Onboarding and tutorial videos are some of the hardest-working videos a SaaS company makes. They don't get many views compared with marketing content, but every view is from someone trying to use your product. Help them succeed and they stay. Confuse them and they leave quietly.
What to make
Welcome video
A short, friendly video for new users. What the product does, the first thing to do, and where to get help. Often from a founder or someone on the team.
Getting started walkthrough
Takes users from sign-up to their first moment of value. Focus on the core workflow, not every feature.
Feature tutorials
One video per key feature or task. "How to invite your team", "How to set up integrations". These live in the help center and get linked from tooltips and support replies.
Use-case videos
Show how a specific type of customer uses the product. "How marketing teams use X for campaign planning." Useful for onboarding and sales.
Troubleshooting videos
Short answers to common support questions. These can reduce repetitive tickets.
Short beats long
Users watch tutorials while trying to do something. They want the answer fast. Keep videos focused on one task, and break longer processes into a series. A short video that solves one problem is more useful than a long one covering everything.
Editing for clarity
- Cut dead time: loading, typing, hesitation.
- Zoom and highlight the exact area of the screen.
- Clear cursor movement and click indicators.
- Simple, consistent callouts for buttons and fields.
- Voiceover in plain language, describing what's on screen.
- Captions for people watching without sound, which is common at work.
Our guide to editing screen recordings goes deeper on technique.
Where onboarding videos live
- In-app: welcome modals, empty states, tooltips. Very short clips work best.
- Onboarding emails: a thumbnail or GIF linking to the video.
- Help center: embedded at the top of relevant articles.
- YouTube: a public tutorial library that also helps with search.
- Academy or course: a structured learning path for power users.
Edit with the placement in mind. An in-app clip might be silent and looping; a YouTube tutorial needs a voiceover and chapters.
Make them feel human
Onboarding can feel cold. A face on camera, even briefly, makes it friendlier. A welcome video from a founder or a picture-in-picture presenter on key tutorials builds a sense that real people are behind the product.
Consistency
A tutorial library should feel like one system: same intro (or none), same fonts and callout styles, same voice, same structure. Build a template so every new video is faster to make and looks like it belongs.
Keeping videos current
SaaS interfaces change, and outdated tutorials frustrate users. A few habits help:
- Keep a list of all videos and which UI areas they show.
- When the UI changes, check that list and flag affected videos.
- Edit modularly so you can replace sections, not whole videos.
- Keep project files and assets organised for quick updates.
Measuring impact
Look at whether users who watch onboarding videos activate or stick around more, whether support tickets on covered topics drop, and which help-center videos get the most plays. These signals tell you which videos to improve and what's missing.
Prioritising what to make first
- The getting-started walkthrough.
- Tutorials for the top support questions.
- Key features that drive retention.
- Use-case videos for your main customer types.
Writing scripts for tutorials
Tutorial scripts should be short and action-led. Start with the outcome ("In this video you'll connect your calendar"), then list each step as an instruction, using the exact button and menu names users see. Avoid marketing language; users want to get something done. Read the script aloud while clicking through the product to check timing before recording the final voiceover.
Accessibility
Captions, clear contrast in callouts and a voiceover that describes actions help everyone, including users with disabilities. Where you can, offer a written version of each tutorial alongside the video, so people can follow at their own pace or scan for the step they need.
Localisation
If you serve users in several languages, plan for it early. Keep on-screen text minimal and separate from the video where possible, so translated captions and voiceovers can be added without rebuilding the edit.
The short version
Make short, task-focused videos, start with the getting-started path and the top support questions, put them where users get stuck, and keep them up to date. Onboarding videos rarely go viral, but they quietly do some of the most valuable work in your business: helping customers succeed.
Related guides
Part of our SaaS video editing series. See also product demo editing, feature launch videos and editing screen recordings. Browse our work or get in touch.