CapCut is the video editor behind countless TikTok, Reels, and Shorts clips. Made by ByteDance, it turns phone clips into a polished short video fast. You do not need editing experience to start. This guide walks you through it step by step.
1. Download CapCut and start your first project
Download CapCut from your phone's app store, or use it on the web or desktop if you prefer a bigger screen. Sign up with Google, TikTok, or an email address. Tap "New project" and choose your clips and photos in the order you want them to appear — you can move them later. For a first project, keep it short: 15 to 30 seconds, three or four clips, and one clear idea. Short projects teach you the timeline faster than one long, messy video.
2. Cut clips on the timeline
The timeline at the bottom of the screen is where your video lives. Each clip sits on it like a block, and the white playhead shows where you are. To trim a clip, tap it, then drag its edge inward. To remove a middle section, tap "Split" where you want the cut, then delete the part you do not want. To reorder clips, press and hold a clip and drag it to a new spot. For short-form video, cut early and cut often: remove pauses, false starts, and any second that does not move the story forward. If you want tools that generate clips rather than edit them, our guide to the best free AI video generators in 2026 compares the main free options.
3. Add captions, text, and sound
Most short videos are first watched with the sound off, so captions matter. Tap "Text" and then "Auto captions" to let CapCut transcribe your speech, then check every line — automatic captions still mishear names and unusual words. Change the caption style, size, and colour, and add animated text for a hook in the first two seconds. For sound, tap "Audio" to add music or sound effects from CapCut's library, or record a voiceover over your clips. Keep music low under speech so viewers can still hear you.
4. Use templates, effects, and AI tools carefully
Templates are CapCut's biggest shortcut: pick a trending template, swap in your own clips, and CapCut applies the cuts, effects, and timing for you. Under "Effects" and "Filters", use one or two effects per video, not ten, or they will distract from your message. CapCut's AI tools include background removal, auto-cut, and text-to-speech voices, but paid-plan AI credits do not roll over, so test them on a real project. For a wider workflow pairing editing with design and writing tools, see our roundup of the best free AI tools for content creators in 2026.
5. Export for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts
Before you export, watch the whole video once and check for caption typos, audio that is too loud or too quiet, and clips that run too long. Tap "Export" and choose vertical 9:16 video at 1080p — the standard for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. Delete the CapCut ending clip if one is added. Export once, then upload the same file to each platform. If you need a thumbnail for the same post, our step-by-step guide to using Canva in 2026 covers that in detail.
6. Free vs Pro, and mistakes to avoid
CapCut Free costs nothing and covers the core editor: cutting, text, transitions, filters, and basic AI tools with limits. CapCut's own US reference pricing in October 2026 lists Pro at 19.99 dollars a month or 179.99 dollars a year, with 4K export, premium templates and effects, 1 TB of cloud storage, and 1,200 monthly AI credits — but CapCut itself says prices vary by region, device, and promotion, so check the price inside your own app before you pay. Start free, and upgrade only if you hit a real limit, such as a Pro effect you use every week or 4K exports for client work. Avoid these beginner mistakes: using a Pro asset without realising it, which can lock your export until you pay or remove it; adding music you do not have the right to use in a business video; and trusting auto captions without proofreading them. Clear wording also helps CapCut's AI tools, and our guide on how to write better AI prompts covers that skill in six steps.
CapCut works best when you keep the edit simple: one idea, short clips, readable captions, and one or two effects that serve the story. Make one real short video today, even if it is imperfect, and you will learn more than from an hour of browsing templates. What will your first CapCut video be about? Tell us in the comments.
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