# How we record install videos with Playwright

26 October 2026

Docs videos go stale the day after you record them. A button moves, a label changes, and the video shows a screen that no longer exists. We stopped recording by hand.

## One script, four outputs

Each plugin has two specs: `docs/video/install.spec.ts` and `docs/video/usage.spec.ts`. Playwright drives a real wp-admin. From a single run we get:

- the video of the session,
- WebVTT captions,
- a transcript,
- the screenshots we upload to wordpress.org.

The captions and the transcript come from the same step list that drives the browser, so they cannot disagree with what you see.

## Rules for the specs

Every spec stays under 90 seconds and runs at 1280x720, with a visible cursor so viewers can follow it. A video that needs more than 90 seconds is a sign the screen asks too much of the user.

## An E2E test on every merge request

The specs also run headless on every merge request, as an end-to-end test. If a change breaks the install flow or the usage flow, the pipeline fails before anyone ships it.

## Re-record only when it matters

Recording is not free, and a new video that looks identical is noise. We hash the specs together with the admin UI files. The videos are re-recorded only when that hash changes.

## What you get

The video stays current without anyone remembering to update it, and it ships with captions and a transcript.