How to add a screen annotation to your video
Screen Annotation is an overlay component that lets you highlight, blur, zoom into, or draw attention to any part of your screen recording — directly inside Capsule.
To add a Screen Annotation:
1. Open your project
2. Highlight the transcript portion where the annotation should appear OR turn on pro mode (p on your keyboard) and click + on the design bar (right above the main timeline)
3. Select Design --> Screen Annotation
4. Modify the annotation in the settings panel on the right hand side of your screen
Customize your annotation
Once added, open the Screen Annotation panel to configure it:
Color — choose any color for your annotation shape
Shape — select the annotation shape: Rectangle, Circle, Oval, or Underline
Style — choose how the annotation is applied (see Style options below)
Animation — set how the annotation appears: None, Fade, or Draw
Duration — set how long the annotation stays on screen (in seconds)
Shape-specific options
Depending on the shape you select, additional controls appear:
Roundness — available for Rectangle; adjusts how rounded the corners are (0% = sharp, 100% = pill shape)
Thickness — available for Outline style; controls the width of the annotation border
Style options
The Style setting controls what the annotation does to the video underneath it:
Style | What it does |
Outline | Draws a colored border around your selected area. |
Spotlight | Highlights the selected area. Dims everything outside it. |
Zoom Crop | Zooms into the selected area to fill the frame. |
Blur Outside | Blurs everything outside the annotation shape. |
Blur Inside | Blurs only the content inside the annotation shape. |
Blackout | Blacks out the content inside the annotation shape. |
💡 Tip: Use Spotlight or Blur Outside to guide viewer attention to a specific part of the screen. Use Blackout to redact sensitive information.
Troubleshooting
I don't see Screen Annotation in my component menu
Screen Annotation is an overlay component it is not going to appear when you click + on your main timeline.
The Roundness or Thickness option isn't showing
These controls only appear for certain shape and style combinations. Make sure you have Rectangle selected to see Roundness, and Outline selected to see Thickness.
My annotation isn't appearing in the exported video
Confirm the annotation is placed over the correct part of your timeline and that the color selected shows on screen.
FAQ
Can I add more than one annotation to a video?
Yes. You can add multiple Screen Annotation components to a project, each with different settings and positions on the timeline. They can also overlap each other is clicked and dragged into the same position.
Can I change the color to match my brand?
Yes. The Color field accepts any hex code. Your team's branded colors may also be pre-set in your Motion Design System.