Annotating videos

You can add annotations and comments to videos to highlight areas of interest, provide feedback, or discuss specific moments in the video. Video annotations work similarly to image annotations and can be associated with specific points in the video timeline.

This article describes how to add annotations to videos. For information about annotating images, see Adding annotations to images. 

Before you begin

Annotations must be configured and enabled by an administrator before they can be used. For more information, see Configuring annotations for use.

Create an annotation on a video

1. Open the video you want to annotate.
2. Play the video, then pause it at the point where you want to add an annotation.
3. Select Add annotation at the top-right of the video.
   
   
    
4. Select the annotation tool you want to use.
   
   
    
5. Add the annotation to the video. See Annotation tools below for more information about the available options.
6. The annotation is saved automatically. Select Done to exit annotation mode and resume playing the video. 
7. To edit the annotation or add a comment, select the annotation 

The annotation is stored with the video and can be viewed by other users who have access to the asset.

Annotation tools

• Select/move - Use to select an existing annotation and reposition or resize it. 
   
• Create rectangle (outline) - Use to highlight an area of the video frame. 
  • Outline - Draws a rectangular outline around the selected area.
  • Filled - Covers the selected area with a solid color. 
  • Blur - Blurs the selected area to conceal sensitive or distracting information (such as license plates, personal data, or confidential data)
     
• Create arrow - Use to point to a specific object, area, or detail in the video frame. 
   
• Add text - Use Add text to add explanatory notes directly to the video frame. Text annotations can be used to provide feedback, identify objects, or add contextual information.
   
• Color - Select a color for new annotations.
   
• Duration - The Duration option is only available when an existing annotation is selected. It applies to the selected annotation, unlike the drawing tools, which apply to new annotations you create. The Duration value controls how long an annotation remains visible during video playback. It is measured in seconds, starting from the point in the video where the annotation was created.
  For example:
  • A duration of 0.5 seconds (the default value) displays the annotation for half a second.
  • A duration of 3 seconds displays the annotation when it reaches its start time and hides it again three seconds later.
     
• Delete - Use Delete to remove the selected annotation. Changes are immediately available to other users who have access to the asset.
   
• Comments - The Comments option is only available when an existing annotation is selected. Comments can be added to a video to provide feedback or discuss specific content. Other users can reply to existing comments and annotations, creating a discussion thread that remains associated with the video.
   
• Done - Select to exit annotation mode and return to the video viewer.
   

View annotations

When a video contains annotations or comments, they are displayed during playback. You can also add comments to existing annotations from the annotations list.

Expand Annotations below the video to browse all annotations and comments. Select a timestamp to jump directly to the relevant point in the video. The colored indicator next to each entry matches the color of its corresponding annotation in the video.