Mute your finished video and watch the first explanation. If the meaning disappears, the caption review is not finished. A silent preview is a practical editorial check for a short video, although it does not by itself establish full accessibility.
W3C’s guidance on prerecorded captions explains that captions convey dialogue and meaningful non-speech audio, including speaker identification where needed. The purpose is access to information carried by sound, not simply decorating the screen with a transcript. W3C: Understanding prerecorded captions.
Read for meaning before styling
Start with names, measurements, prices and words that reverse a claim. An automated caption that drops “not” can change the advice while remaining perfectly legible. Compare the captions with the approved audio and correct the meaning before choosing colors or animation.
For a hypothetical shelf-installation video, “check the wall material” and “check the wall” give different instructions. The invented example illustrates a missing condition, not an installation recommendation. If a video depends on a safety condition, preserve that condition in the captioned explanation.
Use three passes with different jobs
| Review pass | Question | Example correction |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Are names, numbers and conditions accurate? | Restore a missing unit next to a measurement |
| Timing | Does the caption appear with the relevant explanation? | Move a label to the moment its object is discussed |
| Silent viewing | Can the viewer identify important sound and speakers? | Identify an off-screen speaker when the voice is otherwise ambiguous |
The meaning, timing and silent-viewing passes for video captions are our editorial suggestion, not a W3C-mandated production sequence. A solo creator can perform the passes in one sitting with separate notes. An agency can divide them between an editor and the person responsible for factual approval.
Check the place where captions will be read
Inspect the captioned video draft in the intended mobile presentation when possible, using an app you are permitted to operate. Check whether caption text covers a demonstration detail or competes with interface controls. Record the app and display configuration tested; a successful preview on one screen is not proof of universal placement.
Keep visual and audio review findings separate. “The label is readable in the Android preview” is narrower than “the video is accessible.” Captions can be correct while an essential visual action remains unexplained to someone who cannot see it.
Define a stopping point
Approve captions only when the selected review passes have no unresolved meaning errors and the remaining limitations are recorded. If the source audio is ambiguous, ask the content owner to clarify the claim before polishing its transcription. Typography is a poor substitute for knowing what the sentence means.
Save the approved caption version with the corresponding video export. A later edit to audio, a measurement or a product name should trigger a caption recheck. The useful artifact is a matched pair of video and captions, rather than a file called final-final whose confidence exceeds its accuracy.