Turn product docs into a how-it-works video
A help article tells a user what to click. A how-it-works video shows them why the feature exists and what it looks like when it is done. Doodaro builds that video from the doc text you paste: one drawn scene per step, in order, with narration, in a style that fits a product rather than a classroom.
Because each step is its own scene, updating the video when the product changes means editing two cards, not remaking two minutes of video.
2 free minutes · No card needed
How it works
- 1
Paste the doc and keep the steps
Copy the help article or feature page into the Story box. Keep the problem the feature solves, the steps a user takes and the result. Drop the settings tables and edge cases. If the doc is long, ask the story assistant to draft a 90-second script from what you pasted.
- 2
Doodaro builds the scenes
Pick a style such as Minimal Indigo, thin lines with one accent color that looks at home next to a SaaS product. Build scenes turns each step into a scene with a drawn picture and narration, in the order the user does them.
- 3
Review, then export
Play the scenes in order. If a step is drawn out of order or shows the wrong object, edit that scene's picture description and click Redraw. Set a shorter reveal on simple steps and a longer hold on the result scene, then render the MP4.
Example: a help article on setting up two-factor login
A 900-word help article was cut to a 210-word script with four steps and one result. Build scenes produced six scenes. Scene 3 drew a phone showing a text message when the doc described an authenticator app, so the picture description was changed to 'phone screen with a six-digit code inside an app, no message bubble' and only that scene was redrawn. The video ran 88 seconds.
- Style: Minimal Indigo
- Voice: neutral American English narrator
- Length: 90 seconds
- Format: 16:9
Best practices
- Cover one feature per video and keep it under 2 minutes, which is about 300 words. A doc that covers three features becomes three videos.
- Write one step per scene and keep each step to 6 to 10 seconds. Viewers follow a drawn step better when the picture finishes before the next one starts.
- Open with the problem in the first 10 seconds and show the result in the last 10. The steps in between are only worth watching if the viewer knows why.
- Name the button or menu item exactly as it appears in the product, in both the narration and the picture description. A label of 1 to 3 words draws legibly; a full sentence does not.
- Use a hold time of 2 to 3 seconds after each step so the finished drawing sits on screen while the narrator says what happens next.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a how-it-works video from documentation?
Copy the help article into Doodaro's Story box and cut it to the problem, the steps and the result. Pick a style, click Build scenes, and check the storyboard. Redraw any step that shows the wrong thing, then export the MP4.
Can Doodaro show my actual product screens?
Doodaro draws scenes in a hand-drawn style; it does not record or import screenshots. That is the point for a how-it-works video: a drawn phone, form or dashboard explains the idea without going out of date every time the interface changes.
How long should a product explainer be?
Sixty to ninety seconds for one feature. That is 150 to 225 words of narration at about 150 words per minute. Onboarding videos that cover a whole workflow can run 2 to 3 minutes.
Can I keep the same look across all my product videos?
Yes. Pick one of the 37 styles and use it on every video, or save your own template from reference images plus style instructions under My templates. Custom templates are on paid plans; Free lets you explore the Doodaro templates.
What happens when the feature changes?
Open the project, edit the narration and picture description on the scenes that changed, and click Revoice or Redraw on those scenes. The scenes that did not change are left alone. Every project pins an engine version, so the untouched scenes render the same way they did before.
Can I add the video to my help center?
Yes. Export the MP4 and upload it to your video host or your help center. Doodaro does not publish to platforms for you.
Related use cases
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Ready to draw your next story?
Start with 2 free minutes. No card needed. Your script becomes a storyboard you can fix one scene at a time.