CHRISTINE Stop Writing Captions That Give the Video Away
Drop in any short-form video transcript and Caption Engine hands back five caption options — each two lines, each scored out of 20 — built so the first line earns the watch and the second line earns the search ranking.
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--- name: caption-engine description: Write scored short-form video captions for Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. Use this skill whenever you say "write captions," "caption this," "run the caption engine," "caption engine," "write the caption," or drop a video transcript (screenshot or text) and want captions for it. Also trigger when you mention Instagram captions, Reel captions, short-form captions, TikTok captions, or reference writing a description for a short-form video. If you drop a transcript screenshot and do not specify what you want, this is probably what you mean. This is the caption production system for all short-form video content. --- # Caption Engine — Short-Form Video Captions ## Purpose Turn any short-form video transcript into five scored caption options that stop the scroll and feed the algorithm. Every caption does two jobs: Line 1 earns the watch. Line 2 earns the search ranking. The video delivers the lesson. The caption never does. ## The Two-Line Template Every caption follows this structure. No exceptions. **Line 1: Curiosity Hook.** Create tension, contrast, or an open loop that earns the watch. Never state the lesson. Never give away the payoff. If someone can read this line and skip the video, it failed. **Line 2: Keyphrase-Rich Statement.** One natural sentence containing a searchable phrase the target audience would type into ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google. This line expands the hook without closing the loop the video closes. That's it. Two lines. First line is for humans. Second line is for algorithms. ## The Process (Follow This Exactly) ### Step 1: Read the transcript If you drop a transcript screenshot, read it fully. If you paste text, read it fully. Do not start writing until you understand the complete message of the video. ### Step 2: Identify the core insight Strip away personality, metaphor, and delivery. What is the actual idea? Write it down internally in one sentence. This is NOT the caption. This is the thing the caption must never say outright. ### Step 3: Identify the keyphrase Ask: "What would someone type into ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google to find this idea?" That's the keyphrase anchor for Line 2. Pick the most natural, searchable version. ### Step 4: Write five caption options Every option must follow the two-line template. Produce exactly five options. No more, no less. ### Step 5: Score every option Score each caption on four dimensions, 1-5 each. Display scores as bullet points beneath each caption. ## Scoring Criteria **Curiosity** — Does it create a reason to watch the video? Would someone stop scrolling? Does it withhold the lesson? If the caption delivers the payoff, it fails. (1-5) **AEO Signal** — Does Line 2 contain a natural keyphrase someone would actually search? Could an AI tool pull this caption as a relevant result for a real query? (1-5) **Voice** — Does it sound like you said it? Is it candid, direct, and grounded? Could this have come from anyone else? If yes, it fails. (1-5) **Brevity** — Is it two lines or less? Does every word earn its spot? Is there anything you could cut without losing impact? (1-5) **Minimum threshold to publish: 16/20.** ## Scoring Display Format Always display scores as bullet points directly beneath each caption option: ``` 1. [Caption Line 1]. [Caption Line 2]. - Curiosity: X - AEO: X - Voice: X - Brevity: X - **Total: X/20** ``` ## Caption Rules - Maximum two sentences. Period. - Never summarize the video in the caption. - Never state the lesson, takeaway, or conclusion. - Never use hashtags in the caption. - Line 1 must create an open loop, tension, or pattern interrupt. - Line 2 must contain at least one searchable keyphrase woven naturally into a sentence. - The caption should make someone NEED to watch the video to get the answer. - Curiosity comes from specificity and implication, not vagueness. "This changed everything" is vague. "The entrepreneurs pulling ahead all have one thing in common" creates pull. ## Voice Rules - Certain, grounded, warm, direct - Conversational. Like talking to a friend. - Write with presence and certainty. - Candid. The way you actually talk on camera. - NEVER use: delve, unlock, craft, foster, tapestry, embarking, unleash, unveil, realm, boasts, revolutionize, tenets - NEVER use semicolons, em dashes, contrastive framing, or tension-based setups - No corporate language. No AI filler phrases. - The caption should feel like you, not a content template. ## What the User Sees You drop a transcript (screenshot or text) and get back five caption options, each scored. Clean output, no preamble, no explanation of the process. Just the five options with scores. If you say "5 more" or "give me more options," produce five more following the same format. If you pick one, confirm it and move on. No upsell, no suggestions unless asked. ## Examples ### Example A — AI Practice Video Transcript summary: AI growth comes from hands-on daily practice, not passive learning. Sign up for tools and start creating. Core insight (internal only): AI growth is experience-driven. Keyphrase: "how to get better at AI" ``` 1. Everyone's talking about AI potential. Almost nobody is opening the tool. The fastest way to learn AI is to use it every single day. - Curiosity: 4 - AEO: 4 - Voice: 4 - Brevity: 5 - **Total: 17/20 — Publish.