Edit your videos in Hootsuite

You can edit the videos in your posts using the web version of Hootsuite's built-in video editor. Make videos your own by customizing the cover image, adding effects, or cropping them to fit each social network.

For Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky, you can also add captions (SRT files) to make your videos accessible. Learn more about adding captions.

• Learn how to include videos in your posts in Create and publish posts.
• Learn about social network requirements for videos in Video file requirements.
• Learn how to create eye-catching images and videos in Canva in Add Canva designs to your post.

Video editing requirements

The video editor in Hootsuite supports the following:

• Video format - H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC in an MP4 video file
• Audio - MP3 in MP3 or MP4 video, AAC in MP4 or M4A video
• Resolution - Up to 4K UHD for both playback and export
• Length - Up to two minutes for Instagram stories and reels. For all other videos, a maximum of ten minutes is recommended.

You can not use the Hootsuite video editor to edit videos for YouTube or Pinterest at this time.

Important: Video editing is only supported on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge versions 94 and later.

Edit your video

When composing a new post or editing scheduled or draft content, point to a video thumbnail, select More, and then select Edit video to open it in the video editor.

Work with the video editor

You can use the video editor to create and edit videos, to add and edit audio tracks, and to add and customize text, photos, stickers, and filters.

Element tools - Select from the tools on the left to add and customize video elements like audio, images, text, shapes, and stickers. Once you've added an element to your video, you can select it and use the tools in the top toolbar to edit and customize it.

Trim - To trim your video length, drag the video start and end time.

Enhancements - Select your video (not the timeline), and then use the tools at the top of the video to edit your video background; adjust your brightness, saturation, and contrast; add filters and effects; and more.

Add video cover images

Some social networks offer the ability to customize your video cover images (thumbnails) while some do not. You cannot customize video cover images on X, or Instagram stories. You also cannot customize video cover images for Instagram posts with multiple images or videos (carousels).

For Facebook Pages, LinkedIn Pages, Instagram Business accounts, and TikTok accounts, point to a video thumbnail, select More, and then select Video settings to choose a suggested cover image or upload a custom image.

Add captions to your video

Point to a video thumbnail, select More, and then select Video settings to add SRT captions to Facebook, X, Bluesky, and LinkedIn videos. SRT file names must have the following format: filename.[language code]_[country code].srt. Language codes are two lowercase letters and country codes are two uppercase letters. For example: hypevideo.es_ES.srt. Refer to the Facebook list of valid language and country codes.

Tip: If you need to publish your subtitles in multiple languages, use the Schedule and duplicate (or Post and duplicate) option to build the post again with a different SRT file.

Understand video processing times

There’s a short delay before Hootsuite publishes large videos and videos that need processing. Processing begins after you select Post or Schedule. While a video is processing, you can’t edit or duplicate the post.

If you want to change a scheduled video post, you need to make your changes at least 30 minutes before the scheduled publishing time.

A status window alerts you when processing is complete.