Explainer Video Script Template (Free) with Examples

Beautiful animation can't save a confusing script, while a clear script can make even a simple video effective. This free explainer video script template gives you a proven five-part structure you can fill in for a software product, an app, a service or an online store.

Below you'll find how to write an explainer video script step by step, word counts for each video length, the two-column video script format that animators use, and three short, clearly fictional explainer video script examples you can adapt. It works for SaaS explainers, and for any business that needs to explain one thing clearly in about 60 to 90 seconds.

What is an explainer video?

An explainer video is a short video, often 60 to 90 seconds and usually animated, that explains what a product or service does, who it's for and why it matters. It sits on the homepage, plays during sales calls, appears in ads and welcomes new users during onboarding. Viewers decide quickly whether a product is for them, and the script decides whether they understand it.

Before you write: answer four questions

1. Who exactly is watching? Be specific about role and company size, for example "operations managers at clinics with five to twenty staff", not "businesses".
2. What painful problem do they have today? Describe it in their words.
3. What is the one main outcome you deliver? Not ten features. One outcome.
4. What should they do after watching? Start a trial, book a demo, place an order?

If you can't answer these in a sentence each, pause the script and clarify your positioning first.

How long should an explainer video script be?

Natural narration runs at roughly 130 to 150 words per minute. Use that to size your script:

• 30 seconds: about 65 to 75 words
• 60 seconds: about 130 to 150 words
• 90 seconds: about 200 to 225 words
• 2 minutes: about 260 to 300 words

For most homepage explainers, 60 to 90 seconds is enough. Onboarding and sales walkthroughs can run longer, because those viewers are already interested.

How to write an explainer video script: the five-part structure

1. Hook (first 5 to 10 seconds)

Grab the right viewer by naming their situation or pain. A question or a relatable moment works well: "Still chasing clients for unpaid invoices every Friday?"

2. Problem (about 15 seconds)

Show the cost of the current way of doing things: wasted hours, errors, missed revenue, stress. Make the viewer nod along.

3. Solution (about 15 seconds)

Introduce your product as the answer, in one clear sentence: what it is, who it's for and the main outcome it delivers.

4. How it works (about 30 seconds)

Show three simple steps, no more. Connect, do the core action, see the result. This is where the animation shows your interface, or a simplified version of it.

5. Proof and call to action (about 15 seconds)

Add one honest proof point you can back up (a real customer result, an integration with tools they already use, a security standard), then give a single, specific call to action.

Free explainer video script template

Copy this into your document and replace everything in brackets:

HOOK
[Role], are you still [painful task] every [day/week]?

PROBLEM
Right now, [describe the current workaround].
That means [cost: hours lost, errors, missed revenue].
And [a second frustration they'll recognise].

SOLUTION
Meet [Product], the [category] that helps [audience] [main outcome].

HOW IT WORKS
1. [Connect / import / sign up] in [time or effort].
2. [The core action] while [Product] [does the hard part].
3. [See the result] so you can [benefit].

PROOF + CALL TO ACTION
[Honest proof point].
[Start your free trial / Book a demo] at [website].

Video script format: the two-column layout

Once the words are approved, turn them into a two-column script: narration (audio) on the left, what appears on screen (visual) on the right, split into numbered scenes with rough timings. The animator sees exactly what to draw, and you can check that every line has a matching visual. Here's the opening of the first example below in that format:

SCENE 1 (0:00 to 0:05)
AUDIO                              VISUAL
Freelancers, still chasing         Tired freelancer at a laptop.
unpaid invoices every Friday?      Calendar flips to "Friday".

SCENE 2 (0:05 to 0:15)
AUDIO                              VISUAL
Right now you build invoices by    Messy spreadsheet fills the
hand and track them in a           screen. Reminder emails pile
spreadsheet.                       up in an inbox.

SCENE 3 (0:15 to 0:20)
AUDIO                              VISUAL
Meet Billbird, the invoicing app   Logo animates in. Simplified
that gets freelancers paid on      app dashboard slides up.
time.

A spreadsheet or document with two columns works just as well as dedicated script software.

Explainer video script examples

These three examples use the template above. All three businesses, names and details are fictional, written only to show how the structure adapts.

