# How to write an explainer video script: structure, template and a full example

How to write an explainer video script that holds viewers to the end: from defining your audience to the opening, middle and ending, plus a timed template and a complete 90-second example.

Updated: 2026-10-13

[HTML](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-script) · [Blog / Industries](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en)

## Key takeaways

- A strong explainer video script doesn't start with the product. It starts with the people watching: who they are, what's on their mind right now and what they should walk away with.
- The first line has to pull viewers in, with their own situation, their own question or a common misconception the film then overturns.
- For an offer that solves a problem, give the problem about a quarter of the runtime, then serve the solution on a silver platter in two or three concrete steps.
- A 90-second script runs about 200 to 220 words in English. Write for the ear, not the eye, and read every draft out loud with a stopwatch.

[Animation](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/2d-animated-explainer-videos), [voice](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-voice-over) and music make an explainer look good. The script decides whether anyone watches to the end. It's the cheapest part of production and the one whose mistakes cost the most later: no animation can rescue a weak script.

This guide shows how to write an explainer video script that works like a short story, not a brochure read aloud. You'll get a structure, a timed template and a complete 90-second example.

Start with your website link. We write the story for your viewers, you watch your free watermarked video and get three revision rounds, no credit card needed. To keep the original without a watermark, subscribe from $99 a month plus sales tax, cancel monthly. [Try it for free](https://caprivideo.com/create).

## Before the first line: who are you actually writing for?

Most weak scripts share one problem: they're written from the company's point of view. They describe what the product can do, how long the company has been around and which features shipped last quarter. Viewers don't care about any of that, at least not at the start.

An explainer usually plays wherever your prospects, or your customers' customers, first meet your offer: on your website, in an ad, after a sales call. Those are the people you're writing for. So answer four questions first, ideally in writing:

1. **Who's watching?** Not "SMBs" or "decision-makers," but someone specific: the owner of a [physical therapy clinic](https://caprivideo.com/industries/healthcare/physical-therapy-practice-videos) with eight staff, the person handling IT at a [plumbing company](https://caprivideo.com/industries/local-services/plumbing-explainer-videos), a candidate looking for her third job.
2. **What's on their mind right now?** A problem, a risk, a goal, an open question. Describe it as a scene from their day: what happens, what it costs them, how it feels.
3. **What have they tried or believed so far?** And why isn't it enough?
4. **What should they have, know or feel at the end?** And what's the one next step?

These answers are your compass. Every line of the script should trace back to them.

## Pick the right story engine

Not every explainer tells the same kind of story. The structure depends on what the film is for:

- **An offer that solves a problem** ([software](https://caprivideo.com/guides/saas-video-production), services, trades): problem, solution, relief. The classic, and the right choice for most businesses.
- **A new product or launch:** spark curiosity or desire, reveal the product, show what it makes possible.
- **[Recruiting](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/recruiting-videos):** speak to the candidate's ambition or frustration, show what a day on the job feels like, explain the first step.
- **[Training](https://caprivideo.com/guides/corporate-training-video-production) or explaining a topic:** the learner's question or typical mistake, clear steps, the moment it clicks.
- **A brand, a cause or an invitation:** one person and one moment that stand for the idea, what changes because of it, the invitation.

Below we use the most common case, an offer that solves a problem. The principles for the opening, tension and ending apply to every engine.

## How an explainer video script is structured

### 1. The opening: viewers need to feel seen

The first two lines decide whether someone keeps watching. Three openings work especially well:

- **The situation:** "Monday, 7:40 a.m. Two therapists just called in sick, the waiting room is filling up, and the schedule is still a printout on the corkboard."
- **The viewer's own question:** "How many hours did scheduling cost you this month?"
- **A common misconception the film overturns:** "Handling your own IT saves money? Not really."

What doesn't work: opening with your company name, a generic statement ("Time is precious") or a scene that could open any other video.

### 2. The problem: long enough to hurt

This is where most scripts go wrong. The problem gets half a sentence so the product can show up sooner. Then there's no reason for anyone to care about the solution.

For an offer that solves a problem, give the problem about a quarter of the runtime. In a 90-second film, that's roughly 15 to 20 seconds. Make it concrete: a situation, its consequence, how it feels. Build tension instead of listing pain points.

### 3. The solution: served on a silver platter

Now your offer arrives, as the answer to exactly the problem you just showed. Name it, then show in two or three concrete steps what changes for the viewer: what they do now, what happens, and what they never have to do again.

Benefits first, features only as proof. Not "With smart shift automation and push notifications," but "When someone calls in sick, the app instantly suggests who can cover, and your team gets the new schedule on their phones."

