Fast Ways to Make Viral Videos with CapCut Templates & AI Video Maker

What is a viral video

A viral video is a highly shareable piece of content that spreads quickly across social platforms because it triggers emotion, sparks curiosity, or taps into trending moments. These videos succeed by capturing attention in the first few seconds with strong hooks, delivering relatable or entertaining storytelling, and using formats optimized for TikTok viral videos, YouTube Shorts, and Reels. High engagement, such as comments, shares, and rewatches, also pushes a video further. Today, AI tools give creators a major advantage by offering automated editing, trending prompts, dynamic visuals, and fast production workflows that make viral-ready content easier to produce than ever.

Critical factors behind viral video success

If you want to know how to make viral videos, understanding the key success factors is essential. Every element from the opening hook to technical details affects whether your content spreads quickly and engages viewers.

• Strong hook in the first 3 seconds: The first moments of your video are the most important for grabbing attention. Use shock, humor, or curiosity to make viewers stop scrolling immediately. Combine this with visual contrast, fast pacing, and eye-catching effects to create a memorable opening. A strong hook increases the chances of shares, rewatches, and engagement.
• Clear story or message: Every viral video should focus on one main idea per clip. Make your story relatable, emotional, or educational so viewers feel connected. Clear storytelling ensures that the message is easy to follow, keeps viewers engaged, and encourages them to interact or share your content.
• Platform-specific optimization: Different platforms require different formats and pacing to perform well. YouTube works best with 16:9 storytelling, TikTok favors fast-paced 9:16 clips, and AI-generated videos benefit from dynamic visuals or surreal elements. Tailoring content to each platform maximizes reach and engagement.
• Editing & aesthetic choices: Editing and aesthetics greatly affect viewer retention. Use quick cuts, subtitles, trending templates, and appealing sound design to keep videos visually engaging. Proper editing ensures your video looks professional and encourages viewers to watch until the end.
• Technical requirements: Technical quality can make or break virality. Export videos in high resolution, keep TikTok clips short (6–15 seconds), and use vertical formats for mobile viewing. Meeting these requirements ensures your videos are easy to watch, share, and perform well on all platforms.

With these elements mastered, CapCut provides all the tools, templates, AI editing, and platform optimization to create viral-ready videos quickly and efficiently.

How to create viral videos using CapCut's trendy templates

Creating viral videos has never been easier with CapCut's ready-made templates. Whether you're on desktop or mobile, templates save time by providing pre-designed transitions, effects, and music, so you can focus on your content and style.

Easy steps to find and use templates in CapCut online

CapCut Web offers a library of trending templates optimized for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels. Follow these steps to turn your clips into viral videos quickly:

STEP 1
1. Choose a trending template

• Visit the CapCut online workshop page.
• Click Sign up for free if you don't have an account or Log in to access the editor.
• Navigate to the Templates section from the dashboard.

• Browse trending or niche templates that match your video concept.
• Click on a template to preview it and check animations, music, and effects.
• Hit Use this template to start editing with your own clips.

STEP 2
1. Customize your clips & design

• Upload your video clips or photos into the template from the left sidebar of "Media", "Templates", "Stock videos", 'Photos", "Audios".
• Swap multiple clips at once using "Batch Replace" in the same timing structure, ideal for quick editing.
• Edit by clicking on clip text, music, colors, or effects to match your style on the right sidebar tools of "Texts", "Audio", "Backgrounds".

STEP 3
1. Export and share

• After finishing, take a final review and click "Export" in the top right corner.
• It has "Share for review" to share the file in creating a space for private and public members.
• The "Share a presentation" and "Download" export the final clip as per our required "Quality", "Resolution", "Format", "Frame rate", and then click "Export" to save.

Easy steps to find and edit templates in CapCut App

Editing on your phone allows you to create viral videos anywhere. CapCut App templates are fully mobile-optimized with built-in trends and effects.

