Select the slide where you want to add narration.
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- Adobe Captivate 13
- Adobe Captivate 12
- Project setup
- Import from PowerPoint
- Generative AI in Captivate
- Generative AI overview
- Generate text
- Generate images
- Generate avatar
- Generate transcripts
- Add and edit text
- Add and edit images
- Add and edit media
- Interactive components
- Create quizzes
- Add widgets
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- Enhance your e-learning project
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Learn how to create and customize avatar narration transcripts in Adobe Captivate. Add pauses, set triggers, and generate AI transcripts for more engaging and natural-sounding course content.
Overview
Transcripts form the foundation of effective AI avatar narration. Writing a clear, well-structured transcript ensures the narration sounds natural, engaging, and easy to follow. In Adobe Captivate, you can write transcripts yourself or generate them using AI. After adding a transcript, customize it with pauses, pacing, and triggers to control how and when the narration plays.
Focusing on transcript quality directly improves avatar narration, whether creating corporate training or creative content.
How an AI avatar narrates transcripts
AI avatars turn written transcripts into natural, engaging narration. Write or generate a transcript, set when it should play using triggers, and let the avatar speak your words with lifelike gestures, giving learners clear, professional narration. Well-crafted transcripts make the narration feel smooth and engaging rather than robotic.
Create transcripts in two ways
Write your own
- Best when the content is fully defined or existing material needs adaptation.
- Gives complete control over messaging.
- Matches your specific tone and style.
- Accurately includes technical terms.
Generate with AI
- Best for quick drafts or inspiration.
- Saves time on initial scripts.
- Suggests conversational phrasing.
- Provides a solid starting point for refinement.
Learn more about how to generate transcripts with AI in Captivate.
Add transcripts with slide triggers
Add narration to your slides by linking transcripts to specific triggers, such as when the slide loads or when a learner interacts with an object.
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Select the avatar on the slide.
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In the Visual properties panel, scroll down and select Generate Avatar.
Select Generate avatar from Visual properties to add transcripts Select Generate avatar from Visual properties to add transcripts -
Select a trigger type to control when the AI avatar reads your transcript:
Slide Enter: The narration starts automatically when the slide appears.
- Use for: Welcome messages, key introductions, essential information.
- Best for: Linear content that all learners need to hear.
Click/Tap: The narration plays when learners interact with a specific object.
- Use for: Optional details, examples, or progressive disclosure.
- Best for: Interactive content where learners control the pacing.
Choose a trigger for the avatar narration Choose a trigger for the avatar narration -
In the content field, add the transcript you want the avatar to narrate.
Add content for the transcript Add content for the transcript नोट:If you imported slides from PowerPoint, existing slide notes automatically become Slide Enter transcripts. Learn more about how to import a PowerPoint project into Captivate.
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After entering the transcript, select Next to continue adding it.
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Select Add new transcript to add additional transcripts on the slide.
Add additional transcripts Add additional transcripts नोट:For additional transcripts, only the Click/Tap trigger is available. The Slide Enter trigger can be used only for the first transcript narration on a slide.
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Select the slide object you want to use as the Click/Tap trigger for the additional transcript narration. Then, enter the content for the new transcript.
नोट:Click/Tap triggers for avatar transcript narration are not supported on Widgets and Question slides.
Among interactive elements, only the Button component supports Click/Tap triggers for avatar transcript narration.
Choose the slide object for the Click/Tap trigger Choose the slide object for the Click/Tap trigger -
Hover over a transcript to access options for editing, previewing audio, renaming, or deleting it.
Hover over a transcript to access additional actions Hover over a transcript to access additional actions -
Select Done to add the transcripts to the slide.
Add pauses to the avatar narration
Using pauses makes narration feel more realistic by mimicking natural speech. This is especially useful in eLearning, where pacing directly affects comprehension and retention.
Types of pauses:
- Short pauses (0.2–1 seconds): Help learners absorb information and make the narration feel more natural and realistic.
- Medium pauses (1–2 seconds): Separate key concepts.
- Long pauses (2–3 seconds): Mark section transitions or add dramatic emphasis.
To insert a pause:
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Open the transcript for the slide.
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Select the location within the transcript where you want to insert a pause, then select Add Pause to insert a default pause of 0.2 seconds.
Add pauses within a transcript for a realistic narration Add pauses within a transcript for a realistic narration A pause can be inserted at the beginning, middle, or end of a transcript to add emphasis and make narration sound more natural.
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Adjust the pause duration manually if needed.
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Select Save to apply the pauses.
View and edit transcripts
To view added transcripts, select the avatar on the slide. Then, go to Visual Properties, scroll down to the Narration section, and select View. You can add new transcripts or modify existing ones; however, the video must be regenerated for these changes to take effect.
Writing effective transcripts
Follow these tips to make avatar narration natural and engaging:
- Write conversationally: Use phrases like “Let's look at this example” instead of “We will now examine the following.”
- Use contractions: “Don't” instead of “do not.”
- Keep sentences short: Aim for 20–25 words maximum.
- Address learners directly: “You'll notice” instead of “One will observe.”
- Include natural transitions: Use cues like “Now,” “Next,” or “Here's why.”
Example:
Poor transcript: "The implementation of the aforementioned procedures necessitates comprehensive understanding of the regulatory framework which governs operational protocols in accordance with industry standards."
Good transcript: "Before you start these procedures, you need to understand the rules. Here's what regulations you'll follow and why they matter."