Explainer Video Script Template: Explain Anything in 90 Seconds

An explainer video has one job: make something clear to someone who does not understand it yet. It sounds simple, but most explainers try to cover too much and end up clear to nobody.

The four-part structure

1. Problem: what is hard or annoying today.
2. Solution: the idea, product or process that fixes it.
3. How it works: three steps at most.
4. Next step: what the viewer should do now.

This order matters. People only care how something works after they believe it solves a problem they have.

Fill-in template

# Problem
If you have ever [frustrating situation], you know it [cost].
# Solution
[Name] is a [simple description] that [main benefit].
# How it works
First, you [step one].
Then, [step two].
And that is it: [result].
# Next step
[One clear action].

Word counts

At about 150 words per minute:

• 60 seconds: around 150 words
• 90 seconds: around 225 words
• 2 minutes: around 300 words

Animated explainers often need slightly fewer words, because visuals need time to land.

One idea per sentence

Explainers fail when sentences carry two or three ideas. "Our platform integrates with your existing tools and automates reporting while keeping data secure" is three sentences pretending to be one. Split them. See writing scripts for the ear.

Use an example, not a definition

Definitions are abstract. Examples are memorable. Instead of "a tool for asynchronous collaboration", say "record a two-minute update instead of booking a meeting". Viewers remember the picture, not the category.

Cut the jargon test

Read the script to someone outside your field. Any word they ask about is a word to replace or explain. Industry terms feel precise to insiders and opaque to everyone else.

Recording the voiceover

Read slowly and with warmth. Explainers often sound rushed because the writer knows the topic too well. Mark [pause] after each step so the visuals can catch up. A prompter that holds one sentence at a time, like Cue's Sentence Focus, helps you keep an even pace.

Keep visuals and words in step

If the explainer uses animation or screen footage, write the script with a rough note of what appears on screen for each line. That keeps the words from describing something the viewer has not seen yet, and it stops the visuals from racing ahead of the voice. A simple two-column draft, words on one side and visuals on the other, is often enough.

Test it with a stranger

Show the finished video to someone who has never heard of the topic. Ask them to explain it back in one sentence. If they cannot, the script needs another pass, usually at the "how it works" section.