HeyGen captions and translated video exports: run an accessibility review

SOURCE-BASED ANALYSIS · NO HANDS-ON RATING

Define the caption deliverable first

HeyGen distinguishes stylized captions in AI Studio, captions used in translation workflows and closed captions available on a translated video's share page. These outputs are not interchangeable. Write down whether the final channel needs text permanently visible in the image, a viewer-controlled caption track or a separate subtitle file.

Use one review script

Create a 30- to 45-second script with a name, number, abbreviation, sentence break and one term from the approved glossary. Keep the same script through each caption test. Review the source-language output before translating so a source error is not multiplied across languages.

1. Enable the caption mode required by the delivery channel.
2. Edit the displayed text where the workflow allows it.
3. Check line breaks, reading order and whether important visual content is obscured.
4. Generate the translated version and compare it with the approved translation.
5. Download the available subtitle file and open it in the target player.

Account for export differences

HeyGen's documentation states that translated-video caption exports are available as SRT, while other caption controls can depend on whether review and editing were selected. It also notes that some translation settings can produce both captioned and uncaptioned versions. Confirm the actual outputs of the chosen workflow before promising a file format to a client or publishing team.

A mobile playback example

A fictional training clip is delivered through an embedded player and also as a downloaded file. Test the shared page with closed captions enabled, then test the downloaded video with the SRT file in the destination player. Check the result on a phone with sound off. This is an acceptance example, not a claim about measured accessibility conformance.

Record exceptions

Keep a list of corrected caption text, glossary changes, timing issues and channels that require a different export. If a correction changes the script, repeat the pronunciation and translation checks. Accessibility review should be part of the approval record rather than an assumption based on the presence of captions.