01
Import and add the clip to the timeline
Create a project, import the source, and drag it to the primary video track.
CapCut workflow · 8 min read
How to Remove a Video Background in CapCut
Updated August 29, 2026
CapCut offers automatic portrait cutout and chroma-key workflows. Use Auto removal for ordinary footage; use Chroma key when the clip was intentionally recorded against a controlled color screen.
Desktop editor
Auto removal
Chroma key option
Background replacement
Step-by-step
Follow the workflow in order
02
Enable Auto removal
Select the clip, open Video controls, and enable Remove BG or Auto removal.
03
Check the transparent preview
Review several frames and inspect hair, hands, and motion blur.
04
Use Chroma key for controlled green footage
Pick the screen color and adjust edge and spill controls when the source was filmed for keying.
05
Place a new background below the subject
Add a photo or video on a lower track and match the framing.
06
Export the final composition
Choose resolution, frame rate, codec, and bitrate for the publishing destination.
Auto removal or chroma key?
Use the control that matches how the footage was recorded
Auto removal is convenient for rooms and outdoor scenes. Chroma key provides direct control when the background is a consistent green or blue screen.
- Auto removal: ordinary footage
- Chroma key: controlled color screen
- Online AI alternative: fast transparent WebM
What this page resolves
Match the workflow to the real job
Editor interfaces, plan availability, and button names can change. Treat the illustrated screens as orientation, confirm the controls in the current product, and review the export format instead of assuming that every plan preserves transparency.
If the editor does not expose the required remover or alpha export, process the source here first, download transparent WebM, and then bring the result into the editor for captions, timing, design, or final delivery.
Source preparation
Small input changes prevent avoidable edge problems
Use the highest-quality original available instead of a copy downloaded from a social platform. Keep the subject large enough to see, avoid aggressive compression, and prefer even lighting with visual separation between foreground and background.
Preview the beginning, middle, and end before upload. A clip that looks easy in its first frame may contain crossed hands, hair movement, camera cuts, fast rotation, or an object that briefly disappears behind another element.
- Confirm the current app version
- Check plan availability
- Save the original project
- Verify the downloaded format
Verified product limits
Inputs, outputs, credits, and plan limits
The live remover accepts MP4, MOV, and WebM. Transparent mode returns WebM; custom-background mode accepts one JPG, PNG, or WebP image up to 10 MB. A still image is composited behind the isolated foreground—the product does not currently accept a replacement video.
The free trial supports one verified clip up to 5 seconds and 50 MB. Paid plans raise the limit to 60, 180, or 300 seconds and 200 or 500 MB depending on tier. Processing credits are rounded up in five-second blocks, so a 6-second clip uses 10 credits.
- MP4, MOV, or WebM input
- Transparent WebM output
- JPG, PNG, or WebP background
- 5 credits per started 5-second block
Questions
Details worth checking before you export
Where is Remove BG in CapCut?+
Select the clip and look under the Video controls for Remove BG, Cutout, or Auto removal. Labels differ between desktop, web, and mobile versions.
Is Auto removal the same as chroma key?+
No. Auto removal detects the subject; chroma key removes a selected color range.
Can I remove the background online instead?+
Yes. A browser tool can create transparent WebM or a video with a still-image replacement background.
How are video background removal credits calculated?+
Credits follow processed duration and round up to the next five-second block. A clip from 1–5 seconds uses 5 credits, 6–10 seconds uses 10 credits, and the same rule continues for longer clips.
What are the current upload limits?+
The verified free trial allows one clip up to 5 seconds and 50 MB. Depending on the paid tier, limits increase to 60, 180, or 300 seconds and 200 or 500 MB. Background images are limited to 10 MB.