### 4. The relief: the opening, resolved

Go back to the opening situation, now solved. Same clinic, same Monday morning, but the schedule is sorted in two minutes and the owner finishes her coffee before the first patient arrives. That mirror makes the change felt without you having to claim it.

If you have real proof, it belongs here: a number from your own data, a customer name you're allowed to use, a review.

### 5. The call to action: one step, not three

End with a single, clear action: book a demo, start a free trial, request a quote. A short question before it often helps: "Sound good?" Several options side by side dilute the ask.

## Template: a 90-second explainer video script

| Section | Time | Words (approx.) | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | 0–8 s | 15–20 | The viewer's situation, own question or misconception |
| Problem | 8–28 s | 45–50 | A concrete scene, its consequence, the feeling, rising tension |
| Solution | 28–35 s | 15–20 | Your offer as the answer to exactly this problem |
| How it helps | 35–68 s | 70–80 | Two or three concrete steps from the viewer's side |
| Relief and proof | 68–80 s | 25 | The opening situation, solved; one piece of real proof |
| Call to action | 80–90 s | 15–20 | A short question and one clear next step |

Spoken English runs at roughly 130 to 150 words per minute, so a 90-second script has about 200 to 220 words. For other lengths, see [How long should an explainer video be?](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/how-long-should-an-explainer-video-be)

## Example: a complete 90-second script

The example below is fictional. It's for a scheduling app for physical therapy clinics, and the viewer is a clinic owner. We've left the product name as a placeholder. The left column is what you hear, the right is what you see.

| Audio | Visual |
|---|---|
| Monday, 7:40 a.m. Two of your therapists just called in sick. The waiting room is filling up. | Clinic hallway in the morning, phone ringing, waiting room filling. |
| And you're standing at the corkboard with a printed schedule, wondering who you can still reach. | The owner at the corkboard, names crossed out on the printout. |
| Three calls. Two voicemails. A group chat nobody reads. | Phone, voicemail icon, unread messages piling up. |
| By the time it's sorted, your first appointment is running late. And tomorrow, it starts all over again. | Clock jumps to 8:15, a patient checks his watch. |
| Every week, the same thing: you plan, call around and replan, instead of taking care of your patients. | Calendar pages flip by, the owner on the phone, an empty treatment room. |
| That's exactly what [product name] is for. | Logo appears, color returns to the scene. |
| When someone's out, you instantly see who can cover, based on skills and hours. | The owner's phone shows two matching suggestions. |
| One tap, and the whole team gets the new schedule on their phones. No phone tree, no printouts. | Notifications pop up on the therapists' phones. |
| Swaps, time off, coverage: your team sorts it out right in the app. You just approve. | Two colleagues swap a shift, the owner taps "Approve." |
| And at the end of the month, the hours are already added up. Payroll is ready before you go looking for it. | Monthly overview with hours per person, a checkmark appears. |
| Monday, 7:40 a.m. The schedule's been done for two minutes. You've got time for your coffee before the first patient walks in. | Same clinic, calm, the owner with a coffee, the schedule on a tablet. |
| Sound good? Try [product name] free for a month. | End card with logo, button and website. |

The script runs about 190 words. With pauses and visual beats, that's roughly 85 to 90 seconds, with room left for music and visuals. Notice three things: the film starts with the viewer, not the product. The problem gets about a quarter of the words. And the ending mirrors the opening.

## Explainer video script example with timings

Here's a second, shorter example: a 60-second script for an invented plumbing company, again with the name as a placeholder. This time the annotation sits next to each line, so you can see what every sentence is doing and when. The same timing logic works for any marketing video script: a service, a product, an offer.

| Time | Narration | What the line is doing |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:06 | It's 6 a.m., and the shower is ice cold. The water heater gave out overnight. Of course it did. | The hook: one specific, felt moment, not "plumbing problems are stressful" |
| 0:06–0:14 | Now you're scrolling through plumbers, comparing reviews, hoping whoever picks up can actually come today. | The real problem: not the broken heater, but finding someone now |
| 0:14–0:20 | At [company name], a person answers the phone. Every time. Not a menu. | The turn: the brand enters, 14 seconds in, as the answer |
| 0:20–0:31 | You describe the problem, get a clear arrival window, and a text when your technician is on the way. | How it works, step one and two, told from the caller's side |
| 0:31–0:41 | The price is confirmed before any work starts. So the invoice says what you expected it to say. | The objection everyone has about trades, answered head-on |
| 0:41–0:49 | By early afternoon, the new water heater is running, and the old one is gone from your garage. | The relief, with a concrete detail doing the proving |
| 0:49–0:60 | Tomorrow's shower? Hot. Next time something leaks, you know who answers. Call [company name] or book online in two minutes. | The mirror of the opening, then one next step |

The narration runs about 125 words, which lands at a minute at a natural speaking pace. The shape is the same as the 90-second version, just with one example instead of three and the proof folded into the relief. If you're deciding between the two lengths, the length guide linked above compares what each can carry.

