Automatic Edits uses AI to turn a raw recording into a finished-looking video in one step. When it runs, it reads through your video and applies four types of edits: Chapters, a Theme, Scenes, and Zooms. It then lays them out on your timeline so you can review, fine-tune, or undo anything you don't like.
Everything Automatic Edits creates is fully editable. Think of it as a smart first draft: the AI makes the structural and stylistic decisions for you, and you stay in control of the result.
Turning Automatic Edits on and off
Open the Automatic Edits panel from the sidebar of the editor, and click Try it now to begin.
After the processing, at the top you'll see:
- A master toggle that switches all automatic edits on or off at once. Turn it off to return to your unedited recording without losing the generated edits. Flip it back on and they reappear.
- A count badge (e.g. 19) showing the total number of individual edits currently applied across all sections.
Below the header, a short note confirms what's happening: the edits listed have already been applied to your video, and you can change any of them by clicking an edit in the sidebar or directly on the timeline.
The panel is organized into four collapsible sections. Click any section header to expand it and see or change the AI generated edits.
Chapters
Chapters break your video into labeled segments based on what's being said and shown.
Expanding the Chapters section shows each chapter with:
- A timestamp marking where the chapter begins (for example,
0:00,1:28,2:06). - A title the AI generated from the content (for example, Introduction, Agenda, Background, Suggestions, Conclusion).
- An Add description field where you can write an optional summary for each chapter.
What you can do
- Rename a chapter: click its title and type a new one.
- Add a description: click Add description under any chapter.
- Add a chapter: choose + Add chapter at the bottom of the list to insert a new one manually.
- Re-generate: choose ↻ Re-generate to have the AI rebuild the chapter list from scratch.
You can also toggle the Chapters section on or off independently using the switch in its header.
Theme
The Theme controls the overall look of your video: the accent color used across titles, layouts, and on-screen elements. Expanding the section shows a grid of preset color themes. The currently selected theme is outlined and labeled in bold.
Click any color to apply it instantly. The change carries through to every scene that uses an accent color, so it's an easy way to match your brand or set a mood without editing scenes one by one.
Scenes
Scenes are the layouts applied across your video - how the screen recording, your camera (presenter), titles, and text are arranged at each point in time. Automatic Edits picks a layout for each moment based on what's happening, and switches layouts as the content changes.
Expanding the Scenes section shows a list of every scene, each with:
- A timestamp for where the scene starts.
- A layout dropdown showing the chosen layout (for example, Presenter + title, Chapter opener (framed…), Screen + presenter…).
To change a scene, click its dropdown and pick a different layout. The full layout catalog is grouped roughly as follows:
| Category | Layout |
|---|---|
| Intro & statement cards | Title card |
| Agenda (presenter + bullets) | |
| Call to action (presenter + bullets) | |
| Full-screen statement | |
| Screen only | Screen — full bleed |
| Screen — framed | |
| Screen + presenter | Screen + presenter (bottom-left) |
| Screen + presenter (bottom-right) | |
| Screen + presenter (presenter left, offset screen) | |
| Screen + presenter (presenter right, offset screen) | |
| Chapter openers | Chapter opener (framed screen, presenter left) |
| Chapter opener (framed screen, presenter right) | |
| Chapter opener (centered screen, presenter left) | |
| Chapter opener (centered screen, presenter right) | |
| Chapter opener (framed screen) | |
| Chapter opener (full-bleed screen) | |
| Presenter only | Presenter — full frame |
| Presenter — framed | |
| Presenter + title | |
| Presenter + lower text | |
| Over-the-shoulder | Over-the-shoulder (screen left) |
| Over-the-shoulder (screen right) | |
| Over-the-shoulder framed (screen left) | |
| Over-the-shoulder framed (screen right) | |
| Over-the-shoulder framed + lower text (screen left) | |
| Over-the-shoulder framed + lower text (screen right) | |
| Split layouts | Split — presenter left, screen right |
| Split — presenter right, screen left | |
| Split + label (presenter left) | |
| Split + label (presenter right) | |
| Split + lower text (presenter left) | |
| Split + lower text (presenter right) |
A count badge in the Scenes header shows how many scenes are currently applied.
Zooms
Zooms add automatic punch-in effects that draw attention to part of the screen.
Expanding the Zooms section shows each zoom with:
- A timestamp for where the zoom occurs.
- A zoom level (for example,
1.5×).
What you can do
- Adjust a zoom: click an existing zoom to change its level.
- Add a zoom: choose + Add zoom at playhead to drop a new zoom at the current position of the playhead.
- Re-generate: choose ↻ Re-generate to have the AI recalculate zooms.
Note: Zooms are tied to your layouts. Re-generating your layouts (scenes) will replace existing zooms.
The Zooms section has its own toggle and a count badge showing how many zoom effects are applied.
Editing on the timeline
Every automatic edit also appears in the Video Editor timeline, where you can preview the finished video and make changes in context.
- Chapters run along the top track as labeled segments (for example, Introduction to Process, Requesting Customer Info, Inputting Payment Details, Generating Invoice, Final Steps…), aligned to the time ruler.
- Scenes appear as blocks on the track below, each labeled with its layout (for example, Screen + presenter (bottom-left), Call to action (presenter + bullets)). Smaller chips mark additional elements within a segment.
Tips
- Set your Theme early. Because the theme color flows through every scene, choosing it first saves you from re-checking layouts later.
- Toggle sections to compare. Turning a section off temporarily is a quick way to see its effect on the final video without deleting anything.
A note on the preview feature
Automatic Edits is a preview feature that's still being refined. If you have thoughts on what's working or what could be better, you can share them with us by clicking the Share feedback button at the bottom of the panel.
Still need help? Submit a support ticket or email us at help@airtime.com.