Onboarding & training

How to make customer onboarding videos that activate users

By Explaino Team · Updated October 11, 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer

Good customer onboarding videos are a short series, one per activation milestone, each under two minutes and placed exactly where new users get stuck: in empty states, welcome emails and the help center. Record each milestone once, add voiceover and zoom, and pair each video with a written guide.

Watch: Building an onboarding video series in one afternoon

Video walkthrough coming soon

This video is being made with Explaino from a single screen recording. You can make your own version in a few minutes.

Make this video free

Made with Explaino: recorded once, then narrated, zoomed and captioned automatically.

Step by step

1
Map your activation milestones
List the 3 to 5 actions that make a new user stick, for example 'connect a data source', 'invite a teammate', 'publish a first report'.
2
Find where users drop off
Use product analytics, support tickets and session recordings to see which milestone loses the most people. Start there.
3
Make one short video per milestone
Each video teaches one milestone in under two minutes, starting from the screen the user is looking at.
4
Record, then polish automatically
Record each milestone with your voice, then let the AI add zoom, captions and a clean voiceover. Use the same voice and brand kit across the series.
5
Place videos in context
Embed them in empty states, tooltips, welcome emails and the help center, not only on a 'Getting started' page.
6
Measure activation, not views
Compare milestone completion for users who watched with those who didn't, and improve the weakest video first.

Why a series beats one long welcome video

A 15-minute welcome tour asks for attention before the user has a reason to give it. Short milestone videos meet users at the moment of need, when they are trying to do something and are most willing to watch.

A series is also easier to maintain. When one part of the product changes, you update one short video instead of the whole tour.

Where to put onboarding videos

The best placements are the ones users already see.

Empty states: 'No reports yet? Watch how to create one (1:20)'.
Day 1 to day 7 onboarding emails, one milestone per email.
Help center articles, embedded above the written steps.
In-app checklists and tooltips.

Record it once. Explaino does the rest.

Turn one screen recording into a narrated video with smart zoom and captions, plus a step-by-step article, in 70+ languages.

Start free in Explaino Studio Get the Chrome extension

Free plan · no credit card required

Frequently asked questions

How long should onboarding videos be?

Under two minutes each for milestone videos. Longer formats fit live webinars or certification courses.

Should onboarding videos be personalized?

Personalizing by role or plan helps when the paths differ a lot. Start with one generic series, then make role-specific versions of the videos that matter most.

Can I add a quiz to check understanding?

Yes. Explaino can generate a quiz from the same project, which is useful for customer education and certification.

How to make customer onboarding videos that activate users

Watch: Building an onboarding video series in one afternoon

Step by step

Map your activation milestones

Find where users drop off

Make one short video per milestone

Record, then polish automatically

Place videos in context

Measure activation, not views