Tutorial Video Script Template (With a Sample Script)

A tutorial video script template needs four parts:

1. The outcome: what the viewer will be able to do by the end.
2. The prerequisites they need before starting.
3. Numbered steps that pair what you say with what you do on screen.
4. A short recap that names the next step.

Copy the template below and write one step block per action. Then read the whole thing aloud before you record. The rest of this page has a filled-in sample for a Mac how-to, advice on writing lines that sound natural spoken, and ways to read the script while you record without it showing in the video.

How a tutorial script is structured

A tutorial viewer has one job to finish. The script should get them from where they are to "done" in the fewest steps. At each point it should tell them whether the last step worked.

A few rules hold the structure together:

• Write the clicks first. Do the task once yourself and write down every click, menu and field in order. That list becomes your steps. If you write the narration first, steps get skipped.
• One action per step. If a step needs the word "then" twice, split it.
• End every step with a check. A line like "You should now see…" tells viewers they're on track. It also tells them early when they aren't.
• Say the prerequisites out loud. A viewer missing an admin account or the right version should find out in the first 30 seconds, not at step 4.
• Keep the recap short. Don't replay the steps. Say what is different now and what to do next.

The tutorial video script template

Copy this into any text editor.

• SAY lines are spoken.
• DO lines are what happens on screen.
• The bracketed markers ([PAUSE], [SLOW], [EMPHASIS], [CUT], [B-ROLL]) are the cue markers Screen Bolt's teleprompter shows as colored chips. In any other app they work as plain-text reminders.

=== HEADER (not spoken) ===
Title:            How to <do the task> in <app>
Viewer:           <who they are and what they already know>
Starting state:   <what is open on screen when recording starts>
Target length:    <minutes>   Spoken words: <count>

=== OUTCOME ===
SAY: By the end of this video, you'll <result in plain words>.
SAY: It takes about <time>.

=== PREREQUISITES ===
SAY: You'll need <version / account / permission / file>.
SAY: If you don't have <thing>, <where to get it>, then come back.
DO:  Show <the thing> on screen.
[PAUSE]

=== STEP 1 of <N>: <verb + object, e.g. "Open the settings"> ===
SAY: <What to do, naming the exact label and where it is.>
DO:  <The single action: click / type / drag / press.>
SAY: You should now see <the result>.
[PAUSE]

=== STEP 2 of <N>: <verb + object> ===
SAY: <What to do and where.>
DO:  <The single action.>
SAY: <Why, in one sentence, only if it isn't obvious.>
SAY: You should now see <the result>.
[PAUSE]

(repeat one block per action)

=== CHECK ===
SAY: Let's make sure it worked. <How to test it.>
DO:  <The test.>
SAY: If you see <expected result>, you're done.
SAY: If you see <common wrong result>, <the fix>.

=== RECAP ===
SAY: That's it. <What is different now.>
SAY: <One edge case or limit worth knowing.>
SAY: Next, <the logical next task / video>.

How to fill it in:

1. Write the DO lines first, from your click list.
2. Before each DO, add one SAY line that names the label and where it is on screen.
3. After each action, add the "You should now see" line.
4. Write the outcome and recap last, once you know what the steps actually achieve.
5. Count the spoken words. Screen Bolt's teleprompter estimates reading time from 150 words per minute, adjusted for your scroll speed. At that pace, 300 spoken words is about two minutes of talking. Add time for the actions themselves, which usually take longer than the words.

Sample script: a Mac software tutorial

This sample uses a built-in macOS task, so you can rehearse it on any current Mac. It has about 180 spoken words, which is a little over a minute of talking plus the clicks.

=== HEADER ===
Title:            How to change where screenshots are saved on Mac
Viewer:           Mac user whose Desktop is covered in screenshots
Starting state:   Clean Desktop, Finder window showing Documents,
                  with an empty folder named "Screenshots" already made
Target length:    About 2 minutes

=== OUTCOME ===
SAY: By the end of this video, your Mac will save every new screenshot
     into one folder instead of piling them on your Desktop.
SAY: It takes about a minute.

