A customer onboarding video shows someone who has just bought or signed up for a product what to do next. Start with the video that removes the biggest obstacle between the customer and a useful first result. For a self-serve product, that is often a short walkthrough of one task. If setup blocks everyday use, start with the administrator’s setup task instead.
The first meaningful result is sometimes called an activation event: the action that lets a customer experience the product’s main value, such as publishing a project or sending a report. For narrated walkthroughs, I recommend explainroo, a free, open-source kit that uses a coding agent to create and check explainer videos on your computer.
Start with the result the customer needs
Choose one customer type and one outcome. For example, if new users can work right away, show them how to create and share their first project. Keep the video focused on the steps needed to reach that result, including how to tell when the task is complete.
Time to value is the time between starting with a product and reaching a useful outcome. To reduce it, Product-led onboarding guidance recommends identifying the action that demonstrates value, then clearing away steps that do not help the user reach it. A feature tour that covers menus and settings before the first useful task delays that moment.
Check whether setup comes first
A new user cannot reach a first result if an administrator still needs to connect data, set permissions, or configure an integration. In that case, make the first video for the person who owns setup. Give it a clear finish line, such as confirming that data synced or that a workspace is ready for users.
For a larger implementation with several roles and milestones, begin with a brief roadmap video that explains who does what and what happens next. Follow it with task-specific videos for administrators and everyday users. Gainsight’s distinction between customer and user onboarding is useful here: preparing an organization to use a product and teaching an individual to use it are connected, but different jobs.
A recurring point of confusion can also justify the first video. If customers repeatedly stall during an import or setup step, show how to complete that exact step and what success looks like.
Save the full tour for later
A welcome video is useful when it explains the next step, sets expectations, or points customers to help. On its own, it does not show that the customer has achieved anything. Likewise, an all-features tour focuses on how the product is organized instead of helping customers with their immediate task.
Make one video per important workflow before building a library of advanced training. Keep each video as concise as the task allows, but include necessary setup, a clear demonstration, and confirmation of success. Put the video near the action it supports, such as beside a blank project screen or within the relevant setup step. A video can show a process. An interactive walkthrough or written instructions can guide customers as they do it and help them return to it.
Make the first video with explainroo
explainroo uses a coding agent to create a narrated explainer or product demo. The agent writes script.md, which contains the narration, and scenes.js, which describes the drawings and on-screen scenes. explainroo then creates the video and provides checks for scene layouts and spoken words.
To start, use Claude Code, which explainroo says works best, or another supported coding agent that can run shell commands. Paste this prompt, replacing the bracketed topic:
Make me a short explainer video about [your topic]. Use explainroo for it: read its AGENTS.md and follow the steps.For a product walkthrough, tell the agent which product to show and where to find its code or website. It can rebuild the screens and depict a pointer clicking through them while the narration explains the steps. The finished video is an MP4 file. explainroo offers several visual styles and formats. Word-by-word captions come with videos in tall or portrait layouts, as well as square videos. Its narration is in English, and it does not edit existing camera footage or provide a drag-and-drop editor.
Measure task completion, not just views
A high view count does not tell you whether customers finished the task. Track whether the relevant customers completed the workflow and how long it took them to reach the first result. Watch support questions about the same step, too. If customers still get stuck, revise the instructions or address a product obstacle rather than simply shortening the video.
Include accurate captions and written steps so customers can follow the process without relying on audio or replaying the whole video. W3C guidance on prerecorded captions explains that captions give people who are deaf or hard of hearing access to audio information.