Example 1: SaaS invoicing tool (fictional)

Freelancers, still chasing clients for unpaid invoices every Friday? Right now you build invoices by hand, track them in a spreadsheet and send awkward reminder emails. Payments arrive late, and admin eats your weekends. Meet Billbird, the invoicing app that gets freelancers paid on time. Connect your bank in two minutes. Create an invoice from a template while Billbird sends polite reminders for you. Watch payments arrive and see who owes what at a glance. Start your free trial at billbird.example today.

About 80 words, roughly 35 to 40 seconds of narration, leaving room for music and pauses.

Example 2: Clinic appointment app (fictional)

Clinic managers, is your reception phone ringing nonstop while patients wait in a crowded hall? Right now, appointments live in a paper register, patients never know when it's their turn, and no-shows leave doctors with empty slots. Meet CareQueue, the booking app that helps small clinics run on time. Patients book a slot from their phone in under a minute. CareQueue sends a reminder the day before and a message when their turn is close. Your staff see the whole day on one screen and refill cancelled slots instantly. Book a free demo at carequeue.example.

About 95 words, roughly 40 to 45 seconds. Notice the hook speaks to the buyer (the clinic manager), even though patients use the app too.

Example 3: E-commerce brand (fictional)

Looking for a gift that doesn't look like everyone else's? A lot of decor sold online looks the same, and you can't always tell what will arrive. Meet Neel Craft, an online store for hand-painted blue pottery made in small batches. Choose a piece and see real photos of the exact item you'll receive. Pay by card or cash on delivery. Your order arrives in protective packaging, with a note about the artisan who painted it. Every order includes a seven-day return window. Browse the new collection at neelcraft.example.

About 90 words. For a store, "how it works" becomes choose, pay and receive, and the proof point is a promise customers can check, like the return policy.

Writing tips that make a real difference

• Write for the ear. Short sentences, everyday words, contractions. Read every line out loud.
• Benefits before features. "Get paid faster" beats "automated reminder workflows".
• One message per video. Save the rest for the website or a second video.
• Don't narrate the screen. Let visuals carry details, and let the voice carry meaning.
• Time it. Read with a stopwatch at a natural pace before you approve it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Opening with company history or a long logo intro.
• Listing every feature you've ever built.
• Using internal jargon your customers don't use.
• Ending with a vague call to action like "learn more".
• Changing the script after animation has started, when every change costs far more time.

Lock the script before anything else. It's the cheapest stage to make changes and the most expensive one to skip.

From script to finished video

Once the script is approved, production usually runs: voiceover recording, storyboard, style frames, animation, sound design, revisions and delivery in the formats you need. Not sure which visual style suits you? Our comparison of whiteboard, 2D and stick figure animation will help. For budgeting, see our guide to explainer video cost, and if you'd rather hand the whole job to a team, read how to choose a SaaS explainer video company.

Explainer video script FAQ

How do you write an explainer video script?

Start by defining your viewer, their problem, your main outcome and the action you want. Then write five parts in order: hook, problem, solution, how it works, and proof with a call to action. Read it aloud, time it and cut anything that doesn't serve the one main message.

How many words is a 60-second explainer video script?

About 130 to 150 words at a natural narration pace. Many writers aim slightly below that to leave room for music, pauses and on-screen moments without voiceover.

What is the best format for a video script?

The two-column audio/visual format is the most practical for explainers: narration on the left, on-screen visuals on the right, split into numbered scenes with timings. It keeps the writer, voice artist and animator working from the same plan.

Can I use this template for videos that aren't about software?

Yes. The structure works for apps, services, online stores and internal training. Adjust the "how it works" steps to match your customer's journey, such as choose, pay and receive for an online store.

Should I write the script myself or hire a company?

You know your product and customers best, so a first draft from you is valuable even if a professional polishes it. Many explainer video studios include scriptwriting in their packages, which helps when you're too close to your product to see it the way a new viewer does.

A clear script is the cheapest upgrade

Spend the time on your script before anyone opens animation software. Every hour spent there saves many hours later.

OCTASKY's team in Multan writes and animates explainer videos for software companies and other businesses, and we're happy to review your draft script before production starts.