STEP 1
1. Launch the CapCut app

• Open the app and log in or sign up.
• Tap Templates on the home screen to browse trending options.

STEP 2
1. Choose and preview a template

• Explore categories such as viral trends, challenges, or niche content.
• Tap a template to preview the music, transitions, and text animations.
• Select Use Template to start editing with your clips.

STEP 3
1. Customize and share

• Add your videos, images, text, or stickers to the template.
• Adjust filters, effects, and music to match your creative vision.
• Tap Export and share directly to TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts.

How to create viral videos with CapCut's free AI video maker

CapCut's AI video generator allows you to produce fully edited, viral-ready videos from a simple text prompt. AI tools automatically add hooks, transitions, music, and effects, reducing manual effort and speeding up production.

Steps to use CapCut's AI video generator online

Creating viral videos on CapCut Web is quick and intuitive. With AI, you can generate a complete video from your concept in minutes, then make any necessary adjustments before exporting. Follow these steps to get started:

STEP 1
1. Start creating with CapCut's AI video maker

• Visit CapCut workshop online and log in.
• Navigate to the AI video maker section on the dashboard.

• Click "Instant AI video", the interface shown on side choose style, Aspect ratio, give script and select duration and then click on "Create".
• Type your idea, theme, or trending prompt into the input field.
• Select preferred styles, characters, or visual effects provided by the AI.
• Click "Create" to let the AI create your video automatically.

• The creation includes creating script, creating voiceover, creating media automatically.

STEP 2
1. Personalize your script, scenes, and elements

• After creation, we can modify our script, scenes, elements and music on our own
• Select the "Script" to create the script giving the "Topic" name and "Key points", as required.
• The tools of "Scenes" used to change the voiceovers, "Elements" to select sub-titles in different styles and "Music" to set the background music to prefer.

STEP 3
1. Review and export

• Watch the generated video and make minor edits if needed (text, music, or timing).
• Click Export to download your viral-ready AI video and then export to your desired quality, resolution, format, frame rate to save.

Steps to use a free AI video generator in CapCut App

On mobile, CapCut's AI video generator lets you produce viral videos on the go. You can create, edit, and share content directly from your phone, making it perfect for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts. Follow these steps:

STEP 1
1. Open the AI video feature

• Launch the CapCut App and log in.
• Tap AI video from the main menu to start a new project.

STEP 2
1. Input your prompt or select a preset

• Enter your video idea or choose from trending AI presets.
• Adjust visuals, characters, and effects as suggested by the AI.
• Tap Generate to produce your video automatically.

STEP 3
1. Customize and share

• Make any final adjustments to text, music, or transitions.
• Tap Export to save the video or share it directly to TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram.

Key features of CapCut for viral video creation

If you're looking to learn how to make viral videos, CapCut offers advanced tools that simplify creation and maximize engagement. Each feature is designed to help your content stand out on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and high-resolution Instagram Reels.

• AI hook writer: The AI hook writer generates attention-grabbing intros automatically, helping your videos capture viewers in the first few crucial seconds. It creates hooks tailored to trending formats, increasing engagement and retention. Using AI-generated hooks ensures your audience stays interested, boosts rewatches, and significantly improves your video's chances of going viral.
• AI scene generator: This feature converts simple prompts into dynamic, AI-style, or surreal visual scenes. You can create professional-quality backgrounds and effects without advanced editing skills. The AI scene generator enhances creativity, making videos more engaging and visually captivating for trending social content.
• Trending templates: CapCut's templates are updated constantly to reflect current trends across social platforms. They include ready-to-use effects, transitions, and music that you can apply instantly. Using templates saves time while keeping your content relevant, polished, and viral-ready, even for beginners.
• Viral sound library: Access a curated collection of trending audio tracks that automatically sync with your video clips. Using viral sounds increases the likelihood of discoverability and engagement. Pairing popular audio with your visuals helps your content appear on recommendation feeds and encourages shares.
• Auto subtitle generator: Automatically generate clear and readable subtitles for every video. With CapCut's powerful AI subtitle generator, subtitles improve viewer retention, accessibility, and engagement, especially on mobile, where videos are often watched muted. This ensures your message is always understood and boosts watch time, increasing virality potential.
• Motion effects & velocity edits: Add professional motion effects, speed ramps, and velocity edits to enhance visual appeal. These dynamic edits make your videos more engaging and retain viewers' attention for longer. Motion effects give your content a polished, high-energy look, making it stand out in crowded social feeds.

