How to Make an Animated Step by Step Tutorial

Example: a 30 second animated tutorial from a 5 step list

Start with what the finished thing looks like. This is an illustrative example, not a real customer video. The input is a plain text list for setting up two-factor login in a generic app:

1. Open Settings. 2. Tap Security. 3. Turn on two-step login. 4. Scan the code with your authenticator app. 5. Enter the 6 digit code.

The brief asked for 9:16, a white background, phone mockups, a blue accent and a calm AI voice. Here is how the 30 seconds came out:

Beat sheet

Five steps at about 4 to 5 seconds each, plus a 3 second title and a 3 second recap, lands at 30 seconds. The voiceover script was 62 words, which reads comfortably in that time at a normal speaking pace of roughly 140 to 160 words per minute.

How to make an animated step by step tutorial

This page is about tutorials built entirely from graphics. If you have a screen recording of your app, the app demo guide covers that instead.

1. Write the steps. One action per step, starting with a verb: "Open settings", "Tap the plus", "Pour the water". Five to seven steps is the sweet spot for a short, each under about eight words.
2. Pick a visual for each. An icon, a simple phone or app mockup, an illustrated object or a generated image. Keep the same style for all of them.
3. Set the layout. Where the number, the text and the visual sit. Say "the same layout for every step" so nothing jumps around.
4. Add a progress marker. "Step 3 of 6" or a bar that fills. It tells viewers how long is left, which keeps them watching.
5. Add voice or captions. Upload your narration, ask for an AI voice, or let the on-screen text carry it for sound-off viewing.
6. End on a recap. All the steps in one list on the last frame, held for 3 seconds. That is the frame people screenshot and save.

Choosing a visual for each tutorial step

Match the visual to what the viewer needs to see. The simplest one that shows the action is the right one, and the layout around it should never change.

Clean white or light grey backgrounds with dark text and one accent colour for the action read best on small screens. A progress bar along the top edge takes up little space and works at any length.

Step by step tutorial prompt for Otto

Adapted from the way Videotto users brief Otto for step by step explainers. Replace the steps with yours.

Create a 30 second animated step by step tutorial. All motion graphics, no footage.
TOPIC: [how to do the thing]
STEPS:
1. [action]
2. [action]
3. [action]
4. [action]
5. [action]
FORMAT: 9:16 vertical.
STYLE: clean white background, dark text, one blue accent #2F6BFF for the action, simple line icons or phone mockups.
LAYOUT: big step number top left, the instruction under it, one visual in the centre. Same layout for every step.
ANIMATION: each step slides in, an arrow or highlight points to the action, holds 4 seconds, slides out. A progress bar along the top fills step by step.
END: all five steps as a checklist, hold 3 seconds.
SOUND: calm music, a soft click on each step. Made to work with the sound off.
RESTRICTIONS: keep every instruction exactly as written, no bouncing.

Short tutorial prompts that also work

• "Turn these 6 steps into an animated tutorial with a phone mockup for each."
• "Big numbers, one line each, a progress bar on top, 25 seconds."
• "Add a calm AI voice reading each step."
• "End with all the steps in one list so people can screenshot it."
• "Same style as last week's tutorial, new steps."

Animated tutorial tools compared

Most people searching for this are choosing between a slide tool, a video editor and a motion tool. Each can make a step by step tutorial; they differ in how much of the timing and motion you do by hand.

These are typical estimates for someone comfortable with each tool, not measured results. The slide tools are fine for one tutorial; the gap grows when you make one every week and want the same layout each time.

Step by step tutorial mistakes

• Two actions in one step. "Open settings and turn on sync" is two steps. Split it so each one can be followed.
• Steps that disappear too fast. People read tutorials, not just watch them. Give each step at least 3 seconds, more if the line is long.
• A new layout every step. If the number and text move around, viewers lose their place. Same layout every time.
• Mockups of other companies' apps. Show your own product, or generic screens that make the action clear without copying another brand.
• No recap. Without a final list, people have to rewatch to remember step two.

FAQ