Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions people ask most about CleanCut.
What does CleanCut cost?
CleanCut is usage-based: most of the heavy work — transcription, clipping, AI notes, post generation — draws on your plan's usage allowance. Your current plan and remaining usage are shown in Settings, so you can always see where you stand before you start a big job.
If you hit a limit, CleanCut tells you in the moment rather than failing silently — you'll see a clear message about what was capped and what to do next. For the full breakdown of plans and what counts against usage, see your billing settings.
Usage limits are surfaced gracefully. A capped job is paused or queued with an explanation, never lost without a trace.
What files can I upload?
CleanCut works with standard video files — the kind your camera, phone, or screen recorder produces. The Editor, Clipper, Quotes, and AI Notes all read from the same upload, so you only bring your footage in once.
- Common video containers like MP4 and MOV are the safest choice.
- Upload your highest-quality source — CleanCut handles the encoding for each output.
- If a file is rejected, re-export it as an MP4 (H.264) and try again.
When the source video is already on your computer, you can process it locally in some tools to avoid a slow round-trip upload. Otherwise, upload through the Hub once and reuse it everywhere.
Do uploads expire?
Yes. Uploaded media in the Hub is temporary — it is kept for roughly four hours so you have time to run it through one or more tools, then it is cleared. This keeps your workspace lean and storage costs down.
Finished outputs you export (cleaned videos, clips, posts) are handled separately and are available to download after processing. If you come back to a tool and your earlier upload has aged out, just re-upload the source and continue.
Don't treat the Hub as long-term storage. Download or schedule what you need within the upload window, and keep your own master copy of the original footage.
Can my whole team use one account?
CleanCut is built for teams and agencies, so you don't need to share one login. Instead, you invite teammates and assign them to workspaces. Each workspace holds its own channels, Brand Kit, and content, which keeps clients cleanly separated.
- Admins invite members from Settings and assign them to one or more workspaces.
- Editors only see the workspaces they've been assigned to.
- Invites are single-use links — send a fresh one per person.
If a teammate signs in and a tool keeps spinning on "Loading editor…", they probably haven't been assigned to a workspace yet. An admin needs to assign one. See "Common errors & fixes" for the full fix.
Will CleanCut email me?
No. CleanCut does not send automated emails. Everything happens in the app or through share links — job status, invites, and notifications all live inside CleanCut itself.
Because of this, you should keep the app open (or check back in) to see when a job finishes, and you invite teammates or share results with a link rather than waiting for an email to arrive.
If you receive an email claiming to be from CleanCut asking you to log in or pay, treat it as suspicious — CleanCut communicates in-app and via share links only.
How do I connect YouTube?
You connect YouTube from the Scheduler so CleanCut can read your channel analytics and publish on your behalf. The connection uses Google's standard OAuth consent screen.
- 1Open the Scheduler and choose to connect your YouTube channel.
- 2Sign in with the Google account that owns the channel.
- 3On Google's consent screen, leave ALL requested permission checkboxes ticked and approve.
- 4You'll be returned to CleanCut with the channel connected.
If you see "Failed to exchange authorization code," you most likely unticked one of the permission boxes during Google consent. Reconnect and allow all requested permissions — see "Common errors & fixes" for details.