Now that you understand the core elements and tools behind creating viral content, the next step is choosing video ideas that naturally attract views, engagement, and shares. These formats are proven to work across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels and they pair perfectly with CapCut 's editing tools and templates.

Top video ideas to make your content go viral

If you're learning how to make viral videos, choosing the right content format is just as important as editing. These proven video ideas consistently drive views, engagement, and shares across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.

1
1. Before-and-after transformations: Transformation videos instantly grab attention by showing clear progress or change. Whether it's an editing glow-up, makeover, or skill improvement, viewers stay to see the result. Visual contrast keeps retention high and encourages rewatches. CapCut's motion effects and split-screen layouts make transformations more dramatic and engaging.
2
2. Trending challenges & remixes: Participating in trends helps your content get discovered faster because audiences are already searching for them. Adding your own creative twist keeps the video original and memorable. These videos often gain momentum quickly across platforms. CapCut's trending templates and viral sound library help you stay current with minimal effort.
3
3. Quick tips & hacks (value shorts): Short, actionable tips perform well because they deliver instant value. Focus on one clear tip per video and keep the pacing fast to maintain attention. These videos are highly shareable and saveable. CapCut's auto subtitle generator and quick cuts help make tips easy to follow.
4
4. Reaction & commentary videos: Reaction videos thrive on authenticity and emotion. Viewers enjoy seeing real responses to trending news, viral clips, or popular challenges. This format encourages comments and discussions, boosting engagement. CapCut's split-screen layouts, zoom effects, and captions enhance reaction content.
5
5. Storytime or personal experiences: Personal stories create emotional connection and relatability. Whether humorous, inspiring, or surprising, storytelling keeps viewers engaged from start to finish. Strong pacing and visuals help maintain attention, especially when paired with an AI story generator that helps structure your narrative. CapCut lets you enhance stories with music cues, text overlays, and smooth transitions for a polished, engaging result.
6
6. Tutorials & how-to guides: Tutorials work well because they solve specific problems quickly. Short, focused how-to videos keep viewers watching and build trust with your audience. Educational content also performs well long-term. CapCut's templates help structure tutorials clearly and professionally.
7
7. List videos ("top 5," "best of," etc.): List videos promise quick value and encourage viewers to watch until the end. They are easy to consume and highly binge-worthy. Clear structure improves retention and replay value. CapCut's text animations make list points visually clear and engaging.
8
8. Behind-the-scenes (BTS): Behind-the-scenes videos satisfy curiosity and build trust with your audience. Showing your workflow or creative process makes your content feel more authentic. BTS content also strengthens creator-viewer relationships. CapCut's screen recording and fast trimming simplify BTS editing.
9
9. Comparison & POV videos: Comparison videos spark curiosity by showing differences side by side, while POV videos feel personal and immersive. These formats often trigger comments and debates, especially when POV captions help viewers instantly understand the perspective. Clear visuals are key for strong engagement. CapCut's split frames and dynamic transitions help present comparisons effectively and keep viewers watching longer.
10
10. Trend-driven comedy or skits: Comedy videos go viral because humor is highly shareable. Quick skits, memes, and parody content perform especially well when tied to trends. Strong timing and pacing are essential. CapCut's motion effects, sound sync, and speed controls enhance comedic impact.

Benefits of making viral videos with AI

CapCut AI simplifies the process of creating viral content, allowing anyone to produce high-quality videos that perform well on multiple platforms. These benefits save time, improve visuals, and increase shareability.