=== PREREQUISITES ===
SAY: All you need is a folder to save them in.
SAY: Here, it's a folder called Screenshots, inside Documents.
DO:  Point to the Screenshots folder in Finder.
[PAUSE]

=== STEP 1 of 3: Open the screenshot toolbar ===
SAY: Press Command, Shift and 5 at the same time.
DO:  Press Command-Shift-5.
SAY: A toolbar appears at the bottom of your screen.
[PAUSE]

=== STEP 2 of 3: Open the save options ===
SAY: Click Options. Under Save to, you'll see a list of places
     your Mac can save to.
DO:  Click Options.
SAY: Choose Other Location.
DO:  Click Other Location.
[PAUSE]

=== STEP 3 of 3: Pick your folder ===
SAY: Go to Documents, select the Screenshots folder, and confirm.
DO:  Select Documents, then Screenshots, and confirm the dialog.
SAY: Then press Escape to close the toolbar.
DO:  Press Esc.
[PAUSE]

=== CHECK ===
SAY: Let's test it. Press Command, Shift and 3 to capture the whole screen.
DO:  Press Command-Shift-3.
SAY: When the little preview in the corner disappears, the file is saved.
DO:  Wait, then open the Screenshots folder.
SAY: [EMPHASIS] There it is. Nothing new on your Desktop.

=== RECAP ===
SAY: That's it. New screenshots now go straight to your Screenshots folder.
SAY: Screenshots already on your Desktop stay where they are,
     so drag them into the folder if you want everything in one place.
SAY: Next, I'll show you how to record your screen from that same toolbar.

What makes this sample work:

• The outcome is a result the viewer wants ("instead of piling them on your Desktop"), not a feature name.
• Every step names the label exactly as it appears on screen (Options, Save to, Other Location).
• Shortcuts are spoken as words ("Command, Shift and 5"), because the viewer can't see which keys you press.
• The recap answers the obvious follow-up ("what about the old ones?") before anyone has to ask.

How to write a tutorial script that sounds natural

You read a script once, out loud, at your own speed. The viewer can't scroll back a line, so write for the ear.

• Short sentences. One idea each. If you need a breath in the middle of a sentence, split it.
• Say where, then what. "In the top right, click Export" lets the viewer's eyes get there before your cursor does.
• Use the exact label. Say "choose Other Location", not "pick a different folder option". Viewers match your words to what they see.
• No parentheses. Asides in brackets don't survive being spoken. Make each one its own sentence or cut it.
• No "click here" or "this one". The viewer may be watching in a small window or listening while working in another app. Name the thing.
• Contractions. Use "you'll", "it's" and "don't". Without them you sound like you're reading a manual aloud.
• Signpost the steps. "Step 2 of 3" tells the viewer how much is left.
• Numbers the way you'd say them. Write "about two minutes", not "~2 min".
• Read it aloud before recording. Rewrite anything you stumble on. If a line sounds stiff, say it the way you'd explain it to a colleague and write that down instead.
• Leave room for the action. If you keep talking while the screen is still loading, viewers feel behind. A [PAUSE] after each action reminds you to let the screen catch up.

For videos that persuade rather than teach, the structure changes. Our explainer video script template covers that.

Read the script while you record

You have three practical options. Pick based on how long the script is and whether you're on camera.

The free route works well for many tutorials:

1. Open the macOS screenshot toolbar with ⇧⌘5 (Command-Shift-5).
2. Choose Record Selected Portion.
3. Keep your script in a text editor outside that portion.

The limit is that you scroll the script yourself. On a single small screen, there's often no room left outside the recorded area.

Set up the teleprompter in Screen Bolt

Screen Bolt has a teleprompter built into its recording bar. Its floating window is not captured in the recording, so it can sit on top of the app you're demonstrating.

