Video files uploaded to YouTube are automatically closed captioned. The closed captions appear after a delay (perhaps tens of minutes depending on the length of the video and the demands on YouTubes services). 

Tip: The YouTube automatic closed captioning will fail unless the audio begins within two seconds of the start fo the vide and if there are multiple voices at the start. For best results, begin each video with a slow and clear "Welcome to..." sentence. Also, extended periods of silence in the video may cause the closed captioning to fail.

To edit the closed captions created by YouTube:

  1. Log on to studio.youtube.com with the account used to upload the video (see figure 1).

    the studio.youtube.com interface

  2. Click a video to open its details, then click "Subtitles" in the menu on the left.
    The details interface of a YouTube video


  3. Hover your cursor under the to subtitles to see the pencil icon, click it to open the closed captioning interface.
    the pencil icon under the subtitles label


  4. Edit the text (add capital letters, punctuation, and breaks as necessary. Click "Publish" when you are finished. Publishing replaces the original files with the edited version.
    1. The edit subtitles interface in YouTube


Last modified: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 1:22 PM