# Automated How-To Videos

> **Version 1.0.0 · Last updated 2026-10-22 · Difficulty: Beginner · Setup time: 5–15 minutes**

Give your clone a topic and the key steps. It produces a finished, narrated video with the **Clone-Automated-Video** skill and emails it to you when it's ready.

---

## 1. Overview and value

Videos for help centers, onboarding, YouTube and social are valuable, but scripting, recording and editing keep them on the "someday" list. Your clone collects a short brief, produces the video, and sends it to your inbox.

| What you get | Details |
|---|---|
| A finished narrated video | Emailed to the address you give |
| Choice of format | How-To/Tutorial, Explainer, Case Study, Trend Analysis |
| Choice of length and shape | Under 50s for Shorts/Reels, 1–2 min, 3–4 min; 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 |
| Choice of look | Photorealistic (default), Cinematic, Cartoon, Anime and more |
| Optional weekly automation | Picks the next topic from your content list |

> **A scheduled task is not needed by default.** The weekly topic picker below is optional.

---

## 2. Who it's for

- **Marketing:** feature explainers, social clips, demo videos.
- **Customer Success:** onboarding videos and anonymized case studies.
- **Support:** how-to videos for the help center.

## 3. How it works

```
 You: video request (use the template)
   │   topic · steps · type · duration · ratio · style · language
   │   · avatar position · notification email
   ▼
 Clone + Clone-Automated-Video
   │  writes the script, renders the narrated video
   ▼
 Finished video emailed to you  (renders take time: wait for the email)
   │
   ▼
 You review  ──►  production checklist (accuracy, brand, captions)
   │
   ▼
 Download  ──►  title, description, tags, thumbnail (Image_Operator)
            ──►  upload to YouTube / help center yourself

 Optional weekly: Google Sheets / Excel topic list ──► next topic ──► video ──► mark "used"
```

## 4. What the clone does (and never does)

**Does:** collects the details it needs; produces the video with Clone-Automated-Video; emails it to you; can make a thumbnail with Image_Operator; optionally picks the next topic from your sheet and marks it used.

**Never:** uploads to YouTube or your help center (that's your step); publishes anything on its own; invents claims, prices or guarantees; asks for your passwords.

## 5. Setup walkthrough

**Step 1:** Open REQUIREMENTS.md and confirm Clone-Automated-Video is available.
**Step 2:** Give CLONE-INSTRUCTIONS.md to your clone and say: *"Please set up this use case. Show me a plan first."* It checks for the skill and optionally saves **How-To Video Producer**.
**Step 3:** Fill in the template below and send it.
**Step 4:** Wait for the email with your finished video (renders take time).
**Step 5:** Review it using the checklists below.
**Step 6:** Publish it yourself.

### Prompt template

```
Use Clone-Automated-Video to make a video.

Topic: {VIDEO_TOPIC}
Key steps or points: {KEY_STEPS}
Video type: {VIDEO_TYPE} (How-To/Tutorial, Explainer, Case Study or Trend Analysis)
Duration: {DURATION} (for example under 50 seconds, 1-2 minutes, 3-4 minutes)
Aspect ratio: {ASPECT_RATIO} (16:9 YouTube, 9:16 Shorts/Reels/TikTok, 1:1)
Visual style: {VISUAL_STYLE} (Photorealistic by default, Cinematic, Cartoon, Anime...)
Language: {LANGUAGE}
Avatar overlay position: {AVATAR_POSITION} (Lower Right by default)
Send the finished video to: {NOTIFY_EMAIL}
```

Duration and notification email are **always required**.

### Example prompts

**1. Product feature how-to**
```
Use Clone-Automated-Video to make a How-To/Tutorial video. Topic: how to create and share a dashboard in {PRODUCT_NAME}. Steps: 1) open Dashboards, 2) click New, 3) pick a template, 4) add three widgets, 5) click Share and choose who can view. Duration: 1-2 minutes. Aspect ratio: 16:9. Style: Photorealistic. Language: English. Avatar position: Lower Right. Send the finished video to {NOTIFY_EMAIL}.
```

**2. "Build a website in minutes" style demo**
```
Use Clone-Automated-Video to make an Explainer video for social. Topic: build a website in minutes by describing it in plain English and getting a live preview link. Key points: describe your business, get a preview in minutes, ask for changes in plain language, download the files and publish. Duration: under 50 seconds. Aspect ratio: 9:16. Style: Cinematic. Language: English. Avatar position: Lower Right. Send the finished video to {NOTIFY_EMAIL}.
```

