# How to edit video with ChatGPT

Canonical URL: https://getvidiyo.app/blog/how-to-edit-video-with-chatgpt
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Author: Ajay Pawriya (https://getvidiyo.app/about)
Published: 2026-10-08
Category: Editing with AI

> TL;DR: To edit video with ChatGPT, use Codex, OpenAI's coding agent, signed in with your ChatGPT plan and connected to an editor that can read your footage. In Vidiyo, run codex login, choose ChatGPT in Settings → Assistant, import a clip and type requests like "cut the long pauses and add captions".

Image: Illustration of a laptop running Vidiyo: a chat asking for a short, punchy edit, a reply listing trimmed footage, captions and motion, and a timeline below

If you pay for ChatGPT, you already have a capable video editing assistant. The catch is that editing needs more than a chat window: something has to cut frames, keep audio in sync and render the result. Codex, OpenAI's coding agent, can drive those tools, and it signs in with your ChatGPT plan. Here's how to put it to work.

## Can ChatGPT edit videos?

Yes, through Codex. Codex is an agent that can call tools instead of only replying in text, and it runs on your ChatGPT sign-in. Connect it to an editor, and ChatGPT can read your transcript, look at frames, make cuts, add captions and check its own work. On its own, a chat reply can only describe edits.

The editor is what matters. It decides what ChatGPT gets to see (just the words, or also the picture) and which edits it can make. A good setup keeps every edit visible on a timeline, so you can see what changed and fix it by hand.

## Which ChatGPT plans include Codex?

OpenAI's [Codex pricing page](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing) lists Codex in the CLI for Plus and Pro, and includes Codex with Business and Enterprise plans. Vidiyo works with Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise sign-ins. OpenAI also notes that bigger tasks use more of your allowance per message, so a fully produced edit costs more usage than a quick trim.

That last point is worth planning around. A pause-and-caption pass is a short conversation. A produced reel with b-roll, motion graphics and sound effects is a long one. If you're near your limit, ask for the cleanup first and the polish later.

## How do I edit a video with ChatGPT in Vidiyo?

Sign in to Codex with ChatGPT, pick ChatGPT in Vidiyo's settings, then type requests next to your timeline. Vidiyo transcribes on your Mac and hands Codex the transcript, measurements and any frames it asks for. Each edit lands on the timeline, and each request undoes in one step.

1. Install the Codex CLI and run `codex login`, choosing **Sign in with ChatGPT**. The [connect ChatGPT guide](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/connect-chatgpt) has the exact commands.
2. In Vidiyo, open Settings → Assistant and set chat to ChatGPT. Click **Check again** until it shows installed and signed in.
3. Pick a model in the composer. It lists the models your account offers; one Vidiyo hasn't seen before runs a one-time compatibility check first.
4. Import footage, or right-click a folder in Finder and choose **Edit in Vidiyo**.
5. Type your first request, for example: "Remove the filler words and long pauses, and add a title over the first two seconds."
6. Check the result, then ask for the next pass: captions, punch-ins, music.

## What's different about ChatGPT and Claude inside Vidiyo?

The editing is the same: both use the same tools, the same checks and the same timeline. The differences are in the helpers around the edit. Claude can hand reading jobs to read-only subagents and use a host-approved shell. Codex does that work itself and has no shell inside Vidiyo.

| | ChatGPT (Codex) | Claude (Claude Code) |
|---|---|---|
| Editing tools, captions, motion, audio | Same | Same |
| Checks after every edit | Same | Same |
| Critic review before export | Yes, in a read-only thread | Yes, in a separate process |
| Helper subagents (story analyst, researcher) | No, does the work itself | Yes |
| Shell commands | No | Optional, approved by you |
| Models | Whatever your ChatGPT account offers | A fixed list |

For most talking-head edits you won't notice the difference. It shows up on long recordings, where Claude can send a story analyst to find repeated takes while it works on something else.