** ``` ### Example B — WordPress Disruption Video Transcript summary: WordPress may not survive 18 months. Saw a website built in 3 minutes by AI. Planning to make it his actual website. Core insight (internal only): AI website builders are replacing traditional platforms. Keyphrase: "WordPress" ``` 1. WordPress might not exist in 18 months. I saw why this week. - Curiosity: 5 - AEO: 4 - Voice: 5 - Brevity: 5 - **Total: 19/20 — Publish.** ``` ### Example C — Team Redundancy Video Transcript summary: One is none and two is one. If one team member leaves and everything stops, you have a liability. AI provides redundancy. Core insight (internal only): Single points of failure on teams are a liability AI can solve. Keyphrase: "team" / "AI for teams" ``` 1. Your social media person quits tomorrow. Does your content stop? That answer matters more than you think. - Curiosity: 5 - AEO: 3 - Voice: 5 - Brevity: 5 - **Total: 18/20 — Publish.** ``` ## Edge Cases - If the transcript is too short or unclear to extract a core insight, ask: "What's the main point of this video?" - If the video covers multiple ideas, pick the single strongest one for the caption. Captions do one job. - If you ask for longer captions, remember the template is two lines max and the system is built for short-form scroll-stopping. If you insist, follow your lead but flag that it breaks the optimization pattern. - If you ask for hashtags, do not include them. The system is designed without hashtags. If you insist, add them after the two lines but flag that it's outside the system. ## Output Note This skill produces the caption text only. Posting, scheduling, and platform formatting happen wherever you publish. The output maps directly to the caption/description field on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. No additional restructuring needed.
From then on, just drop in a video transcript and say "Caption this."
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Skills like this are how Christine runs her own business every day. In the Heart-Led AI Signature Group Coaching, she teaches you the whole system — live, in plain English, at your pace.
Explore Signature CoachingFive options. Two lines each. Every one scored.
No preamble, no explanation of the process — you drop a transcript, you get clean options ready to paste. Here's the anatomy of every run:
1 · Line 1: The Curiosity Hook
Tension, contrast, or an open loop that earns the watch. It never states the lesson and never gives away the payoff — if someone could read it and skip the video, it failed.
2 · Line 2: The Keyphrase Statement
One natural sentence containing a phrase your audience would actually type into ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google — expanding the hook without closing the loop.
3 · Five Options, Exactly
Every run produces five captions, no more, no less. Say "5 more" and you get five more in the same format.
4 · The Four Scores
Every option is scored 1–5 on Curiosity, AEO Signal, Voice, and Brevity — displayed as bullets right beneath the caption, so you can see exactly why one beats another.
5 · The Publish Bar: 16 Out of 20
The four scores add up to a total out of 20, and the minimum threshold to publish is 16. You know at a glance which captions are ready to post and which ones don't make the cut.
And if you ask for hashtags?
You won't get them — the system is two lines and no hashtags on purpose. If you insist, it follows your lead and flags that you're stepping outside the optimization pattern, and the same goes for longer captions. And if a transcript is too short or unclear to find the core insight, it asks "What's the main point of this video?" instead of guessing.
Keep stacking: pairs beautifully with Caption QA
Caption Engine writes and scores the captions — Caption QA pressure-tests a finished batch with three adversarial reviewers and delivers a ship, flag, or rewrite verdict on each one.
Get Caption QA →The caption has one job: earn the watch.
The video delivers the lesson. The caption never does. Every rule in Caption Engine exists to protect that split — so the human stops scrolling and the algorithm knows who to show it to.
Line one is for humans, line two is for algorithms
The two-line template splits the caption's jobs cleanly: the hook earns the stop and the watch, while the keyphrase line earns the search ranking on Google and inside AI tools. Neither line has to compromise for the other.
It finds the core insight so it can hide it
Before writing anything, the skill strips away the delivery and names the actual idea of your video in one sentence — then makes sure no caption ever says it outright. That's what keeps the loop open.
Specificity creates the pull
"This changed everything" is vague. "The entrepreneurs pulling ahead all have one thing in common" creates pull. The skill builds curiosity from specificity and implication, never from mystery-box vagueness.
Scores take the guesswork out of picking
A caption that delivers the payoff fails Curiosity. One that could have come from anyone fails Voice. With four scores and a 16-out-of-20 publish bar, choosing the winner takes seconds instead of a debate with yourself.