Screen recordings and software tutorials

A useful software tutorial moves a viewer from a clear starting point to a recognisable result. Pick one task, prepare a safe screen, show each action and its outcome, and provide written steps beside the video. Assign someone to check it when the interface changes.

From one task to a published tutorial

Define the task

Write the viewer’s question as an action, such as “How do I export this report?” Record the audience, starting point, required access and success signal. If account roles or software versions show different controls, identify the version being recorded.

Keep the recording to one outcome. Explain a necessary prerequisite at the start; give a separate task its own answer. Put exact settings, values and conditions in the written steps so viewers can find them without replaying the video.

Where purpose matters more than the control, describe what the viewer is trying to accomplish. Name interface elements explicitly when a label or gesture matters to the procedure, and use the label shown in the recorded version.

Write usable companion steps

Use concise headings that describe the outcome of each procedure, and keep their phrasing consistent. Headings help readers scan the page and find the task they need without searching the whole tutorial.

For a multi-step procedure, use a numbered list and give each instruction its own step. Start with a brief location phrase when readers might otherwise be unsure where to act, then use a direct verb and a complete sentence. Combine short actions only when they happen in the same part of the interface.

Include the actions that finish the procedure, such as selecting a confirmation control, rather than stopping when the main change appears complete. If a procedure is long, avoid crowding too many instructions into one block.

Anatomy of one numbered step

Prepare the screen

Use an approved practice account and sample content where possible. Check the full capture path, including menus, search suggestions, notifications and confirmation messages. Private information may appear only after an action.

Capture enough of the interface to orient the viewer, then check whether essential labels remain readable at the intended player size.

For captured images that contain personally identifying information, use a fully opaque solid overlay to hide it; blurring and mosaic effects may be reversible.

Before you hit record

Keep captured visuals focused

When a still image is more useful than a video moment, include only the interface area that supports the explanation. Crop away unrelated parts of the window so the reader can focus on the relevant control or result, while keeping enough context to understand where it appears.

Use actual text for instructions and code rather than presenting those as images. Keep screenshots consistent in their operating-system appearance, and use descriptive filenames so the images are easier to identify and maintain.

Show actions and results

For each step, show the starting state, the target, the action and the resulting state. Use clear cursor movement to direct attention to the relevant control, and allow the response to appear. Name controls in the narration and use the labels visible in the recorded version.

An edit can remove an uninformative wait, but it must preserve required choices, permissions and confirmations. State any account or setup condition near the step it affects. Hold the result long enough for viewers to inspect it.

Show every action with its result

Publish a complete answer

Check the final export at the size people will use. Captions should reflect the final speech and meaningful sounds. Written steps should name the starting condition, controls and expected result.

Convey essential visual changes in the audio or an appropriate description; a descriptive transcript can also bring speech and visual information together for reading. Check the chosen player and page with those assets in place.

Place the tutorial beside the task it supports. Identify the interface context when it affects the instructions. Have a reviewer unfamiliar with the recording follow the page before release.

Before you publish

Plan accessibility before recording

If important visual information needs spoken description, include it in the script before recording.

Keep it accurate

Record the product area, audience role, relevant version or release context, owner and review trigger. When the interface changes, check the video and written steps together. Replace instructions that no longer lead the stated audience to the stated result.

Keep it accurate after release