Guides

Short, dated how-tos for getting a finished video out of a Mac screen recording.

By Gjorge Karakabakov · Updated September 16, 2026 · Capta 0.9.23

How to turn a screen recording into a step-by-step guide on a MacRecord once; the Guide tab turns the clicks into numbered stills with a sentence each. Fix a line, pick the frame, redact, export PDF, Markdown or HTML, or push to Hudu. Five steps. A vertical clip for Reels, Shorts and TikTokThe Reels preset fills the tall canvas, the camera follows the action, captions sit where phones show them. Four steps, on the sample or your own take. A landing-page video in ten minutes, with the sampleNo recording needed: open the sample, pick a look, frame it in a MacBook, add the beat, write the copy, export for the page. Every step works on your own take too. How to move your mouse for a smooth screen recordingSeven habits that give the automatic edit the most to work with: move slowly, rest before you click, don't wiggle to point. With a 40-second side-by-side video. How to record a demo video on a MacPermissions, the capture panel, narration, the automatic edit, music and cards, export or share. Seven steps, about ten minutes. How to turn a screen recording into a GIF on a MacRecord the moment, trim, pick a size, export GIF or copy to the clipboard. Plus how to keep the file small. How to add captions to a screen recording on a MacNarrate, let Capta transcribe on-device, fix a word, export with captions burned in.

Before you start

Every guide assumes the same setup: a Mac with macOS 14 or later on Apple silicon (M1 or newer), the free Capta download (52.4 MB, signed and notarized), and the one permission Capta needs to record, Screen Recording, which macOS asks for on first launch. Two more are optional and make the edit better: Input Monitoring lets Capta see your typing and scrolling so it can speed them up, and Accessibility lets it read the button under each click so zooms land on the control rather than the pointer. Grant them any time from System Settings → Privacy & Security. A microphone is only needed if you want narration and captions; the Mac's built-in one is fine.

You do not need a recording to follow along. Help → Open the Sample in Capta creates a 24-second take of a fake invoicing app, with music, and every guide works on it.

Which guide

Making a product video for a website or a launch: start with recording a demo, or skip the recording with the sample in ten minutes.
Explaining something in Slack, an issue or a README: a GIF is the smallest thing that plays everywhere.
Posting to Reels, Shorts or TikTok: the vertical clip guide turns a normal 16:9 take into a tall one.
Talking over the recording: captions come from your voice, transcribed on the Mac.

About these guides

Each guide is a complete workflow on macOS using Capta, written by the person who builds it, and dated. They assume macOS 14 or later on an Apple silicon Mac. Where the built-in macOS tools do the job, the guides say so.

Free · 52.4 MB · macOS 14 or later, Apple silicon · notarized

One shortcut to record, one click to export.

Download Capta