How to Automatically Add Captions to Videos with ZapCap + Zapier

Manual captioning is a productivity killer. For every minute of video, you're looking at 5-10 minutes of work—transcribing, timing, formatting, and exporting. If you're an agency processing dozens of videos daily or a content creator pumping out shorts, that math doesn't work.

Here's the good news: you can fully automate video captioning with ZapCap and Zapier. No coding required. Just set up a workflow once, and every video you upload gets professional AI captions automatically.

In this guide, you'll build a complete automation pipeline that monitors a Google Drive folder, sends new videos to ZapCap for captioning, and saves the finished videos back—all without lifting a finger. Most videos process in 1-3 minutes.

Want the fast track? ZapCap has a pre-built Zap template for Google Drive. Click "Try it" and skip straight to Step 4 below.

Why Automate Video Captions?

If you're reading this, you already know manual captioning doesn't scale. Here's the quick math:

• Time: Manual captioning takes 5-10x the video length. 50 videos/month = multiple lost workdays.
• Cost: A dedicated captioner costs $2,000+/month. This workflow? A fraction of that.
• Consistency: Automation delivers the same quality every time, no matter the volume.
• Reach: 85% of social media videos are watched on mute. Captions are essential.

What You'll Build

By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a fully automated workflow:

1. Upload a video to a specific Google Drive folder
2. ZapCap automatically processes it with AI captions using your chosen template
3. The captioned video saves back to Google Drive (or wherever you want)

That's it. No manual steps. No waiting around. Upload and forget.

Prerequisites

Before we start, make sure you have:

1. ZapCap account — Free accounts get $5 in credits to test (videos will have a watermark). Upgrade to Pro to remove the watermark.
2. ZapCap API key — Get it from platform.zapcap.ai/dashboard/api-key
3. Zapier account — Free and paid plans available
4. Google Drive — Or another trigger app like Dropbox, Airtable, or HeyGen

Don't have a ZapCap account yet? Sign up here and grab your API key from the dashboard.

Step 1: Get Your ZapCap API Key

First, you need your API credentials to connect ZapCap to Zapier.

1. Go to platform.zapcap.ai
2. Log in to your account
3. Navigate to Dashboard → API Key
4. Click Generate if you don't have one, or copy your existing key
5. Store it somewhere safe—you'll need it in Step 3

Your API key is like a password. Don't share it publicly or commit it to code repositories.

Need help with the API? Check out the ZapCap API documentation for detailed endpoint references.

Step 2: Create a New Zap

Now let's build the automation in Zapier.

1. Go to zapier.com and log in
2. Click Create Zap (or + Create in the top navigation)
3. For your trigger, search for Google Drive
4. Select New File in Folder as the trigger event
5. Connect your Google Drive account if you haven't already
6. Choose the specific folder you want to monitor for new videos

Pro tip: Create a dedicated folder like "Videos to Caption" so you don't accidentally process every file in your Drive.

Test your trigger to make sure Zapier can see files in your chosen folder. If you don't have any test files yet, upload a short video clip first.

Step 3: Connect ZapCap

Here's where the magic happens—connecting ZapCap to your workflow.

1. Click the + button to add a new action
2. Search for ZapCap in the app search
3. Select the Process Video action
4. Connect a new account, when prompted enter your API Key from Step 1
5. Configure the action fields:

Video URL field: Click the field, then select Web Content Link from the Google Drive trigger outputs. This is the direct download URL that ZapCap needs.

Before you continue: Go back to Google Drive and set the folder's sharing to "Anyone with the link can view". Do this on the folder itself, not individual files. New uploads will inherit the permission automatically.

Template ID field: Select your preferred caption style from the dropdown (more on templates in Step 4).

How It Works Behind the Scenes

ZapCap's Zapier integration uses webhooks for async processing. When you run a Zap:

1. Zapier sends your video URL to ZapCap
2. ZapCap creates a processing task and registers a callback URL
3. Your Zap pauses while ZapCap transcribes and renders
4. When complete, ZapCap POSTs to the callback URL
5. Zapier resumes and continues with the captioned video's download URL

This means your Zap only continues when the video is actually ready—no polling or wasted tasks.