• Saves hours of manual editing: AI automates complex tasks like trimming, transitions, and effects, reducing the effort required to produce high-quality videos. Creators can focus on ideas instead of tedious edits, drastically shortening production time. Fast edits mean you can post more content consistently.
• Gets access to auto-generated hooks & scripts: AI tools generate compelling hooks, captions, and scripts based on trends. With a built-in video script generator, your videos grab attention immediately and maintain high engagement. Ready-to-use scripts save planning time and help your content appeal to a wider audience.
• Professional visuals without skills: Even beginners can create polished, visually appealing videos using AI-generated effects, transitions, and templates. No advanced editing experience is required. The AI ensures your videos look professional, increasing credibility and shareability across platforms.
• Easy cross-platform resizing: Automatically resize videos for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and other formats. Cross-platform resizing ensures your content maintains quality and visual appeal no matter where it's posted. This increases your reach and ensures optimized engagement across all platforms.
• Perfect for YouTube Shorts, Reels, TikTok: AI-generated videos are optimized for short-form, fast-paced platforms. They are designed to capture attention, maximize retention, and encourage interactions. Using AI tools helps your content perform better in feeds and recommendation algorithms.
• Fast, optimized, and highly shareable output: CapCut AI produces videos ready to post immediately, with trending effects, hooks, and music. This ensures content is optimized for engagement and virality. High-quality, fast, and shareable output increases your chances of reaching a wider audience quickly.

Learning how to make viral videos doesn't have to be difficult or time-consuming. By focusing on key success factors like creating strong hooks, telling a clear story, optimizing platforms, and using professional editing, you can dramatically increase your chances of reaching a wider audience. CapCut simplifies this process with AI-powered tools, trending templates, and intuitive editing features that allow creators of all skill levels to produce high-quality, viral-ready content. Whether on desktop or mobile, CapCut helps turn your video ideas into engaging, shareable clips that attract views and engagement. Start creating your next viral video today with ease.

FAQs

1
1. How do I make viral videos as a beginner?

As a beginner, the key to making viral videos is to focus on strong hooks, clear storytelling, and platform-specific optimization. Using tools like CapCut, you can leverage trending templates, AI-powered effects, and pre-designed audio to create professional-looking videos without advanced skills. Start small, experiment with short, engaging clips, and analyze what works to refine your content for higher engagement.

2
1. How do I make a viral video on YouTube?

To make a viral video on YouTube, create content with a compelling hook, a clear story, and an optimized format for 16:9 viewing. Use CapCut to edit with trending templates, subtitles, and motion effects that capture attention in the first few seconds. Pair your visuals with viral audio or music and ensure your video encourages engagement through likes, comments, and shares. Proper optimization increases the likelihood of reaching YouTube's recommendation feeds.

3
1. Do hashtags help your videos go viral?

Hashtags help platforms understand your content and categorize it correctly. Using a mix of trending, niche, and descriptive hashtags increases discoverability without looking spammy. While hashtags alone won't guarantee virality, they support reach when combined with strong hooks and engaging visuals. CapCut pairs well with hashtag strategies by helping you create trend-aligned content.

4
1. Can subtitles boost engagement and help videos go viral?

Subtitles significantly improve watch time and retention, especially since many users watch videos without sound. Clear captions help viewers understand content instantly and stay engaged longer. Videos with subtitles often perform better across TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Reels. CapCut's auto subtitle generator makes adding captions fast and accurate.

5
1. What's the fastest way to make viral videos consistently?

The fastest way to make viral videos consistently is to use AI and template-based editing tools like CapCut. Automate hooks, transitions, subtitles, and effects while keeping your content aligned with trends. Focus on creating platform-optimized videos, experiment with short, high-engagement clips, and analyze performance to iterate quickly. Using AI accelerates production, allowing you to produce viral-ready content faster and more reliably.