Accuracy
Captions must be at least 99 percent accurate (Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice guidance).
AI/auto-captions (e.g., YouTube, Facebook) are typically only 85 percent to 90 percent accurate → they must be reviewed and corrected before posting.
Formatting
Captions must:
- Include dialogue, speaker identification, and important sounds (e.g., [applause], [buzzing])
- Be synced with the video
- Stay within 2-3 lines per screen
- Default size: ~22-point font
- Remove caption frames during long silent intervals
Subtitles vs. Captions
Subtitles ≠ Captions. Subtitles only provide spoken words, intended for language learners. Captions must include sound effects and speaker IDs. Only true captions meet accessibility standards.
Burned-In vs. Caption Files
- Burned-in captions (open captions): Permanently visible in the video. Guaranteed visibility, but not customizable.
- Caption files (closed captions, e.g., .SRT, .VTT): Separate text files uploaded with the video. Allow users to toggle on/off and adjust styling. Preferred when supported.
You do not need both burned-in (open) captions and a caption file on the same post. Choose one method per platform/post to avoid “double captions.” Open captions can meet captioning requirements when caption files are not supported or reliably preserved. Caption files are preferred when supported because users can toggle and customize them.
Some platforms don’t support uploading caption files (e.g., Instagram Reels, TikTok). Open captions (burned in) are acceptable when caption files cannot be uploaded or are not reliably preserved by scheduling tools. Closed captions (SRT/VTT) are preferred when supported because users can toggle/customize them.
For platforms that don’t support uploading caption files, also consider the following supplemental measures:
- Post a fully captioned version on YouTube or a UMB webpage, then link from the platform.
- Provide a transcript as a backup
How to Generate Caption Files
- YouTube Studio: Auto-caption → edit → export SRT.
- Adobe Premiere/Final Cut Pro: Export caption track as SRT.
- Otter.ai, Rev, Descript, 3Play Media: Generate professional caption files.
Pro Tip: For livestreams, enable platform auto-captions, then upload a corrected captioned recording afterward.
Find how-to videos about video captioning on the Training Videos page.