How to make a tutorial video by recording your screen, for free

You know how to do something on your computer, and you want to show it. Write the steps down, record each one with the free recorder already on your computer, then trim and add chapters. Here’s how to make a tutorial video by recording your screen, with a plan template and a table of free recorders.

Why plan a screen recording before you press record

A tutorial is a list of steps. Write them down first, and each step becomes a short recording (a take) and, later, a chapter viewers can jump to.

Without a plan, it’s tempting to record everything in one long take. Then a slip in minute 9 means starting over, or hunting for the mistake later.

How to make a tutorial video by recording your screen

Step 1: Write one goal and 3 to 7 steps

Write one line that says what the viewer can do at the end. Then list the steps in order, one action each. If you have more than 7, split the topic into 2 videos.

Goal: By the end, you can [do one thing].
Step 1: [one action]
Step 2: [one action]
Step 3: [one action]
(add up to 4 more)

Goal: By the end, you can add a chart to a Google Sheet.
Step 1: Select the cells
Step 2: Click Insert, then Chart
Step 3: Pick a chart type
Step 4: Change the title and colors
Step 5: Move and resize the chart

00:00 Intro
00:25 Select the cells
01:05 Click Insert, then Chart
02:00 Pick a chart type
03:10 Change the title and colors
03:55 Move and resize the chart

Step 2: Clean up your screen

Viewers see everything you see. Before you record, close email, chats, private tabs and any desktop files you don’t want shown.

Then turn off notifications:

• Mac: turn on a Focus, such as Do Not Disturb, in Control Center.
• Windows 11: press Windows key + N to open the notification center, then select the bell icon with zZ on it.
• Chromebook: select the time at the bottom right, then Focus, then Start. Do Not Disturb is on by default in Focus.

Last, make text bigger. In Chrome, press Ctrl and + on Windows or a Chromebook, or Command and + on a Mac.

Step 3: Pick a free recorder for your computer

Start with the one built into your computer. The details below come from each maker’s own pages, checked October 8, 2026. “Not listed” means the page doesn’t mention it.

What each one records:

Where each one runs, how to start it, and the catch:

Microsoft says Clipchamp might already be installed on Windows 11. If not, get it from the Microsoft Store. OBS Studio (opens in a new tab) is a free, open-source download.

Step 4: Test 10 seconds of sound

Pick your mic before the real take. On a Mac it’s under Options, on a Chromebook it’s in Settings, and in OBS it’s under Settings, then Audio. Snipping Tool and Clipchamp also let you choose it before you start.

Then record 10 seconds of yourself talking and play it back. Check that it’s the right mic and that you can hear every word.

If you sound distant, see why your mic sounds far away.

Step 5: Record one step per take

Record each step as its own take, starting on the screen where that step begins. Wait 2 seconds, talk, then wait 2 seconds before you stop. Those pauses give you clean places to cut.

Say what you click as you click it. For help with the words, see how to read a script without looking like you’re reading.

Step 6: Trim, join and add chapters

Put the takes in order, cut the dead air at each end, and export one video. Clipchamp runs on all 3 computers, and it opens .mov, .webm and .mkv files, which covers the file types in the recorder table. These clicks come from its help pages for personal accounts:

1. Open Clipchamp and select Create a new video.
2. Select Import media and pick your takes. They appear in My media.
3. Drag each take onto the timeline, step 1 first.
4. Click a take on the timeline, then drag the green bar at either end to cut the dead air.
5. Select Export at the top right, then 1080p (HD). The MP4 saves to your computer, usually in Downloads.

Each computer has a free editor, and each has a catch:

Your plan doubles as your chapter list. Work out the start times as in the Google Sheets example, then paste the list into your video’s description.

YouTube’s Video Chapters page sets 3 rules. The first timestamp is 00:00, you list at least 3 timestamps in time order, and each chapter runs 10 seconds or more.

Want your face in the tutorial too?

• Chromebook: turn on Front Camera in Screen capture’s settings before you record.
• Windows: Clipchamp’s screen and camera recorder and OBS’s camera source both put your face in the video.
• Mac: the Screenshot toolbar lists no camera option. How to record your screen and face at the same time on a Mac shows 2 free ways.

Nervous on camera? Try a 7-day plan for getting comfortable talking to a camera.

When a paid screen recorder is worth it

Pay only when a free tool’s catch gets in your way, like the 1080p limit on Clipchamp’s free exports. For a full editor or share links, the Mac screen-and-face guide linked above compares 3 paid apps, with prices checked October 8, 2026. One of them, Camtasia (opens in a new tab), also runs on Windows 10 and 11.

Common mistakes

• Recording with the wrong mic selected. Check the mic setting and play back a 10-second test every time.
• Recording one long take. Record one step per take instead.
• Leaving notifications or private tabs on screen. Turn on Do Not Disturb and close them first.
• Expecting Clipchamp to record a whole window’s sound. On a personal account, it records computer sound only from a browser tab.
• Installing OBS or DaVinci Resolve (opens in a new tab) on a Chromebook. Neither lists Chromebooks. Record with Screen capture and edit in Clipchamp in Chrome.
• Uploading with no chapters. Your plan already has the titles. Add the start times before you publish.

What to do next

• Fill in the Step 1 plan. Then record a 1-minute test of its first step today, with your mic picked and Do Not Disturb on.
• Check your chapters after upload. If they don’t show, see how to fix YouTube chapters that aren’t showing.
• Want proof a plain screen recording can teach? Read how Khan Academy started.