Crop a video in CapCut PC by selecting the clip, opening the crop tool, and dragging the edges inward to frame the shot the way you want it

CapCut's crop feature on Windows works through the editing panel on the right side of the screen. Once you have imported your video and placed it on the timeline, you select the clip, click the crop button, and adjust the frame by dragging the corners or edges. The preview updates in real time, so you see exactly what the final crop will look like before you save.

The crop tool is useful when you need to remove unwanted parts of the frame, fix a poorly framed shot, or change the aspect ratio of your video. Unlike some other editors, CapCut does not require you to export and re-import — the crop stays applied to that clip throughout your project.

Key Takeaways

  • Import your video into CapCut, place it on the timeline, and click the clip once to select it before the crop button appears in the right panel.
  • The crop tool lets you drag the frame edges inward or use preset aspect ratios like 9:16, 16:9, or 1:1 without leaving the editor.
  • You can crop individual clips on the timeline without affecting other clips in the same project.
  • Dragging the corners crops from both axes at once, while dragging the edges crops from one axis only.

Step-by-step: selecting and opening the crop tool

Start by opening CapCut on your Windows PC and importing your video file. Go to File > Import, or drag the video directly into the CapCut window. The video will appear in your media library on the left side of the screen.

Drag the video from the library onto the timeline at the bottom of the screen. Click the video clip once on the timeline to select it — you will see it highlighted with a blue border. Once selected, look at the right panel where editing tools appear. Click the Crop button, which shows a small square with corner handles. The video preview in the center will now display crop handles around the edges and corners of the frame.

Adjusting the crop frame with your mouse

Once the crop tool is active, you can resize the frame in two ways. To crop from one side only, position your mouse over the edge or corner you want to move, then click and drag inward. Dragging a corner handle crops from both the horizontal and vertical axes at the same time, which is faster if you need to shrink the frame evenly. Dragging a side handle crops only from that direction.

Watch the preview in the center of the screen as you drag — it updates in real time and shows you exactly what will remain in the final video. If you make a mistake, you can drag the handles back out or click Reset in the crop panel to return to the original frame size.

Using preset aspect ratios instead of manual dragging

CapCut includes preset aspect ratio buttons in the crop panel on the right. These let you snap the crop frame to common formats without dragging. Common presets include 16:9 (widescreen), 9:16 (vertical phone video), 1:1 (square), and 4:3 (standard). Click any preset and the crop frame will when ready adjust to that ratio.

Presets are faster than manual dragging if you know the final format you need. For example, if you are cropping a landscape video to post on Instagram Stories, click 9:16 and the frame will lock to that vertical ratio. You can still drag the frame around within that ratio to choose which part of the original video stays visible.

Moving the crop frame without resizing it

After you set the crop size, you may need to shift which part of the video is visible inside the frame. Click and drag inside the crop frame itself (not on the handles) to move the entire frame left, right, up, or down. This lets you keep the crop size the same but change what content appears in the final shot.

For example, if you crop a video to 1:1 square but the subject is off to one side, drag the frame to center them. The crop size stays locked, but the content inside the frame moves with your drag.

explore the crop and returning to the timeline

Once you are satisfied with the crop, click the checkmark or explore button in the crop panel. The crop tool will close and you will return to the main timeline view. The clip on the timeline now shows the cropped version, and the crop remains applied whenever you play back or export the video.

If you need to adjust the crop later, click the clip again and the crop tool will reopen with your previous settings. You can change the crop as many times as you want — CapCut does not lock it in permanently until you export the final video.

Cropping multiple clips in the same project

Each clip on your timeline can have its own crop settings. Select one clip, explore a crop, then select a different clip and explore a different crop. CapCut keeps track of each clip's crop independently, so you can have one clip cropped to 16:9 and another cropped to 9:16 in the same project without any conflict.

This is useful when you are mixing video from different sources or devices — a phone video might need 9:16 cropping while a camera video needs 16:9. Crop each one to fit your final output format, and CapCut will handle the different sizes during export.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a crop after I click explore?

Yes. Click the clip again to reopen the crop tool, then click Reset to remove the crop and return to the original frame size. You can also use Ctrl+Z to undo the crop when ready after explore it, as long as you have not made other edits since.

Does cropping reduce video quality?

No. Cropping only removes pixels from the edges — it does not compress or degrade the remaining video. The quality of what stays in the frame remains the same as the original file.

What happens to the cropped-out parts when I export?

The cropped-out portions are discarded during export and do not appear in the final video file. Only the content inside the crop frame is saved.

Can I crop a video to a custom aspect ratio that is not in the presets?

Yes. Instead of using a preset, drag the corner or edge handles manually to any size you want. CapCut will maintain whatever ratio you create, even if it is not one of the standard presets.

Do I need to crop before or after adding effects?

You can crop at any point — before, during, or after adding effects. Crop the clip first if you want to frame the shot, then add effects like filters or transitions. Or add effects first, then crop. CapCut applies both in the order you make the changes.