Step 4: Choose Your Caption Template

ZapCap offers 25+ professional caption templates. The Zapier action includes a dropdown with popular options, but here are the template IDs if you need them:

To preview all templates before choosing:

1. Visit platform.zapcap.ai/dashboard/templates
2. The Zapier dropdown uses the template name, so you can select directly there

Step 5: Save the Output

Once ZapCap finishes processing, you need to do something with the captioned video. Add another action to your Zap:

Option A: Save to Google Drive (Most Common)

1. Click + to add another action
2. Search for Google Drive
3. Select Upload File
4. Map the File field to ZapCap's "Download URL" output
5. Choose your destination folder (e.g., "Captioned Videos")
6. Optionally set a custom filename using ZapCap's output fields

Option B: Other Popular Destinations

• Slack: Send the video link to a channel so your team knows it's ready
• Airtable: Update a record with the captioned video URL for tracking
• Google Sheets: Log each processed video with timestamps and status
• Dropbox: Alternative cloud storage
• Email: Send yourself a notification with the download link

You can chain multiple actions. For example: Save to Drive AND notify on Slack AND log to Sheets.

Step 6: Test Your Zap

Time to make sure everything works:

1. Turn on your Zap using the toggle at the top
2. Upload a test video to your monitored Google Drive folder
3. Wait for processing — typically 1-3 minutes for short videos
4. Check your output folder for the captioned video

Troubleshooting Tips

Video not processing?

• Ensure the file is MP4 or MOV format
• Check that the Google Drive link is publicly accessible
• Verify your API key is correct and has credits

Zap not triggering?

• Confirm you uploaded to the exact folder you specified
• Check Zapier's task history for errors
• Make sure the file is a video, not a document

Processing failed?

• Maximum video length is 30 minutes
• Check your ZapCap credit balance at platform.zapcap.ai/dashboard/billing
• Very large files may take longer—be patient

Advanced Use Cases

Once your basic workflow is running, here are ways to level up:

1. HeyGen AI Avatar Videos → Captions

Creating AI avatar videos with HeyGen? Set up a Zap that:

• Triggers when HeyGen completes a new video
• Sends it to ZapCap for professional captions
• Saves the final version to your Drive

Perfect for sales videos, training content, and personalized outreach at scale.

2. Batch Processing from Airtable

Use Airtable as your video content database:

• Add a "Video URL" field to your base
• Trigger when a new record is created (or a checkbox is checked)
• Process through ZapCap
• Update the record with the captioned URL and status

Great for agencies managing multiple client videos.

3. Multi-Platform Distribution

Caption once, publish everywhere:

• Process video with ZapCap
• Use Zapier paths to send to multiple destinations
• Automatically post to YouTube, share on Slack, and archive to Drive

4. Slack Notifications for Team Workflows

Keep your team in the loop:

• Add a Slack action after ZapCap processing
• Post the video link to a dedicated channel
• Include metadata like filename and processing time

5. Multi-Language Content

Creating content for global audiences?

• Set up parallel Zaps with different language settings
• Process the same video multiple times
• Save each version to language-specific folders

For more automation ideas, check out 7 Essential Tools to Automate Videos in 2025.

Pricing Considerations

Let's talk costs so you can budget appropriately.

ZapCap Pricing

• Free tier: $5 in credits to test (videos include watermark)
• Pro: $20/month subscription + ~$0.10 per minute of video (removes watermark)
• Bulk discounts available for high-volume users

Zapier Pricing

Zapier charges based on tasks (each step in your Zap counts). Check Zapier's pricing page for current plans—they offer a free tier for testing and paid plans for higher volume.

Cost Example

Processing 100 one-minute videos per month with ZapCap Pro:

• ZapCap Pro subscription: $20/month
• ZapCap credits: ~$10
• Zapier: Depends on your plan
• Total: ~$30-50/month

Compare that to hiring a captioner at $15-25/hour, where 100 videos would cost $250-500+ in labor.

For detailed pricing, visit the ZapCap pricing page.

Why ZapCap + Zapier?

There are other ways to automate captions. Here's why this combination works so well:

Native integration: ZapCap has an official Zapier app. No custom HTTP requests or webhook setup required.

Webhook-based processing: Unlike polling-based integrations, ZapCap notifies Zapier instantly when processing completes. No wasted tasks checking status repeatedly.

Template variety: 25+ professional caption styles mean you'll find one that fits your brand.

Accuracy: 99%+ transcription accuracy powered by advanced AI speech recognition.

Speed: Most videos process in 1-3 minutes. Even a 10-minute video typically finishes in under 5 minutes.

Connects to everything: Zapier integrates with 8,000+ apps. Whatever your workflow looks like, you can fit ZapCap into it.

Ready to Automate Your Video Captions?

Stop spending hours on manual captioning. Set up your ZapCap + Zapier workflow today and let AI handle the tedious work while you focus on creating great content.

Get started now:

• Get your ZapCap API key
• Use the pre-built Zap template
• Explore caption templates

Prefer open-source? Try the ZapCap n8n workflow for a self-hosted alternative.

Questions? Join the ZapCap Discord community for help and tips from other users.

Related: How to add captions to YouTube Shorts | Instagram Reels captions | TikTok subtitles | ZapCap API guide