Explainer video script sample: a 90-second template you can copy

An explainer video script is the voiceover and scene plan for a short video that explains what a product does and why it matters. A good one runs about 200 to 230 words for 90 seconds, follows a problem, solution, how it works and call to action structure, and tells the animator what appears on screen for every line.

The short answer

For a 90-second explainer, write about 200 to 230 words at a natural pace of roughly 140 to 150 words per minute. Split it into five parts: the problem (about 15 seconds), the solution (10 seconds), how it works (40 seconds), the result (15 seconds) and the call to action (10 seconds). Write it in two columns, voiceover and visuals, so the script is ready to storyboard.

The 90-second explainer template

Section	Time	Words	What it must do
1. Problem	0:00 to 0:15	35 to 40	Describe one painful situation your buyer recognises
2. Solution	0:15 to 0:25	20 to 25	Name the product and the change it brings in one sentence
3. How it works	0:25 to 1:05	95 to 105	Three steps, each with one visible action and one benefit
4. Result	1:05 to 1:20	35 to 40	What life looks like after: time saved, fewer errors, more sales
5. Call to action	1:20 to 1:30	15 to 20	One next step that matches the page the video sits on

Explainer video script sample (SaaS, 90 seconds)

The sample below is for a made-up review management tool we call "Replyly". Swap in your own product, buyer and workflow.

Voiceover	On screen
Every day, customers leave reviews about your business. Some on Google, some on Facebook, some on sites you have never checked. And every review you miss is a customer who thinks nobody is listening.	A phone buzzing with notifications from different review sites. A one-star review sits unanswered.
Replyly brings every review into one inbox and helps you answer all of them in minutes.	Logo reveal, then the inbox fills with reviews from all sources.
Here is how it works. First, connect your locations. It takes about two minutes, and Replyly starts pulling in your reviews straight away.	Cursor connects three locations; review counts tick up.
Next, ask for more reviews. Print a QR code for your counter or send a text after each visit, and happy customers leave a review in a few taps.	QR code on a café counter; a customer scans it; a five-star review arrives.
Then reply in one click. Replyly drafts a personal response for each review. You check it, edit it if you like, and send.	Zoom on a drafted reply; the "Send" button is pressed; a green tick appears.
Teams that answer every review show new customers that they care, and they spend minutes a day on it instead of hours.	Split screen: an empty inbox and a calendar with time freed up.
Start your free 14-day trial today. No credit card needed.	End card with URL and button.

That script is about 160 words. Read at a relaxed pace with short pauses between sections, it fills roughly 75 to 80 seconds; add a customer quote or a fourth step if you need the full 90. Notice that each "how it works" step follows the same pattern: one action, one visible result, one benefit.

Rules that make a script easy to watch

• One idea per sentence. If a line needs a comma and a "which", split it.
• Write for the ear. Read it out loud with a timer. If you stumble, the voice actor will too.
• Use the buyer's words. Pull phrases from sales calls and support tickets, not from your feature list.
• Every line needs a picture. If you cannot say what is on screen, the line is probably abstract and should go.
• Do not repeat the visuals. The voiceover should add meaning, not describe what the viewer can already see.
• Keep numbers you can prove. Only claim results you have data for, and cite them on the landing page.

How long should an explainer video be?

Most product explainers work at 60 to 120 seconds. Wyzowl's 2025 video marketing survey found that 73% of respondents consider videos of 30 seconds to 2 minutes the most effective, and that 98% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn about a product or service. If your script runs past 250 words, look for a step you can cut rather than speeding up the voiceover.

From script to video

Once the script is approved, it becomes a storyboard: one frame per row of the visuals column. That is the point where changes are still cheap. If you are using the script for a launch, our product launch video guide shows how to plan the cut-downs from the same script, and our article on SaaS explainer video costs explains how script length and style affect the budget.

Writing for a software product? You can get your explainer produced by the same team that wrote this template.

Want us to turn your script into a finished explainer? See our explainer video production service or browse our recent work.

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