Guide
How to convert a video to a GIF
Use the ClipGIF converter on the home page. This page is the long-form how-to for search and for people who want the limits in writing before they pick a file.
How to turn a video into a GIF
Four steps, all on your device. Nothing is written to our servers.
- Step 1
Drop a short clip
MP4 and WebM work almost everywhere. MOV is fine when the browser (or FFmpeg) can decode it. Stay under 80 MB.
- Step 2
Trim the moment
Drag the start and end handles. The player loops only the selected range so you can judge the cut before encoding.
- Step 3
Set fps, width, quality
10 fps and 480px is a solid default. Phones do better at 8 fps and 320–480px with Economy quality.
- Step 4
Create and download
The first run fetches a ~32 MB WASM engine into this browser. After that, encode, preview the GIF, and save it.
Recommended settings
- Keep the trimmed range around 8 seconds. The hard cap is 20 seconds.
- 10 fps and 480px width is the default. Chat-sized reactions often look fine at 8 fps and 320px.
- Economy quality uses 64 colors and is the safest choice on phones. High quality uses 256 colors and a finer dither.
- Files over 25 MB get a warning. Files over 80 MB are rejected so the tab is less likely to crash.
FAQ
Does ClipGIF upload my video?+
No. The file you pick is read in this browser tab. Conversion uses FFmpeg compiled to WebAssembly, which runs on your device. We do not store videos on a server. The first conversion downloads a ~32 MB engine from a public CDN into your browser cache.
Which formats can I convert?+
MP4 and WebM work in most desktop browsers. MOV often plays in Safari and may play in Chromium if the codec is supported. If the browser cannot preview a file, you can still try Convert GIF — FFmpeg may decode formats the video player cannot.
What are the file and duration limits?+
The tool rejects files larger than 80 MB. It warns above 25 MB on desktop and 15 MB on phones. You can convert a slice of a longer video, but the trimmed range is capped at 20 seconds. Short clips (3–8 seconds) produce smaller, cleaner GIFs.
Why is the first conversion slow?+
The WASM engine is about 32 MB. Your browser downloads it once, then reuses the cached copy. After that, most of the wait is encoding: more frames, a wider GIF, and High quality all take longer, especially on phones.
Will this work on my phone?+
Yes for short, small clips. Mobile browsers have tight memory limits. If a tab crashes, use a file under 15 MB, trim to a few seconds, drop width to 320–480px, and pick Economy quality.
Why does the GIF look grainy or huge?+
GIF is a 256-color format. Fast motion and gradients dither. Lower fps (8–10), a narrower width, and a shorter trim shrink the file. High quality uses more colors and a better dither, which looks cleaner but is larger.
Do I need SharedArrayBuffer or special headers?+
No. ClipGIF uses the single-thread FFmpeg core so it does not require Cross-Origin Isolation. That keeps third-party ads able to load later if you enable AdSense.
Can I use this commercially?+
The site is a free tool. You are responsible for having the rights to any video you convert. See the Terms page for the full license and disclaimer.