How to Use CapCut Templates for Beginners

Open CapCut on your phone. On the home screen, you will see a row of tabs at the bottom. Tap the Templates tab, which looks like a grid icon. This opens CapCut's full template library. You will see hundreds of options organized by category, trending, and recently added. Take a few minutes to scroll through and get a feel for the styles available before choosing one.

At the top of the Templates tab, you will see filter categories such as Trending, New, Travel, Birthday, Love, Aesthetic, and more. Tap any category to narrow your search. If you already have a specific use in mind — for example a birthday tribute or a travel montage — filter by that category to find the most relevant styles. The Trending category is a good starting point because it shows what is currently performing well on social media.

Tap on any template to open its preview. The preview shows you exactly how the finished video will look — the music, transitions, text styles, and timing are all demonstrated with placeholder content. Watch the full preview before deciding. Pay attention to the number of clips required, which is shown on the screen. Make sure you have enough photos or videos to fill all the available slots before you proceed.

Once you have chosen a template, tap the Use Template button. CapCut will open your phone's gallery and ask you to select clips to fill each slot. The number of required clips is shown clearly. Select your photos or videos in the order you want them to appear. After selecting all your clips, tap the Next button to enter the editor with your content loaded into the template.

Inside the editor, each clip slot is highlighted and timed according to the template. If a clip slot shows only part of your photo or video, tap on it to adjust what section is visible. For video clips, you can drag left or right to choose which part of the clip plays within that slot's time window. For photos, you can pinch to zoom and drag to reposition. Take a moment to check each slot and make sure the best part of each clip is showing.

Many templates include placeholder text such as names, dates, or short captions. Tap on any text element in the editor to edit its content. Replace the placeholder text with your own words. Keep your text short and readable — one or two lines per text element is usually enough. You can also change the font color or size if you want to personalize it further, though the default style is usually already well-matched to the template's aesthetic. For more control over text styling, the CapCut subtitles guide covers all the text customization options in detail.

Most templates come with a music track already built in. This track is synced to the transitions and timing of the template, so it usually works well as is. However, if you want to use a different song, tap the music bar at the bottom of the timeline and look for the option to change or replace the track. If you keep the original track, make sure the volume is at a comfortable level — not so loud that it overwhelms any spoken audio in your clips. The CapCut sound editing guide explains how to adjust volume and balance audio properly.

Once you are happy with your clip selections and text, tap the play button to preview the full video from start to finish. Watch it carefully and go back to fix anything that does not look right. When you are satisfied, tap the Export button in the top right corner. Select 1080p resolution and 30fps for the best quality on most social platforms. After export, your video saves to your gallery and you can share it directly to any platform. For the right export settings for each platform, check the best CapCut settings for beginners.