How to Use Keyframes in CapCut (Zooms, Slides and Fades)

Keyframes are the secret behind those smooth zooms, sliding text and gradual fades you see in polished reels. They sound technical, but the idea is simple: you tell CapCut where something starts and where it ends, and it fills in the movement in between. Once it clicks, you'll use keyframes in almost every edit.

What a keyframe does

A keyframe is a marker that saves a setting at a moment in time. Set one keyframe with your photo at normal size and another two seconds later with it zoomed in, and CapCut creates a smooth zoom between them. Add a third keyframe and you can zoom back out. That's all animation in CapCut really is: a series of keyframes.

How to add keyframes in CapCut on a computer

1. Open CapCut and click Create project, then import your clip, photo or audio.
2. Drag it onto the timeline and select it.
3. Move the playhead to where you want the change to start.
4. In the panel on the right, click the diamond icon next to the setting you want to animate, such as Position, Scale, Rotation or Opacity.
5. Move the playhead to where the change should finish.
6. Change the setting, for example increase the scale. CapCut adds a second keyframe automatically.
7. Play it back to check the movement.

What you can animate with keyframes

Keyframe type	What it changes	Example
Position	Where something sits on screen	Text sliding in from the side
Scale	Its size	A slow zoom into a product
Rotation	Its angle	A spinning logo
Opacity	Its transparency	A fade in or out
Effect	Settings such as brightness or colour	A gradual colour change
Audio	Volume or balance	Music dipping under your voice

Shortcuts that speed things up

On CapCut for PC, the CapCut guide lists Alt + K to show the keyframe panel and Shift + Click to add keyframes in that panel. To change the timing of an animation, select the clip and drag a keyframe left or right. Closer keyframes make a faster movement; spreading them out slows it down.

The catch: keyframes stick to the clip, not the moment

This catches people out when they trim or move clips after animating. Keyframes live on the clip. If you trim the start of a clip after adding keyframes, the first part of your animation may disappear with it. Animate last: finish cutting and arranging your clips, then add keyframes. If you need to change the edit afterwards, check every animated clip again.

Five keyframe effects worth learning

1. Slow zoom (the Ken Burns effect): two Scale keyframes on a photo, a few seconds apart, for gentle movement.
2. Punch-in zoom: two Scale keyframes very close together to snap in on a reaction or key moment.
3. Sliding text: Position keyframes to move a title in from off screen.
4. Fade in and out: Opacity from zero to full at the start, and back at the end.
5. Music duck: audio keyframes to lower the music when you start talking, then raise it again.

Using keyframes on the CapCut mobile app

The CapCut phone app has keyframes too. Select a clip in the timeline, move to the starting point and tap the keyframe button above the timeline, then move along and adjust the clip by pinching or dragging it in the preview. It's a little fiddlier on a small screen, so zoom into the timeline to place keyframes precisely.

Tips for animation that looks professional

• Less is more. One well-placed zoom beats constant movement.
• Keep movements slow on talking-head clips so viewers aren't distracted.
• Match keyframe timing to the beat of your music for reels.
• Use the same style of animation across a video so it feels consistent.

If exporting gets slow on heavily animated projects, CapCut's own advice is to lower the resolution or frame rate and free up storage. For more ideas for short-form content, my guides to making TikTok stickers and using TikTok emojis pair well with animated edits.

A worked example: the slow product zoom

Here's one I'd use for an online shop. Put a product photo on the timeline and make it a few seconds long. Move the playhead to the very start, click the diamond next to Scale, and leave the scale unchanged. Then move the playhead to the end of the clip and nudge the scale up a little. Play it back and you've got a gentle push-in that makes a still photo feel alive. It's subtle, it looks polished, and it takes about thirty seconds once you've done it a couple of times.

Don't push the zoom too far, though. A small change looks smooth; a big one can make the photo look soft as it gets enlarged.

My verdict

Select a clip, click the diamond next to the setting you want, move the playhead, change the setting and let CapCut do the in-between. Start with a slow zoom and a fade, animate after you've finished cutting, and keep movement purposeful. It's the quickest way to make simple footage look edited with care.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the keyframe button in CapCut?

On the computer, it's the diamond icon next to settings like Position, Scale, Rotation and Opacity in the right panel.

What is the keyframe shortcut in CapCut PC?

Alt + K shows the keyframe panel, and Shift + Click adds keyframes there.

How do I make a zoom effect in CapCut?

Add a Scale keyframe at the start, move the playhead forward and increase the scale to add a second keyframe.

How do I move a keyframe in CapCut?

Select the clip and drag the keyframe left or right to change its timing.

Can I use keyframes on audio in CapCut?

Yes. Audio keyframes control volume or balance, which is useful for lowering music under speech.

Why did my keyframe animation disappear?

Keyframes sit on the clip, so trimming the clip can cut them off. Animate after you finish trimming.