## What should you ask ChatGPT to do first?

Start with cleanup, then structure, then polish. Small, specific requests give you a chance to correct course early, and each one is a single undo if you don't like it. A typical first session on a two-minute talking head looks like this:

1. "Cut the ums and pauses longer than half a second."
2. "Start on the strongest line. Don't move anything else."
3. "Add word-by-word captions and keep them off my face."
4. "Punch in on the two lines that carry the point."
5. "Add quiet music under my voice."
6. "Review it before I export."

If you already know you want a big change, say "make this a 45-second reel" and switch to plan mode. ChatGPT shows its plan, lists what it assumed (length, music, which take) and waits for you to approve.

## How do I edit video with ChatGPT without Vidiyo?

You can run the Codex CLI in a folder with your footage and have it write ffmpeg commands. It handles trims, joins, re-encodes and silence cuts well, and it's a fair choice if you're comfortable in Terminal and the edit is simple. You review by watching each render yourself.

A reasonable workflow:

1. Start Codex in the folder that holds your clips.
2. Ask it to find silences with ffmpeg's `silencedetect` filter. The defaults (-60 dB, 2 seconds, per the [ffmpeg docs](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html)) are too strict for speech, so have it tune them.
3. Ask for a cut list as a plain text file you can read and edit before anything renders.
4. Have it render, then pull a few stills at the cuts so it can check framing.

What you give up is the timeline. Every change is another render, captions and music ducking need their own scripts, and nothing checks for a caption over your face unless you ask. It's a good way to learn what an AI can do with video, and a slow way to make videos every week.

## What are the limits of editing with ChatGPT?

Usage is the first limit: every request draws on your plan's Codex allowance, and long produced edits draw more. Taste is the second: ChatGPT can pick a weaker take or a hook you wouldn't, which is why the plan card and your review stay in the loop. It also can't hear the mix, so music levels come from loudness measurements.

Vidiyo's own limits also apply. The timeline maxes out at 5 minutes, export is 1080p at 30 fps, and it's Mac only. If you also have a Claude plan, see [how to edit video with Claude](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/how-to-edit-video-with-claude); you can switch engines in Settings at any time.

## Honest limits

- Every request counts toward your ChatGPT plan's Codex usage limits.
- Inside Vidiyo, Codex has no shell access and no subagents.
- Timelines max out at 5 minutes, and export is 1080p at 30 fps.
- Mac only: Apple Silicon with macOS 14 or later.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which ChatGPT plans work for video editing in Vidiyo?

ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business or Enterprise, signed in to the Codex CLI with Sign in with ChatGPT. Vidiyo uses that sign-in, so there is no second AI subscription.

### Is ChatGPT as good as Claude for editing in Vidiyo?

Both use the same editing tools, so cuts, captions, motion, audio and publishing drafts all work. The difference is that Codex has no helper subagents or shell inside Vidiyo, so it does review work itself with read-only tools.

### Do I need an OpenAI API key?

Not for chat. Editing runs on your ChatGPT plan through Codex. An OpenAI API key is only used if you want the optional thumbnail generator.

### Does ChatGPT see my footage?

It sees the transcript, the still frames it asks for, and measurements like face positions and loudness. Transcription, editing and export run on your Mac, and the full video file is never sent.

## Related

- [Edit video by chatting](https://getvidiyo.app/features/chat-video-editing)
- [AI video editor](https://getvidiyo.app/glossary/ai-video-editor)
- [How do I connect ChatGPT to Vidiyo?](https://getvidiyo.app/docs/connect-chatgpt)
- [Can ChatGPT edit my video?](https://getvidiyo.app/chatgpt-video-editor)
- [How to edit video with Claude](https://getvidiyo.app/blog/how-to-edit-video-with-claude)

## Sources

- [Codex pricing (OpenAI)](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- [FFmpeg filters documentation: silencedetect](https://ffmpeg.org/ffmpeg-filters.html) (accessed 2026-10-08)

Download Vidiyo for Mac (free during the beta): https://getvidiyo.app/download