How to Add Captions to Facebook Videos: Complete Guide for 2026

Adding captions to your Facebook videos isn't optional anymore—it's essential. Most users watch videos with sound off, and captions make your content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers. Here's exactly how to add captions to your Facebook videos.

Quick Answer: 3 Ways to Add Facebook Video Captions

Why Facebook Video Captions Matter

The Sound-Off Reality

A significant majority of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Users scroll through their feeds in public places, at work, or late at night—all situations where audio isn't practical.

Accessibility Requirements

Captions make your content accessible to:

• Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
• Non-native speakers
• People in noisy environments
• Users who prefer reading

Better Engagement

Videos with captions see higher engagement rates because viewers can follow along regardless of their sound settings.

Method 1: Facebook Auto-Generated Captions

Facebook can automatically generate captions for your videos using speech recognition.

How to Enable Auto-Captions

For New Video Uploads:

1. Go to your Facebook Page or profile
2. Click Photo/Video to create a new post
3. Upload your video
4. Once uploaded, click the Captions button (CC icon)
5. Select Generate to create auto-captions
6. Wait for processing (can take several minutes)
7. Review and edit the auto-generated text
8. Click Save when finished

For Existing Videos:

1. Go to the video on your Page
2. Click the three dots (...) in the top right
3. Select Edit video
4. Click the Captions tab
5. Select Generate for auto-captions
6. Review, edit, and save

Editing Auto-Generated Captions

Auto-captions aren't perfect. Always review them for:

• Misspellings - Especially names, brands, and technical terms
• Punctuation - Add periods, commas, and question marks
• Timing - Ensure text syncs with speech
• Missing words - Fill in gaps where audio wasn't captured

Supported Languages

Facebook auto-captions work for:

• English
• Spanish
• Portuguese
• French
• Arabic
• Vietnamese
• Thai
• German
• And more (check Facebook's current list)

Method 2: Upload SRT Subtitle File

For professional-quality captions, create and upload an SRT (SubRip Subtitle) file.

What is an SRT File?

An SRT (SubRip Subtitle) file is the only caption format Facebook accepts. It's a simple text file containing:

• Caption number (sequential order)
• Timestamp (start and end time)
• Caption text

Important: Facebook requires a specific naming convention: filename.[language]_[country].srt

• Example: video.en_US.srt for US English
• Example: video.es_ES.srt for Spanish

This naming convention lets you upload captions in multiple languages for the same video.

Example SRT format:

1
00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,000
Welcome to our guide on Facebook marketing.

2
00:00:04,500 --> 00:00:08,000
Today we'll cover three strategies
that actually work.

3
00:00:08,500 --> 00:00:12,000
Let's start with the first one:
content consistency.

How to Upload an SRT File

1. Go to your video post and click Edit video
2. Click the Captions tab
3. Select Upload SRT file
4. Choose your .srt file from your computer
5. Select the language of the captions
6. Click Save

Creating SRT Files

Free Tools for Creating SRT Files:

• YouTube - Upload video, use auto-captions, download as SRT
• Kapwing - Free online subtitle editor
• Subtitle Edit - Free desktop software
• VEED - Online video editor with subtitle tools

Professional Transcription Services:

• Rev.com
• Otter.ai
• Descript
• Trint

SRT File Best Practices

• Keep captions short - 2 lines maximum, 42 characters per line
• Time accurately - Captions should appear when words are spoken
• Include speaker identification - Use [Speaker Name]: for multiple speakers
• Indicate sounds - Use brackets for non-speech audio: [music playing]

Method 3: Write Captions Manually

For short videos, you can type captions directly in Facebook.

Steps for Manual Captions

1. Upload your video to Facebook
2. Click Edit video → Captions
3. Select Write instead of Generate or Upload
4. Type your captions in the text field
5. Set the start and end timestamps
6. Click Add to add each caption segment
7. Repeat for the entire video
8. Click Save

When to Use Manual Captions

• Very short videos (under 30 seconds)
• Simple content with minimal dialogue
• When you need exact wording control
• Quick updates or corrections

Facebook Caption Settings and Options

Caption Display Options

Viewers can customize how captions appear:

• On/Off toggle - In the video player settings
• Caption size - Adjustable in accessibility settings
• Background opacity - For better readability

Default Caption Behavior

• Captions are off by default for most viewers
• Users who frequently use captions may have them auto-enabled
• You cannot force captions to display for all viewers

Burned-In vs. Closed Captions

Closed Captions (CC):

• Can be turned on/off by viewer
• Text added through Facebook's system
• Recommended for most content

Burned-In Captions (Open Captions):

• Permanently embedded in video
• Always visible, cannot be turned off
• Created during video editing
• Useful for social clips and Stories

