after the sentence ends, shorten it so it doesn’t feel “late.”

Line length rules and caption writing tips (that prevent headaches later)

Canva lets you style captions, but writing clean lines makes them easier to read on phones and easier to export to SRT/VTT.

Recommended line rules (easy defaults)

• Use 1–2 lines per caption.
• Aim for short lines that fit on mobile without covering key visuals.
• Break lines at natural points: after punctuation, before conjunctions, or between phrases.
• Avoid putting one-word lines unless it’s for emphasis.

Caption text cleanup checklist

• Remove filler words if your style allows (but don’t change meaning).
• Fix homophones and common mishears (“their/there,” “you’re/your”).
• Keep speaker intent: don’t “sanitize” quotes if accuracy matters.
• Use consistent casing (Sentence case is often easiest).

When to add sound cues

• Add short cues like [music], [applause], or [door closes] when the audio matters to understanding.
• Keep cues brief and consistent, and place them where they occur.

If you need captions for accessibility compliance, you may want a fuller captioning style that includes meaningful sound effects; the W3C guidance on captions and transcripts is a helpful reference for what to include.

Style captions in Canva: font, size, background, and placement

Styling improves readability, but too much styling can hurt legibility on small screens.

Practical styling defaults

• Font: Use a clean sans-serif.
• Size: Large enough for mobile viewing.
• Contrast: High contrast between text and video.
• Background: Consider a semi-transparent box behind text for busy scenes.

Placement tips

• Keep captions near the bottom, but avoid covering lower-third graphics or on-screen text.
• For vertical video, preview on a phone-like canvas area so captions don’t sit too low.
• If you move captions up for one scene, move them back when you can to keep consistency.

Burned-in captions vs. separate caption files

• Burned-in (open) captions: Always visible; best when a platform doesn’t support SRT/VTT.
• Separate files (closed captions/subtitles): Viewers can toggle on/off; best for YouTube and many players.

If you need a separate file for accessibility or multi-language workflows, plan to export SRT/VTT instead of baking the text into the video.

Export from Canva: video + SRT/VTT for different platforms

Your export choice depends on whether you want captions embedded in the video or delivered as a separate file.

Export option A: download a video with captions burned in

• Use Canva’s Share/Download flow and pick a video format (often MP4).
• Confirm captions are visible in the preview before exporting.
• Upload the video directly to platforms that don’t support caption files, or when you want guaranteed display.

Export option B: export a caption file (SRT or VTT)

• Open your captions/subtitles panel.
• Choose Export (or download) and select SRT or VTT if Canva offers both for your account/workflow.
• Save the file using a clear name like projectname-en.srt or projectname-en.vtt.

If Canva only allows one format in your plan, export what it provides and convert later using a trusted workflow, then re-check timing after conversion.

Which one should you export: SRT or VTT?

• Pick SRT if you want maximum compatibility across tools.
• Pick VTT if your platform or web player explicitly requests it.
• When in doubt, export both (if Canva allows) and upload the one your platform accepts.

For YouTube caption uploads, Google’s own subtitle and closed caption format guidance explains accepted file types and basic requirements.

Platform notes (so you don’t redo work)

• YouTube: Upload SRT/VTT to the video’s subtitle settings so viewers can toggle captions.
• TikTok/Instagram: Many teams use burned-in captions for consistency, especially with stylized text.
• LinkedIn: Separate caption files can help silent autoplay, but confirm the current upload options in your account.

Troubleshooting: timing drift, special characters, and multiple speakers

Most caption problems come from timing mismatches, encoding issues, or unclear speaker changes.

Problem: captions slowly drift out of sync

• Cause: The caption file was made for a slightly different cut of the video, or frame rate/timebase differences appeared after editing.
• Fix: Confirm you exported the final video edit before generating/exporting captions.
• Fix: If you trimmed the video after creating captions, regenerate captions or re-time the affected section.
• Fix: Look for one early caption that starts late; fixing that and the next few segments often resolves perceived drift.

Problem: captions appear too fast to read

• Fix: Split long captions into two segments and extend each segment slightly.
• Fix: Remove repeated words and fillers if your style allows.
• Fix: Use shorter lines and break at natural phrases.

Problem: special characters look wrong (accents, apostrophes, symbols)

• Cause: Encoding issues or characters that don’t export cleanly between tools.
• Fix: Replace curly quotes with straight quotes if needed.
• Fix: Re-export the caption file, then reopen it in a plain-text editor to confirm it saved correctly.
• Fix: If a platform rejects the file, try exporting VTT instead of SRT (or the reverse).

Problem: multiple speakers are confusing

• Fix: Start a new caption when the speaker changes.
• Fix: Use short speaker labels only when needed (for example: “HOST:” / “GUEST:”), and keep them consistent.
• Fix: If two people talk at once, caption the clearer line first and summarize the overlap only if it matters.

Problem: captions cover important on-screen text

• Fix: Move captions up for that section, or reposition on a scene-by-scene basis.
• Fix: Add a background box and reduce the number of lines to keep the block smaller.

Workflow upgrade: get a higher-accuracy transcript, then import SRT/VTT back into Canva

Canva auto-captions are convenient, but you may want a more accurate transcript when audio is noisy, speakers overlap, or you have many names and technical terms.

A practical, low-friction workflow

• Step 1: Export your audio or final video cut.
• Step 2: Generate a transcript and caption file (SRT/VTT) with GoTranscript.
• Step 3: Import the SRT/VTT into Canva (or paste the corrected text into Canva captions, depending on your editor options).
• Step 4: Use Canva for visual styling, placement, and final export.

When this matters most

• Interviews with crosstalk or multiple speakers
• Heavy accents or fast speech
• Brand names, product names, or specialized terms
• Projects where you plan to translate subtitles later

If you also want a faster first pass before polishing, you can start with automated transcription and then decide whether you need a human-reviewed output for your final captions.

Common questions

• Can I edit caption timing directly in Canva?
  Yes, you can usually adjust timing by selecting a caption segment and changing its start/end so it matches speech and stays readable.
• Should I use SRT or VTT for YouTube?
  SRT is widely used for YouTube uploads, and VTT can also work in many workflows; use the format your upload screen accepts and preview after uploading.
• Do burned-in captions count as closed captions?
  No, burned-in captions are always visible and can’t be toggled off, while closed captions come from a separate file like SRT/VTT.
• Why do my captions look different after export?
  A caption file (SRT/VTT) typically stores text and timing, not all visual styling, so fonts and backgrounds may not carry over between platforms.
• How do I handle two speakers in one caption?
  If possible, split into separate captions, one per speaker; if not, use line breaks or short labels to make the change clear.
• What’s the best way to fix misspelled names?
  Search and replace in the caption text, then re-check any segments you merged or split so timing still matches speech.

Final checklist before you publish

• Watch the whole video once with captions on.
• Check the first 30 seconds extra carefully (it sets trust).
• Fix any caption that changes mid-phrase.
• Confirm captions don’t block key visuals.
• Export the correct format (SRT or VTT) and test upload on your platform.

If you want a cleaner, more reliable starting point than auto-captions, GoTranscript can help you create a transcript and caption files you can bring back into Canva for styling and final export. Explore GoTranscript’s professional transcription services when you need accurate text you can trust for captions and subtitles.