1. In the recording bar, click Script. With Screen Bolt active, you can also press ⇧⌘T (Command-Shift-T) or choose Record ▸ Teleprompter.
2. Paste your script, click Import .txt, or drag a .txt file onto the window.
3. Use the Cues menu to insert [PAUSE], [CUT], [B-ROLL], [SLOW] or [EMPHASIS]. You can also type them into the script yourself. They show as colored chips, so they're easy to spot while you read.
4. Check the word count and estimated reading time in the header.
5. Choose Auto Scroll and set the speed (0.25× to 4×), or choose Manual to move page by page.
6. Pick one of the three font sizes with the A buttons.
7. Set the opacity (30% to 100%) so you can see your app through the window.
8. If you're on camera, move the window close to your webcam so your eyes stay near the lens.
9. Click the red record button. The script starts scrolling when the recording starts.

The script saves automatically.

Teleprompter keys while recording

These keys work while a recording is running and the teleprompter window is focused.

Teleprompter tips for tutorials

• Set the scroll speed before you start. The keys only reach the teleprompter when its window is focused. In a tutorial you're clicking around in another app, so your arrow keys go to that app instead.
• Watch for zooms from clicking the teleprompter. Clicking the teleprompter to focus it counts as a mouse click. The cursor is still recorded moving to that spot, and auto zoom can turn the click into a zoom region. Delete that zoom on the zoom track afterwards, or cut the moment out.
• Pause the recording, not just the script. The Pause button in the recording bar also pauses the teleprompter, which keeps its place when you resume. The pause gap is removed from the recording, so you can stop between steps, check your next action, and carry on.
• Plan for the lack of a countdown. Scrolling starts the moment recording starts. Open with an on-screen action, or set a slow speed, so your first line doesn't move past before you're ready.
• Treat [CUT] as a note to yourself. It marks where you plan to trim. You still make the cut on the timeline afterwards.
• Keep the DO lines short. They sit in the same window as your spoken lines. Writing them in capitals makes them easier to skip while reading.

For more on cue markers, see our teleprompter script examples. The Recording help page covers the rest of the recording bar.

If the script doesn't work on camera

You sound like you're reading. The sentences are too long or too formal. Rewrite them with contractions and read each step aloud twice. Mark the one word per step that matters with [EMPHASIS].

Your narration gets ahead of the screen. You're describing step 3 while step 2 is still loading. Try one of these fixes:

• Put a [PAUSE] after every DO line.
• Lower the Auto Scroll speed.
• Record the actions first and add the narration afterwards. See how to add a voiceover to a screen recording.

The video runs far longer than planned. Check the word count before recording. The clicks add time on top of the reading estimate. In Screen Bolt's free version, exports are limited to 3 minutes and 720p, with a watermark. The 3-minute check uses the full recording length, so trimming a long take afterwards doesn't get it under the limit. Record a long tutorial as separate parts, or export it with a license.

You lose your place after clicking around. Use a larger font size or pause the recording between steps. Manual mode keeps the text still until you turn the page, but turning it means focusing the teleprompter window first.

Your script shows up in the video. A text editor or notes window inside the recorded area is captured like any other window. Move it outside the area you record, or use the teleprompter, which is excluded from capture.

Your script disappeared from the teleprompter. The script is stored with Screen Bolt's preferences, and Reset preferences in Settings clears it. Keep the original as a .txt file so you can import it again.

FAQ

Should I script every word of a tutorial? Script the outcome, the recap and the exact labels in each step word for word. The connecting sentences can be looser, as long as every step still has its action and its "you should now see" check.

How long should a tutorial script be? As short as the task allows: one task per video, one step per action. If the steps list goes past about 10 actions, consider splitting it into two videos, each with a clear outcome.

Can I write the script in Google Docs or Word? Yes. Save or export it as plain text (.txt) and import it into the teleprompter, or copy and paste the text.

When the script is ready, take it into the recording: our guide to making a software tutorial video on Mac covers screen setup, recording and editing.

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Screen Bolt's teleprompter is included in the free version. Compare Free and Pro to see the export limits.