Repurpose YouTube Videos into Shorts with Better Captions
A caption workflow for turning long YouTube videos into vertical Shorts, with timing, review, line break, and export checks.
Turning a long YouTube video into Shorts sounds simple until the captions get involved. A ten-minute upload might contain several good clips, but each clip still needs its own hook, caption timing, line breaks, and export format. If you skip that review, the short version can look rushed even when the original video was strong.
Start with the clip, not the transcript
Pick the moment first. A useful Short usually has one clear idea, not a chopped-up summary of the whole video. After you choose the clip, generate captions for that section and read them on a phone-sized preview. Long lines that were fine on YouTube can cover too much of a vertical frame.
Keep the caption timing editable
Automatic sync is useful because it gives you a timed draft quickly. The draft still needs a check. Names, numbers, product terms, and repeated words are the places I would review first. If the tool only gives you a burned-in export, one small caption mistake means exporting the clip again from the beginning.
Rewrite only where the short needs it
A long-form transcript often includes setup lines that make sense in the full video but slow down a Short. Keep the speaker's meaning intact, then tighten caption breaks where the vertical clip needs a cleaner read. Do not turn the caption track into a new script unless the video itself has been edited that way.
Use separate exports for separate channels
A team may need an SRT or VTT file for one channel and a styled captioned video for another. Keep those outputs separate in your workflow. It makes review easier, and it avoids treating every platform as if it wants the same file.
A practical workflow
- Cut the long YouTube video down to one clear vertical clip.
- Generate the caption draft from that clip, not the full episode.
- Review names, numbers, local phrases, and line breaks.
- Choose the export that fits the publishing channel.
AutoCaption can handle the caption part of that workflow in the browser. Upload the clipped video in the caption generator, review the timed captions, and export the subtitle or styled video file your channel needs.