When captions or subtitles cover a face or disappear behind platform buttons, first locate where the overlap appears: in the editor, in the exported file, or only on the destination platform. Adjust the affected layout, then check the same passage again at all three stages. A clear editor canvas alone does not establish that the final upload is readable.
Start with three separate checks
- Editor: Play a passage with a long caption, a moving subject or a zoom. Does the text already cover a mouth, eyes or important screen detail?
- Downloaded file: Export the passage and open the file in a local player. Does the placement or line wrapping differ from the editor?
- Destination preview: Inspect the uploaded version using the platform's available preview and visibility controls. Do interface elements or a second set of captions cover the words?
Keep a note of the affected time, project shape and viewing surface. Changing everything at once makes it harder to identify the cause. The suggestions below are checks to perform; they are not results from a tested export or uploaded example.
Match the symptom to the next check
| Symptom | What to inspect | Change to evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Text covers a face in the editor | Subject position, caption height and framing throughout the passage | Reposition the affected caption or reframe the subject, then replay |
| A long caption overlaps while a short one fits | Line wrapping, text size and the caption's available width | Adjust the supported size or layout settings while preserving readability |
| Words disappear behind platform buttons | The actual device, player and interface state | Move critical text away from the occupied area and check again |
| Text overlaps only during a zoom | Subject movement and framing at each changed section | Revisit caption placement around the zoom or adjust the crop |
| Export wraps differently from preview | Same timecode, font, canvas shape and export settings | Compare the files and investigate the mismatch before uploading |
| Two subtitle sets appear | Burned-in text plus separately displayed captions | Review the platform caption settings and choose the intended presentation |
A shorter caption is not always a better caption. Splitting every phrase into tiny segments can make the text harder to follow. Choose a readable layout and check timing alongside placement.
Overlap inside the editor
Inspect both the text and the footage. A caption may stay still while the speaker leans forward into it. A crop or punch-in can move the face beneath a previously clear line. Longer captions can also wrap into a second line and occupy more space.
Try the smallest relevant change first. Move the affected text, adjust its supported size or width, or reconsider the crop. Watch the longest phrases and the most active sections. A clear opening frame does not prove that every later caption will fit.
Keep spelling and timing checks separate from placement. Correcting the transcript does not by itself move text or fix an export-rendering difference. See caption readability for typography and caption timing for synchronization.
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Overlap only in the export
Compare the same moment in the editor and downloaded file. Confirm the intended aspect ratio, output dimensions and selected caption appearance. Note whether only a particular font, long phrase or changed crop differs.
Burned-in captions are encoded into the video image. Moving separately displayed platform captions cannot move those pixels. If the exported burned-in layout is wrong, correct the project and export again. If the editor and export disagree, keep the original project and a short reproducible example rather than compensating blindly with a different font size.
Overlap only on the destination
Platform buttons, descriptions and caption displays depend on the device and viewing state. A bottom sheet or expanded description can cover more of the picture than the initial player view. A template can be a starting point, but there is no universal pixel rectangle that guarantees clearance across these surfaces.
LinkedIn's video guidance advises keeping key elements away from interface edges. Apply the same practical review question to each intended destination: can the viewer read the actual words in the view you are checking?
Use the platform's available preview and privacy options, and inspect on the devices you intend to support. Record whether you checked an upload screen, a private player or a published feed. Those are different observations; do not assume a private view proves the public feed is clear.
Request one caption correction in Cubix
Open Ask Cubix and name the affected passage and problem. An illustrative request is:
“The caption around 00:18 covers the speaker's mouth during the zoom. Move the affected caption clear of the face. Keep the current wording and highlight style for me to review.”
This requests a change; it does not guarantee exact placement or preservation of every other setting. Replay the changed passage and neighboring captions afterward.
For a manual adjustment, select the relevant caption or text element on the canvas or timeline and use the position, size or other properties available for that element. Controls vary by element and editor surface. Do not assume there is a universal caption-track slider or a fixed words-per-line setting. The AI edit correction Help page describes this workflow.
Final placement checklist
- Replay subject movement, zooms and the longest captions at normal speed.
- Check faces, screen labels, side margins and line breaks.
- Read the result at the intended viewing size; shrinking text until it fits can make it unusable.
- Open the downloaded file and verify the same passages with sound.
- Inspect the destination preview for interface overlap and duplicate captions.
- After a change, repeat the affected checks rather than relying on the previous export.
For prompt examples, see caption styling. For the supported feature workflow, see Add Captions. When planning several versions, use one recording for Reels, Shorts and LinkedIn.
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