What keyframes do and where to find them in CapCut

A keyframe is a marker you place on your video timeline that tells CapCut to remember a specific setting—like position, size, opacity, or rotation—at that exact moment. When you place two keyframes with different settings, CapCut automatically creates a smooth transition between them. For example, you can make text grow larger over three seconds by setting one keyframe where the text is small, then another where it's large.

In CapCut on PC, keyframes live in the Effects panel and the Inspector panel on the right side of the screen. Every clip you add to the timeline can have keyframes attached to it. The keyframe button itself looks like a diamond shape and appears next to most adjustable properties—brightness, scale, position, and dozens of others.

Key Takeaways

  • Keyframes mark the exact moment and value of a property change, and CapCut fills in the motion or transition between two keyframes automatically.
  • To add a keyframe, select your clip, find the property you want to animate in the Inspector panel, and click the diamond-shaped keyframe button next to it.
  • You must place at least two keyframes—one at the starting point and one at the ending point—for any animation to occur.
  • The timeline scrubber (the vertical line you drag across the timeline) must be positioned exactly where you want the keyframe placed before you click the keyframe button.
  • You can delete, move, or adjust keyframes by right-clicking them directly on the timeline or in the property list.

The basic steps to add your first keyframe

Start by selecting the clip on your timeline that you want to animate. Click it once so it highlights. Then look at the right side of the screen where the Inspector panel shows all the adjustable properties for that clip—you'll see options like Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity, and many others depending on what kind of clip it is.

Next, position your timeline scrubber (the vertical playhead line) at the exact frame where you want the animation to begin. You can click and drag this line left or right across the timeline, or click directly on the timeline at the spot you want. Once the scrubber is in the right place, locate the property you want to animate—for example, Scale if you want to change the clip's size. Click the small diamond icon next to that property name. That click creates your first keyframe and records the current value of that property.

Now drag your scrubber to a different point on the timeline—this is where the animation will end. Change the value of the same property. If you set Scale to 100% at frame 1, move to frame 5 and change Scale to 150%. When you click the diamond icon again at this new position, CapCut creates a second keyframe. The software now knows to smoothly grow the clip from 100% to 150% between those two points.

Adding keyframes to position, scale, and rotation

Position, Scale, and Rotation are the three most common animations beginners use. Position moves a clip across the screen. Scale makes it larger or smaller. Rotation spins it. All three work the same way: place your scrubber, click the keyframe diamond, move the scrubber forward, change the value, and click the diamond again.

For Position, you can either type numbers into the X and Y fields in the Inspector, or click directly on the video preview and drag the clip to a new spot. Either way, when you click the keyframe diamond next to Position, CapCut records where the clip is at that moment. Move forward in time, drag the clip to a new location, and click the diamond again. The clip will now slide smoothly from the first position to the second.

For Scale, the percentage in the Inspector controls size. Set it to 50% and place a keyframe, move forward, change it to 200%, and place another keyframe. The clip will grow smoothly between those two points. For Rotation, the degree value controls how many times and in which direction the clip spins. A value of 360 means one full rotation; 720 means two full rotations.

Using keyframes with opacity and effects

Opacity controls how transparent or solid a clip appears. An opacity of 100% means fully visible; 0% means invisible. This is useful for fade-ins and fade-outs. Place your scrubber at the start of your clip, set opacity to 0%, and click the keyframe diamond. Move to the end of the clip, set opacity to 100%, and click the diamond again. The clip will fade in smoothly over its entire duration.

Many effects in CapCut also support keyframes. When you add an effect to a clip—like Blur, Brightness, or Color Adjustment—you'll see keyframe diamonds next to the effect's intensity slider. The process is identical: position your scrubber, click the diamond to record the current effect strength, move forward in time, adjust the effect value, and click the diamond again. This lets you blur a clip gradually, brighten it over time, or shift its color as the video plays.

Viewing and editing keyframes on the timeline

Once you've placed keyframes, you can see them directly on the timeline. Look at the clip itself—you'll see small diamond shapes at the points where you placed keyframes. These diamonds are clickable. Click one to jump your scrubber to that exact frame. This is faster than dragging the scrubber manually when you want to fine-tune a keyframe's timing.

To adjust a keyframe's position in time, click and drag the diamond left or right along the timeline. To delete a keyframe, right-click the diamond and select Delete, or click the diamond to select it and press Delete on your keyboard. To change the value a keyframe records, click the diamond to jump to that frame, then adjust the property value in the Inspector panel. The keyframe updates automatically.

You can also see all keyframes for a clip listed in the Inspector panel under each property name. If you expand the Position property, for example, you'll see every keyframe you've placed for that property, along with the frame number and the exact value at that keyframe. This view is useful when you have many keyframes and want to see them all at once or delete several at once.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is forgetting to move the scrubber before placing the second keyframe. If you place two keyframes at the same timeline position with different values, nothing will animate—CapCut has no time to transition between them. Always drag your scrubber to a new location before clicking the second keyframe diamond.

Another frequent error is placing a keyframe without first changing the property value. If you click the keyframe diamond, then when ready click it again without moving the scrubber or changing any value, you've created two identical keyframes. CapCut will not animate between them. Change the value first, then click the diamond.

A third issue is animating the wrong property. If you want to move a clip but accidentally set a keyframe on Rotation instead of Position, the clip will spin instead of move. Always check the property name before clicking the keyframe diamond. The Inspector panel clearly labels each property, so take a moment to confirm you're animating what you intend.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add keyframes to multiple properties at the same time?

Yes. You can place keyframes on Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity all at the same moment on the timeline. Position your scrubber once, then click the keyframe diamond next to each property you want to animate. Move the scrubber forward, adjust all the values you want to change, and click each diamond again. The clip will animate all of them simultaneously.

What does the curve between keyframes mean?

The curve shows how the property changes over time between two keyframes. A straight diagonal line means the change happens at a constant speed. A curved line means the change accelerates or decelerates. You can right-click a keyframe and select curve options to change how fast the transition happens—for example, easing in or easing out to make motion feel more natural.

Can I copy keyframes from one clip to another?

CapCut does not have a direct copy-paste feature for keyframes between clips. However, you can recreate the same animation on another clip by placing keyframes at the same timeline positions with the same values. If you need identical animations on multiple clips, consider grouping them or using CapCut's template feature if available in your version.

How do I delete all keyframes from a clip at once?

There is no single button to delete all keyframes at once. You must delete them individually by right-clicking each diamond on the timeline or in the Inspector panel and selecting Delete. If a clip has many keyframes, this can be tedious—in that case, it may be faster to delete the clip and re-add it without keyframes.

Why is my animation jerky or not smooth?

Jerky animation usually means your keyframes are too close together in time, or your computer is struggling to render the effect. Try moving keyframes further apart so the transition has more time to occur. If the problem persists, lower your preview resolution in the playback settings or close other programs to free up memory.