Tutorial Video Checklist: Plan, Record, Edit, Publish

A printable tutorial video checklist in four stages: planning, recording, editing and publishing, with the questions to ask at each stage and a final test.

Updated · 3 min read · By the HowFilm team

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Short answer

Use this checklist in four passes: plan (one task, steps written, script ready), record (stable picture, clean sound, one step per take), edit (pace for doing, numbered steps, captions) and publish (searchable title, placed where people get stuck). Finish with a test: someone who has never done the task follows the video without help.

1. Plan

  • The video covers one task with one result.
  • You know who it is for and what they already know.
  • Every step is written down, including the obvious ones.
  • Tools, parts, time and safety notes are listed.
  • The script has a visual for every line (see the script template).
  • You decided: filmed, screen-recorded or animated.

2. Record

  • The picture does not move: phone or camera on a stand.
  • Soft, even light; no shadows over the work.
  • Microphone close to the speaker; background noise off.
  • Focus and exposure locked.
  • One step per take, with a pause before and after.
  • The finished result is recorded too, for the opening and the end.

3. Edit

  • The first 10 seconds say what the viewer will be able to do.
  • Pauses where you were thinking are cut; pauses for the viewer to catch up are kept.
  • Each step has a number or label on screen.
  • Warnings appear before the risky step.
  • Captions are accurate and readable on a phone.
  • Music, if any, is quiet under the voice and licensed.
  • Total length fits the steps (see how long a how-to video should be).

4. Publish

  • The title names the task in the words people search for.
  • The description lists the steps (with timestamps on YouTube).
  • A clear thumbnail shows the result or the key step.
  • The video is placed where the problem happens: product page, help article, QR code.
  • Someone is named to update it when the product or process changes.

The final test

Sit a person who has never done the task in front of the video and the real thing, and do not help. Note every pause, rewind and question. Each one points to a step to reshoot, re-animate or re-caption. This single test catches more problems than any amount of reviewing by the people who made the video.

If your tutorials are product assembly guides and there are many of them, doing this by hand for each product adds up. That is the case Manual to Video was built for.

One-page version to print

  • One task, one result, one audience
  • All steps written, visual for every line
  • Steady picture, soft light, close microphone
  • One step per take, pauses at both ends
  • Result shown first, steps numbered, warnings before
  • Captions checked on a phone screen
  • Searchable title, steps in the description
  • Placed where people get stuck
  • Tested on a first-timer without help

Questions people ask

What should a tutorial video include?

What the viewer will achieve, what they need, every step shown in order, warnings before risky steps, a way to check the result, and where to get help.

How do I make my tutorial videos better?

Test them on someone who has never done the task. Fix every place they get stuck, cut your own pauses, and add step numbers and captions.

Do tutorial videos need captions?

Yes. Many people watch without sound, and captions help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, non-native speakers and anyone in a noisy place.