Add text to GIF in your browser
Top and bottom captions in bold white letters. Your GIF never leaves this page.
Your GIF stays in this browser. Nothing is uploaded.
To add text to GIF files here, open a GIF, type a top caption, a bottom caption or both, and set the size with a slider. White letters with a black outline go on every frame. It all runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded, and it is free with no account.
How it works
- 1
Open one GIF
Choose a .gif file from your device. Other formats are refused, and you work on one file at a time.
- 2
Type your captions
Fill in the top text, the bottom text or both, up to 80 characters each. The preview plays with your words on it as you type.
- 3
Build and download
Press the button labeled Add text to GIF, then download the new file. If you edit the words afterwards, press the button again before you download.
How to add text to GIF files without uploading them
A GIF is a stack of frames, so to add text to GIF animations, a caption has to be painted onto each one. This page does that on your own device. It unpacks the file in your browser, draws your words on every frame, and packs the frames into a new GIF. There is no server step, so we never receive your file or your caption.
The tool is deliberately small. You get one caption slot at the top, one at the bottom and a size slider. That covers the classic reaction format, and it means you can add text to GIF files without learning a layer panel. If you need more control than that, the limits section below says so plainly.
It costs nothing to add text to GIF files this way, because your device does the work. You don't need an account, no credits are used, and we add no watermark of our own.
- Open a GIF
- Type your captions
- Text drawn on every frame
- Download the new GIF
What stays the same and what changes
Your new file isn't a copy with a sticker on it. Every frame is rebuilt, and that has a few side effects worth knowing before you add text to GIF files you care about.
| Property | After adding text | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Width and height | Unchanged | It fits wherever the original fitted |
| Number of frames | Unchanged | No frames are dropped or added |
| Frame timing | Kept for each frame | The pace stays the same. A frame with no stored delay is given 100 ms |
| Looping | Always loops forever | A GIF that played once will now repeat |
| Colors | Rebuilt for each frame, up to 256 | The GIF format's own limit, so colors can shift very slightly |
| Transparency | Not kept | See-through areas become solid, so expect a filled background |
| File size | Can grow | Frames are stored whole, so check the size shown on the download button |
Keep your original file. Each pass rebuilds the colors, so it is better to start again from the source than to caption a file that has already been captioned.
Choosing a caption size
When you add text to GIF files of any size, the default text height is one ninth of the shorter side, which is why captions look similar on big and small files. The slider moves that between 60% and 160%. Here is what it means in pixels for some common sizes.
| GIF size (px) | Smallest | Default | Largest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128 × 128 | 9 px | 14 px | 23 px |
| 240 × 240 | 16 px | 27 px | 43 px |
| 480 × 480 | 32 px | 53 px | 85 px |
| 800 × 600 | 40 px | 67 px | 107 px |
Each caption stays on a single line, and it never wraps. A line that is too wide gets squeezed horizontally to fit within 94% of the frame, so long sentences turn narrow and hard to read. If your letters look thin, cut words rather than moving the slider.
How to add text to GIF captions that read at a glance
When you add text to GIF loops, remember that people read them while scrolling. The best captions are short enough to take in on the first pass. The usual pattern puts the setup on top and the punchline underneath. Here are a few to copy and edit.
- Aim for a few words per line. Fewer words mean bigger, wider letters.
- Try capitals. The heavy poster-style lettering looks at home in upper case.
- Use one caption if one is enough. An empty box simply draws nothing.
- Watch what you cover. Captions sit at the very top and bottom, so a face near the edge may disappear behind the words.
Top and bottom caption pairs
TOP: ME BEFORE COFFEE BOTTOM: ME AFTER COFFEE
TOP: THE PLAN BOTTOM: THE REALITY
TOP: MONDAY MORNING BOTTOM: STILL LOADING
TOP: WHEN THE BUILD PASSES BOTTOM: ON THE FIRST TRY
TOP: (leave empty) BOTTOM: NOT TODAYWhat this tool can't do, and what to use instead
Not every way to add text to GIF files is covered here, and we would rather say so now than have you hunt for a setting that doesn't exist. If you need one of the things below, a desktop image editor or a full GIF editor is the better choice.
| You want | Here | Your options |
|---|---|---|
| A different font | Not available | The tool asks for Impact. If your device lacks it, Arial Black or a plain sans-serif is used |
| Another text color or outline | Not available | Text is always white with a black outline |
| Text in the middle or a corner | Not available | Only the top and bottom slots exist, both centered |
| Words that appear partway through | Not available | Text stays on every frame. Use a frame-by-frame GIF editor |
| Several lines in one caption | Not available | Use both slots, or a desktop editor |
| A transparent result | Not available | Use a desktop editor that preserves transparency |
Because the font comes from your device, the same caption can look slightly different on a phone and on a laptop. The preview shows what you will get on the device you are using.
How to add text to static GIF files, JPGs and PNGs
A still, single-frame GIF works just like an animated one, so you can add text to static GIF files here and get a still captioned GIF back. Only .gif files open, though. To caption a PNG or JPG, run it through our free PNG or JPG converter first, then bring the GIF here. Both steps stay on your device.
It also pairs well with our AI tools. Generated frames are meant to contain no lettering, since words tend to warp when a model redraws them. So make the moving picture first, download it as a GIF, then add text to GIF output here, where the letters stay crisp. A free AI result keeps its corner watermark when you caption it, and a caption won't remove it. WebP and MP4 downloads won't open on this page, so choose the GIF.
Problems when you add text to GIF files
These are the messages and surprises you may run into, with the usual reason for each.
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Choose a GIF file." | The file isn't a GIF | Convert it first. Renaming the extension won't help |
| "This GIF could not be read." | The file is damaged or unusual | Save the GIF again from its source |
| Download has the old wording | You edited after pressing the button | Press Add text to GIF again |
| Black or solid background | Transparency isn't kept | Use a GIF with a solid background |
| Letters look squashed | The line is too long | Shorten the caption |
| File too large for a site | Whole frames take more space | Start from a smaller GIF |
| Browser slows down | All frames are held in memory | Use a shorter or smaller GIF |
One last point: a caption doesn't change who owns a GIF. Only post captioned clips you have the right to share.
Questions
Is it free to add text to GIF files here?
Yes. It runs on your device, so there are no credits, no account and no watermark from us.
Is my GIF uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is opened, edited and rebuilt inside your browser. You can check the Network tab in your browser's developer tools to see that no image is sent.
Can I add texts to GIFs in a batch?
No. You open one GIF at a time. Repeat the steps for each file, since every caption is different anyway.
How long can a caption be?
Each box takes up to 80 characters, but it stays on one line. Much shorter than that reads better, as long lines get squeezed to fit.
Can I change the font or color when I add text to GIF files?
No. Text is always bold white with a black outline. The only control over its look is the size slider.
Will my GIF keep its speed?
Yes. Each frame keeps its stored delay, and the size in pixels stays the same too. The result always loops, even if the original played only once.
Why is the new file bigger?
Your original may store only the parts of each frame that changed. Here every frame is stored whole, so the file can grow. The download button shows the new size.
Related tools
Sources
- MDN: Image file type and format guide, checked 2026-11-07
- W3C: GIF89a specification, checked 2026-11-07
Last updated 2026-11-07.