## Write for the ear, not the eye

A script is spoken and heard once. That's why the rules differ from website copy:

- **Short sentences.** One idea per sentence. What a reader can skim twice is lost on a listener.
- **Concrete words.** "Phone tree" instead of "communication overhead," "coffee before the first patient" instead of "more time for what matters."
- **No marketing filler.** Nobody hears "innovative," "holistic," "tailored" or "solutions."
- **Write numbers the way they're spoken.** "Twenty-seven years," not "27 yrs." No abbreviations, no URLs.
- **Vary the rhythm.** A long sentence, then a short one. That's how tension builds.
- **Stay consistent.** Speak to the viewer the same way throughout, in the tone your website uses.

## Write the visuals with the words

For every line, note what's on screen. Two rules help:

1. **The visual shows what the line can't say.** If the voice says "faster," don't show the word "faster." Show something getting faster.
2. **Every line is a moment in the viewer's life.** A person, a place, an action, a visible change, not a decorative illustration.

## Checklist before sign-off

- After the problem section, can an outsider say whose problem gets solved and what it costs?
- Does your offer arrive as the answer to exactly that problem?
- Are there two or three concrete steps instead of a feature list?
- Does the ending mirror the opening?
- Is every number and claim backed up?
- Is there exactly one next step?
- Does every line sound natural when you read it out loud?
- Does the length match the word count?

## FAQ

### How many words is an explainer video script?

In English, about 130 to 150 words per minute. A 60-second film runs about 130 to 150 words, a 90-second film about 200 to 220.

### Does the problem always have to come first?

For an offer that solves a problem, yes: without the problem there's no reason to listen. For launches, recruiting or training, other openings fit better, like curiosity, ambition or the learner's question.

### Can I write an explainer video script with AI?

As a draft, yes. But AI tends to write generic lines and invent details. Check every draft against the four questions above and against your sources. More in our guide to [AI explainer videos](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/ai-explainer-video).

### Who should approve the script?

Someone who knows your audience well, from sales or support for example, and someone accountable for the facts. The fewer people writing, the clearer the story stays.

### What if my script gets too long?

Cut features first, then repetition, then filler. If there's still too much, plan two films: a short one for first contact and a more detailed one for later.

**Let us write the story for you:** [Paste your website link](https://caprivideo.com/create). We build the script around your viewers, and you decide only after you've seen the finished draft.

## Languages and related industries

- [Erklärvideo-Skript schreiben: Aufbau, Vorlage und ein komplettes Beispiel](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/de/erklaervideo-skript/article.md)
- [Écrire un script de vidéo explicative : structure, modèle et exemple complet](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/fr/explainer-video-script/article.md)
- [Scrivere il copione di un video esplicativo: struttura, modello ed esempio completo](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/it/explainer-video-script/article.md)
- [Explainer video voice-over: AI voice or voice actor, and what really matters](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-voice-over/article.md)
- [AI explainer videos: what AI does well, where it fails, and how to get one that converts](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/ai-explainer-video/article.md)
- [Explainer video storyboard: plan your film scene by scene](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-storyboard/article.md)
- [Explainer video best practices: the checklist that separates clear films from wasted budgets](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-best-practices/article.md)
- [Explainer video examples: 11 real business videos and why they work](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-examples/article.md)
- [Explainer video music: choosing, licensing and mixing the soundtrack](https://caprivideo.com/blog/industries/en/explainer-video-music/article.md)


## See your offer as a video

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[Create my video](https://caprivideo.com/create)

## About Capri Video

Capri Video (caprivideo.com) is an explainer video company that creates custom animated explainer videos for businesses in the United States and Germany. Script, illustration, animation, professional voiceover and music are included, and our team reviews every draft. All you need is your website link.

- **Pricing:** Your first video is a free watermarked preview with three revision rounds, no credit card needed. To keep the original without the watermark, choose a monthly subscription: Starter at $99 a month with 2 credits or Growth at $299 a month with 8 credits, plus applicable sales tax, cancel monthly. A short video uses 1 credit, an explainer 2.
- **Speed:** First reviewed, watermarked draft within 24 hours after you submit your website link.
- **Revisions:** 3 revision rounds included with every video; for your first video they are part of the free preview.
- [Start for free](https://caprivideo.com/create) · [All facts](https://caprivideo.com/about.md)