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The Short Answer
A good screencast script template has two columns: what happens on screen, and what you say while it happens. Fill it in one action per row, keep each spoken line to a single short sentence, and time the whole script at roughly 130–150 spoken words per minute. That’s enough structure to cut your retakes dramatically without sounding robotic.
Below you’ll find the template, a filled-in example, and the edits that make a script easier to record.
Why Script a Screencast at All?
Unscripted tutorials tend to wander: the narrator explains a menu, notices something else, backtracks and forgets a step. Viewers feel that as wasted time. A script also makes updates cheaper. When the software changes, you re-record only the rows that changed instead of the whole video. If you build longer courses, the same thinking scales up into a storyboard; our guide on storyboarding for eLearning covers that step.
The Two-Column Screencast Script Template
Copy this into a document or spreadsheet. The extra columns are optional but help a lot in editing.
| # | On screen (action) | Narration (what you say) | Edit note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Title card or app home screen | Hook: what the viewer will be able to do | Add title text |
| 2 | Point to starting location | Where we are and what’s needed first | — |
| 3 | Click / type step 1 | One sentence describing the action | Zoom on button |
| 4 | Click / type step 2 | One sentence describing the action | Callout |
| … | … | … | … |
| Last | Show finished result | Recap and next step | End card |
A Filled-In Example
Here’s a short script for a tutorial called “Export a monthly report to PDF.”
| # | On screen | Narration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dashboard | “In two minutes, you’ll export this month’s report as a PDF you can email.” |
| 2 | Hover Reports menu | “Start from the dashboard and open the Reports menu.” |
| 3 | Click Monthly Summary | “Choose Monthly Summary.” |
| 4 | Set date range | “Set the date range to last month. The preview updates automatically.” |
| 5 | Click Export → PDF | “Click Export, then PDF.” |
| 6 | PDF opens | “That’s it. Next, we’ll schedule this report to send itself every month.” |
How to Write the Script, Step by Step
- Do the task once without recording. Write down every click in order. This becomes the left column.
- Remove detours. Delete clicks that aren’t needed for the outcome, such as optional settings, unless the viewer will hit them.
- Write one sentence per action. Start with the verb the viewer will do: “Click,” “Choose,” “Type.”
- Add the hook and the recap. The first line promises the result; the last line confirms it and points to what’s next.
- Read it aloud and time it. At 130–150 words per minute, a 300-word script runs about two minutes before pauses.
- Mark edit notes. Note where you’ll zoom, blur or add a callout so you remember during editing.
Writing Tips That Make Recording Easier
A few small habits make the difference between a script you can read smoothly and one you keep tripping over.
Write for the Ear
Spoken scripts need shorter sentences than written guides. Avoid parentheses, long lists in a single sentence and words you rarely say out loud.
Name Things Exactly as the Interface Does
If the button says “Save & Close,” say “Save & Close,” not “save it.” Viewers scan the screen for the words they hear.
Leave Breathing Room
Pages take time to load. Add a short pause or a filler line like “The list refreshes” instead of talking over a spinner.
Recording Live Narration vs. Using Text-to-Speech
Once the script is final, you have two options. Recording your own voice gives warmth and personality, which suits courses and YouTube. Generating narration with text-to-speech suits internal documentation, frequent updates and multilingual versions, because you can edit a line of text instead of re-recording.
ActivePresenter from Atomi Systems supports both inside one project. You can record the screen first and narration separately, then line up the audio on the timeline. The Standard and Pro editions also include text-to-speech, which uses the AI credits bundled with paid licenses, so you can paste the narration column straight into a voice track. The trade-off: credits run out with heavy use and additional packs are an extra cost, so budget for them if every video uses AI voices.
Check the current price: ActivePresenter Standard · ActivePresenter Pro. (Affiliate links.)
Planning a full lesson rather than a single tutorial? This walkthrough on recording a teaching lesson on PC shows how scripted sections fit into a longer recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about scripting screencasts.
How Many Words Is a 5-Minute Screencast Script?
Roughly 550–700 words. Tutorials have more pauses than talks, so aim toward the lower end.
Should I Read the Script Word for Word?
Read it closely the first few times. As you get comfortable, use it as a guide and speak naturally, as long as you keep the order of actions.
Do I Record the Voice and Screen Together?
Either works. Recording separately lets you focus on clean clicks first and clean narration second, which many beginners find easier.
Final Recommendation
Use the two-column template for every tutorial, even short ones. It takes ten minutes to fill in and saves far more than that in retakes and editing. When you’re ready to turn scripts into finished videos, with recording, narration, captions and edits in one place, ActivePresenter is worth a look.
👉 Ready to turn your script into a tutorial? Get ActivePresenter Standard for narrated video tutorials, or ActivePresenter Pro if you’ll add quizzes and SCORM. (Affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)
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