How to Add a Title on TikTok

Adding a bold, eye-catching title directly onto your TikTok video can be the difference between a scroll and a stop. A great title grabs attention in the first three seconds, tells viewers what your video is about, and why they should stick around. This guide shows you exactly how to add titles using TikTok's built-in tools and shares some strategies to make them more effective.

Why a Title on Your TikTok Video Matters More Than You Think

In the non-stop feed of short-form video, details matter. An on-screen title isn't just decoration, it's a powerful tool that serves several important functions for creators big and small. Understanding why titles work will help you make them work for you.

• It's a Hook: The first few seconds determine whether someone keeps watching. A compelling title acts as an immediate hook, promising value, humor, or a good story. Think of it like a headline for your video. A title like "My Biggest Design Mistake" creates curiosity far better than a video with no context.
• It Provides Clarity: For tutorials, "how-to" videos, recipes, or multi-part series, a title sets clear expectations. A video starting with "3 Ways to Style a Bookshelf" immediately lets the viewer know what they're going to learn, making them more likely to stay if they're interested in that topic.
• It Boosts Discoverability: TikTok's algorithm is smart. It analyzes everything from the audio you use to the caption you write. It also scans on-screen text to understand a video's content. Including keywords in your title can give the algorithm another signal about what your video is about, potentially helping it find the right audience.
• It Improves Accessibility: A large number of users watch videos with the sound off, especially when they're in public or scrolling at night. Titles make your content immediately understandable without audio, ensuring your message gets across no matter where or how your video is being watched.

How to Add a Title Using TikTok's Built-in Text Tool

The good news is that you don’t need any fancy software to add a professional-looking title to your videos. TikTok's own editing suite is surprisingly powerful and more than capable of handling the job. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown.

Step 1: Record or Upload Your Video

Start by either recording a new video directly in the TikTok app or uploading one from your phone's camera roll. Go through your normal creation process until you have the video clip ready for editing.

Step 2: Enter the Post-Production Screen

Once you’ve finished recording or have selected your clip(s), tap the red checkmark at the bottom-right corner to move to the main editing screen. This is where you'll see all the editing options on the right side of your screen like "Text," "Stickers," and "Effects."

Step 3: Add Your Text

On the right-hand panel, tap the 'Text' icon, which looks like a capital "Aa." A text field will appear on your screen with a keyboard, ready for you to type.

Step 4: Write and Customize Your Title

Now, type out your title. Here's where you get to be creative. As you type, you'll see a few customization options around the text field that you can use to make your title stand out.

• Font Style: Just above your keyboard, you’ll see several font options like 'Classic,' 'Typewriter,' and 'Handwriting.' Tap through them to find one that matches your video's vibe.
• Color: The colored circles let you change the text color. Pick one that pops against your video's background. Contrast is your friend.
• Highlight/Background: To the left of the color options, there’s an "A" icon with a box-like background. Tapping it will add a solid or semi-transparent background to your text. This is a game-changer for readability, especially on busy backgrounds. You can cycle through options by tapping it multiple times.
• Alignment: The icon with lines next to the 'A' allows you to change the text alignment to left-justified, centered, or right-justified.

Once you're happy with the style, tap 'Done' in the top right corner.

Step 5: Set the Position and Size

After you tap ‘Done,’ the text will appear as an overlay on your video preview. You can now:

• Drag it into position with one finger.
• Pinch and zoom with two fingers to change its size.
• Rotate it by twisting with two fingers.

Pro-Tip: Position your title in the "safe zone" - away from the top, bottom, and right edges of the screen where TikTok's UI (your username, caption, like/comment buttons) will eventually appear.

Step 6: Set the Title's Duration

This is the most important part for making your text feel like a title and not just random text. By default, the text you add will stay on screen for the entire video. You usually only want your title to appear for the first few seconds.

1. Tap on your text box once it's on the screen.
2. An option bubble will appear that says 'Set duration.' Tap it.
3. A timeline view will pop up at the bottom of the screen showing your video clip. The text you added will be represented as a red bar.
4. Drag the handles on either side of the red bar to control when the text appears and when it disappears. To make it a title, drag the right handle so the text only shows up for the first 3-5 seconds of your video.
5. Tap the checkmark when you're done.

That's it! Now your title will show up at the beginning of your video and then disappear, creating a clean, professional intro before the main action continues.

Strategies for Titles That Stop the Scroll

Knowing how to add a title is one thing, knowing what title to add is another. The words you choose and how you present them matter. Here are some actionable strategies for crafting more effective titles.

1. Spark Curiosity with a Pincushion Title

Pincushion titles pose a question or make a bold statement that makes someone want to know the answer or see the result. They create an "information gap" that viewers automatically want to fill.

• "You're storing your coffee wrong."
• "Will This Kitchen Gadget Actually Work?"
• "The one thing you're overlooking in your job search."

2. Keep it Clean and Clear

Your title should be legible within a second. Don't make people squint or struggle to read it. That means:

• Short Copy: Aim for 3-7 words. A full sentence is too long.
• High Contrast: Never put light text over a light background. Use the text 'Highlight' feature to add a solid or transparent background block to your text to ensure it's easily readable. A white title with a black highlight works over practically any background.
• Clean Fonts: TikTok's fancier fonts can be fun, but for titles, clear and bold is always better. The 'Classic' font with a bold background is a safe and effective bet.

3. Use The Standard Video Formats

Certain title formats are instantly recognizable on TikTok and help users identify the type of content they're about to watch. Using these formats helps your video fit seamlessly into the FYP experience.

• Listicles: "3 Skincare Myths Busted," "5 Books to Read This Year."
• Story Time / Get Ready With Me (GRWM): Classics for sharing a narrative while performing another task.
• POV (Point of View): Puts the viewer into a relatable or funny situation. "POV: You find a typo in an email right after sending it."
• Part [#]: If you are creating a series, clearly labeling it "Part 1" encourages viewers to follow you to see the rest.

Taking Your Titles Further with Third-Party Apps

While TikTok's editor is excellent for most needs, sometimes you might want more creative control. Maybe you want to use your brand's specific fonts and colors, or maybe you want more dynamic text animations. This is where third-party video editing apps come in.

Popular Apps for Advanced Titles:

• CapCut: Made by the same parent company as TikTok, CapCut is a fan favorite for good reason. It’s free and packed with features, including extensive text options, custom font imports, and slick animations that you can't find in the TikTok app itself. You can easily create a professional-looking intro with an animated title in CapCut, export the video, and then upload it directly to TikTok.
• InShot: Another incredibly popular and user-friendly mobile video editor. InShot has great text features, animated stickers, and allows you to easily format videos for TikTok's vertical aspect ratio. It’s a fantastic all-in-one editor for creating more polished content.
• Canva: While known for graphics, Canva's video editor is getting better and is a great option for creating professional title cards. You can design a whole intro scene with your branding, download it as a video clip, and then add it to the start of your main video in any video editor.

Final Thoughts

Adding a title is a simple, quick step that can seriously elevate your content, improving both watch time and clarity. Whether you use TikTok's powerful native tools for a quick job or dive into a third-party app for more brand control, getting a clean, compelling title on screen in the first few seconds gives your video a much better chance of succeeding.

We know that creating high-quality, engaging content with clear titles is just one part of the challenge. The next hurdle is planning and scheduling everything consistently, especially a mix of TikToks, Reels, and Shorts. That's why we built Postbase from the ground up for short-form video. Our visual calendar lets you drag-and-drop your drafts, see your entire content schedule at a glance, and keep everything organized without feeling overwhelmed.