**3. Customer case study (anonymized)**
```
Use Clone-Automated-Video to make a Case Study video. Topic: how {CUSTOMER_TYPE} (a mid-size services company, name withheld) cut onboarding time. Points: the challenge ({CHALLENGE}), what they did ({SOLUTION}), the result ({RESULT_APPROVED_FOR_USE}). Do not name the customer or any individual. Duration: 3-4 minutes. Aspect ratio: 16:9. Style: Photorealistic. Language: English. Avatar position: Lower Right. Send the finished video to {NOTIFY_EMAIL}.
```

## 6. Placeholders to decide

| Placeholder | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `{VIDEO_TOPIC}` | What the video is about | "Create and share a dashboard" |
| `{KEY_STEPS}` | The steps or points, in order | "1) Open... 2) Click..." |
| `{VIDEO_TYPE}` | How-To/Tutorial, Explainer, Case Study, Trend Analysis | How-To/Tutorial |
| `{DURATION}` | Length (required) | 1-2 minutes |
| `{ASPECT_RATIO}` | Shape | 16:9 |
| `{VISUAL_STYLE}` | Look | Photorealistic |
| `{LANGUAGE}` | Narration language | English |
| `{AVATAR_POSITION}` | Where the avatar overlay sits | Lower Right |
| `{NOTIFY_EMAIL}` | Where the finished video is sent (required) | you@example.com |
| `{PRODUCT_NAME}` | Your product's name | "{PRODUCT_NAME}" |

## 7. What to expect

- The clone confirms the details (and asks only for what's missing).
- Rendering takes time. **Wait for the email** with the finished video.
- You get a video to review, not a published one.

### Production checklist (before you publish)

- [ ] Script accuracy: every step matches the real product
- [ ] No unreleased or roadmap features
- [ ] Brand terms: product and feature names spelled correctly
- [ ] No claims you can't back up (prices, guarantees, results)
- [ ] Captions or subtitles checked and turned on where possible
- [ ] Anonymized details for case studies (no names, no identifiable numbers)

### Publishing checklist (your own steps)

- [ ] Download the video
- [ ] Write a clear title
- [ ] Write a description (summary, links, steps)
- [ ] Add tags
- [ ] Make a thumbnail (ask the clone to use Image_Operator)
- [ ] Add it to a playlist
- [ ] Upload to YouTube or your help center manually. The clone doesn't upload.

### Optional: weekly topic picker

A scheduled task (the only scheduled part, and optional) can run weekly: it reads your content list in **Google Sheets** (GoogleSheets-Operator) or **Excel** (Microsoft_Excel), picks the next topic with Status "Ready", produces the video, and marks that row "Used" with the date. Suggested columns: Topic, Key steps, Type, Duration, Ratio, Status, Used date. Your notification email, duration and defaults are set once in the task.

## 8. Customizing

- Pick your default style, ratio and avatar position once and reuse them.
- Create a series: same format, different features.
- Make a vertical short and a longer 16:9 from the same topic.
- Request other languages.

## 9. Known gotchas

1. **Always include a duration and a notification email.** Otherwise the request fails with missing parameters.
2. **Renders take time.** Wait for the email instead of resubmitting.
3. **Review every video before publishing.** Narration can misstate a step.
4. **Avoid claims you can't back up** (prices, guarantees).
5. **Keep brand logos and assets consistent** across videos.
6. **The clone doesn't upload to YouTube.** Download and upload it yourself.
7. **Don't include unreleased features** in steps.
8. **Anonymize case studies** and get approval for any numbers.

## 10. FAQ

**How long can the video be?** Typical choices: under 50 seconds, 1–2 minutes, 3–4 minutes.
**Which shape for Shorts, Reels, TikTok?** 9:16. For YouTube, 16:9. For square posts, 1:1.
**Can it upload to YouTube?** No. That's your step.
**Do I need a scheduled task?** No. It's optional.
**What if the video is wrong?** Fix the steps in your brief and request a new one.
**Where does the video arrive?** At the notification email you provided.

## 11. Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Request fails, "missing parameters" | No duration or notification email | Resend with both |
| No email yet | Still rendering, or email in spam | Wait, then check spam; ask the clone for status |
| Wrong aspect ratio | Not specified | Re-request with 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 |
| A step is wrong | Brief was vague or outdated | Fix the steps and re-request |
| Clone used another skill | Skill not named | Start with "Use Clone-Automated-Video..." |
| Weekly task did nothing | No row marked Ready, or paused | Check the sheet Status column and the scheduled task |

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*Automated How-To Videos · v1.0.0 · 2026-10-22*