Best Practices for Facebook Video Captions

Formatting Guidelines

• Maximum 2 lines per caption
• 32-42 characters per line for readability
• 1-6 seconds display time per caption
• Use proper punctuation to aid comprehension

Accuracy Standards

• 99% accuracy is the professional standard
• Always review auto-generated captions
• Pay special attention to:
  • Names and proper nouns
  • Technical terms
  • Numbers and statistics
  • Brand names

Timing Best Practices

• Captions should appear when words are spoken
• Don't leave captions on screen too long after speech ends
• Allow minimum 1 second for short captions
• Allow reading time for longer captions

Accessibility Considerations

• Include non-speech information: [applause], [music], [phone rings]
• Identify speakers when multiple people talk
• Don't rely on captions alone - use visual cues too
• Test on mobile - ensure captions are readable on small screens

Facebook Live Video Captions

Auto-Captions for Live Video

Facebook can generate real-time captions for Live videos:

1. Start a Live video
2. Auto-captions may generate automatically (limited availability)
3. Review and manage in Live producer dashboard

Manual Live Captions

For professional broadcasts:

• Use third-party captioning services
• Integrate CART (real-time captioning) services
• Some streaming software supports live caption integration

Post-Live Caption Options

After your Live video ends:

1. Edit the video from your Page
2. Add captions using any of the three methods above
3. Captions will apply to the replay

Troubleshooting Facebook Caption Issues

Captions Not Generating

Possible causes:

• Audio quality too poor for recognition
• Language not supported
• Video too short (minimum length required)
• Technical processing delays

Solutions:

• Ensure clear audio in original video
• Wait longer for processing
• Try uploading an SRT file instead

Captions Out of Sync

Fixes:

• Re-generate auto-captions
• Manually adjust timestamps
• Upload a corrected SRT file
• Re-upload video if issue persists

Captions Not Showing for Viewers

Check these:

• Captions were saved properly after editing
• Viewer has captions enabled in their settings
• Video finished processing completely

SRT File Upload Errors

Common issues:

• Wrong file format (must be .srt)
• Encoding issues (use UTF-8)
• Timestamp format errors
• File too large

Facebook Caption Tools and Software

Free Caption Tools

• Facebook's built-in generator - Quick, free, requires editing
• YouTube Studio - Generate captions, download as SRT
• Kapwing - Online subtitle editor
• VEED.io - Auto-captions with free tier

Professional Tools

• Rev - Human transcription and captions
• Descript - Edit video by editing text
• Premiere Pro - Professional captions workflow
• Final Cut Pro - Built-in caption tools

AI Caption Services

• Otter.ai - AI transcription
• Trint - AI-powered captioning
• Sonix - Automated transcription

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Facebook automatically add captions to videos?

Facebook can auto-generate captions, but it's not automatic for all videos. You need to enable caption generation in the video settings. Auto-captions should always be reviewed and edited for accuracy before publishing.

How do I add subtitles to a Facebook video after posting?

Go to your video, click the three dots menu, select "Edit video," then click the "Captions" tab. From there you can generate auto-captions, upload an SRT file, or write captions manually.

What's the difference between captions and subtitles?

Subtitles translate spoken dialogue for viewers who speak a different language. Captions include all audio information—dialogue, sound effects, music cues—primarily for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers. On Facebook, these terms are often used interchangeably.

Why aren't my Facebook video captions showing?

Check that captions were saved after editing, the video finished processing, and the viewer has captions enabled in their video settings. Some viewers need to manually turn on captions using the CC button on the video player.

Can I add captions to Facebook Reels?

Yes, Facebook Reels support captions. You can add text overlays during creation, or use auto-captions. The process is similar to regular video posts but accessed through the Reels editor.

How accurate are Facebook's auto-generated captions?

Auto-generated captions typically achieve 80-90% accuracy with clear audio. However, they struggle with accents, technical terms, multiple speakers, and background noise. Always review and edit before publishing.

External Caption Tools & Resources

Free Caption Generators:

• Kapwing Subtitle Maker - Free online caption editor
• VEED.io - Auto-captions with free tier
• YouTube Studio - Generate captions, download as SRT

Professional Services:

• Rev.com - Human transcription starting at $1.50/minute
• 3Play Media - Enterprise caption solutions
• Descript - Edit video by editing text

Encoding tip: If your captions show strange symbols (□ or missing letters), save your SRT file with UTF-8 encoding—especially for non-English characters.

Related Facebook Guides

• Facebook Metrics - Track your video performance
• Best Times to Post on Facebook - Optimize video posting schedule
• How to Merge Facebook Pages - Consolidate your presence
• Facebook Content Ideas - Video content inspiration

Free Video Tools

• Facebook Video Downloader - Download videos for editing
• Facebook Caption Generator - Generate post captions
• Facebook Post Generator - Create engaging posts