Explainer Video Script: Template, Example and the 5 Rules I Use

An explainer video script teaches one thing so the viewer can use it. Open with their problem, say who it's for and what they'll be able to do, make three points with an example for each, and end with the first step.

Below is a template, a worked example and the five rules I use. They come from 10,000+ scripts across 100+ niches.

Explainer video script template

HOOK (0:00 to 0:50)
[The problem, in the viewer's words.]
[One specific detail that shows you understand it.]
[What they'll be able to do by the end.]

SETUP (to 2:00)
Target:         [who this is for]
Transformation: [what changes for them]
Stakes:         [what it costs to skip this]

POINT 1 (your second-best point)
Say it:     [one sentence]
Show it:    [an example, a demo or a short story. 60 seconds.]
Explain it: [why it works. 30 seconds.]
Say it again in other words.
Bridge:     [one line that raises the next question]

POINT 2 (your best point)
...

POINT 3 (your third-best point)
...

CLOSE (under 20 seconds)
[The first thing to do today. One step, small enough to start now.]

The 5 rules

1. Show it before you explain it

My ratio is 30 seconds of context, then 60 seconds of something happening.

Think of teaching someone a board game by reading them the whole rulebook before they play. Nobody wants that. Start the game, then explain the rule they just ran into.

So the order inside each point is: just enough context to set the scene, a concrete demonstration, then the explanation. The explanation now has something to attach to.

2. Answer three questions in the first two minutes

• Target. Is this for me?
• Transformation. What changes if I watch?
• Stakes. What does it cost me to leave?

Most explainers skip the third. Then people watch, agree, and never use it.

3. One point per section, said first

State the point. Show it. Say it again in other words. On paper that looks repetitive. A viewer can't re-read a line, so on video it reads as clear.

4. Order the points on purpose

Second best first, best in the middle, third best last. And never let an answer sit: within 10 seconds of finishing a point, raise the question the next one answers.

5. End on the first step

Story videos end when the story resolves. Teaching videos end when the viewer knows what to do next. Give them one step small enough to start today. Skip the recap.

Worked example

Topic: why a new channel's videos lose viewers in the first minute. This is an illustration I wrote for this page to show the shape.

Weak version of point 1:

"The hook is the most important part of any video. There are many types of hooks, and the hook you choose depends on your content. Let's go through the theory of attention first."

Thirty seconds in, nothing has happened and nothing can be pictured.

Stronger version:

"Here are two openings for the same video. One: 'In today's video we're going to talk about saving money.' Two: 'You earn more than you did three years ago and you have less left at the end of the month.' The second one describes you. That's why you'd keep watching, and it's the whole trick: open with the viewer's situation."

The viewer saw the difference before they were told the rule.

Where explainer scripts go wrong

• Theory first. A minute of background before any example.
• Two ideas stacked in one section. The second one gets its own.
• Examples nobody can picture. "A business might do X" teaches less than one named case.
• Ending on a summary. They just watched it. Tell them what to do.

For the opening, see 4 intro script examples. For the general layout, use the 5-part script template. For videos that argue a point, read how to write a video essay script. To size your draft, use the script length calculator.

If you'd like the AI you already use to write and check explainers in this structure, FacelessOS is 22 skill files built from 10,000+ scripts.

Common questions

How do you write a script for an explainer video?

Open with the viewer's problem, say who the video is for and what they will be able to do, then make three points. For each point, state it, show an example, explain why it works and restate it. End with the first step to take.

How long should an explainer video script be?

About 150 words for each minute of video. A 5-minute explainer is roughly 750 words and a 10-minute one is roughly 1,500.

What makes a good explainer video?

It shows the thing working before it explains the theory, makes one point at a time, and uses examples the viewer can picture. The viewer should be able to do something new when it ends.

How many points should an explainer video make?

Three is usually right for a video of 6 to 10 minutes. More than five and viewers stop keeping track. If you have ten points, you have two or three videos.