People open a tutorial with a task in mind. The best tutorials get them through that task quickly, with every click easy to see, and let them pause and copy along.

One task per video

“How to export a report as PDF” is a tutorial. “Everything about reports” is a course. Short, single-task videos are easier to find, easier to update when the interface changes, and easier to link from a help article.

A script that fits on a card

Write the steps as a numbered list, one line each: what you click and why. Read it aloud once. You don't need to read it while recording, but you'll stop wondering what comes next.

Recording a tutorial

Start from the place the viewer will be, for example the dashboard after signing in.
Say the goal in one sentence, then do the steps.
Name each thing you click (“Open Settings, then Export”) so the audio works on its own.
Pause a beat after each click so the result is visible.
Show shortcuts on screen. Wekiflo's keystroke overlay shows the shortcut you pressed (never what you type in fields).

For setup, see how to record your screen in Chrome.

Make every step readable

Zoom on each click so menus and buttons are readable on a phone. Wekiflo does it automatically; see zooming in on a recording.
A visible cursor: a smooth cursor and a click effect (ripple, pulse or spotlight) help viewers follow along.
Cut waiting: page loads and pauses can go; viewers can pause the video themselves.

Captions and a transcript

Captions help people who watch without sound, people who don't speak your language natively, and anyone copying a field name. Check the transcript for product names and menu labels. See how to add captions to a screen recording.

Publishing tutorials

Title the video with the task, in the words people search for.
Put it at the top of the matching help article, with the written steps below it.
Re-record when the interface changes; short videos make that quick.