Documentation to video: help articles and Markdown into tutorials
the doc you wrote, now a video
Upload a README, a Markdown file or a user guide, or paste a help-center link. DistilBook writes the narration, waits for your approval, draws a visual for each step, and gives you an MP4.
DistilBook converts product documentation, help center articles, READMEs and Markdown files into narrated video tutorials. It reads Markdown (.md), PDF, Word and text files, or a public web page. The AI writes the script from the doc and stops so you can edit every line before anything is drawn. Each step gets an original whiteboard or motion-graphics visual, with no avatars and no stock footage, narrated in any of 22 languages. You download an MP4 at up to 1440p, or run the whole thing from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor through DistilBook's MCP server. It does not record your app's screen.
What a tutorial made from a doc looks like
Which docs work
Markdown and READMEs
Upload a .md or .markdown file: a README, a docs page from your repo, release notes or a changelog. Headings become the outline, and each section becomes a narrated slide with its own drawn visual.
Help center articles
Paste the link to a public article in the Web URL tab, or upload it as a PDF. Pages behind a login, or pages that only load their text with scripts, can't be read; save those as PDF first.
Product and API documentation
PDF, Word (.docx) or plain text exports of a user guide, an admin manual or an integration guide. A long guide works best as one short video per task, using a page range on PDFs.
Internal knowledge base pages
Process docs, runbooks and onboarding pages exported from Confluence, Notion or Google Docs as PDF, Word or Markdown. The script keeps the names, steps and numbers from the source.
How it works
- 1
Add the doc
Upload Markdown, PDF, Word or text, or paste a public help-center link. Word, Markdown and text count about 300 words as one page toward your plan's page limit.
- 2
Check the script before anything is drawn
The AI writes the narration and stops. Fix a product name, cut a step, or add a visual instruction. Nothing is drawn or voiced until you approve it.
- 3
Generate the tutorial
Each step or concept gets an original visual in a whiteboard or motion-graphics style, narrated in one of 22 languages. A short video takes minutes; a 10 slide video about 15 to 25 minutes.
- 4
Publish it next to the article
Download an MP4 at 720p, 1080p or 1440p (1440p on paid plans), in 16:9 or 9:16, and embed it in your help center, docs site or LMS. Paid plans add your logo and brand colours.
For developer and docs teams: run it from your AI app
DistilBook has a remote MCP server. Add it to Claude, Cursor, VS Code, ChatGPT (Business, Enterprise and Edu) or another MCP client, point it at a doc, and approve the script from the chat. Scripts and pipelines can call the same tools with an API key from distilbook.com/api-keys. Setup for each app is on the MCP page.
What DistilBook does not do
Said plainly, so you can pick the right tool for each tutorial.
No screen recording of your app
DistilBook explains with drawn visuals; it does not record or click through your product. For a click-by-click UI walkthrough, a screen recorder is the right tool, and a DistilBook video can explain the concept before it.
No automatic re-sync with the docs
When the article changes, upload the new version and regenerate the affected video. There is no live link between the video and the source page.
No avatars, no SCORM
No presenter avatars and no stock clips. Export is MP4 and shareable links only; there is no SCORM package, quiz or viewer tracking.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn a help center article into a video tutorial with AI?
Paste the article's public link into DistilBook (or upload it as a PDF), pick a style, review the narration the AI writes, then generate. Each section becomes a narrated slide with a drawn visual. Download the MP4 and embed it at the top of the article.
Can I convert a Markdown (.md) file or a README to video?
Yes. DistilBook reads .md and .markdown files directly, along with PDF, Word (.docx) and plain text. About 300 words count as one page toward your plan's limit: 10 pages per video on Basic, 30 on Pro, unlimited on Max.
Is there a platform that converts documentation to video automatically?
DistilBook turns a doc into a finished, narrated video in one run, with one human step: you approve the script before it is drawn. Developers can also run it from Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT (Business, Enterprise and Edu) or any MCP client with our remote MCP server, or call it with an API key.
Does it record my product's screen?
No. The visuals are drawn for each idea, not captured from your app. Use a screen recorder for exact UI clicks; use DistilBook to explain the feature, the concept or the process.
Can I make the same tutorial in other languages?
Yes. Narration is available in 22 languages. The script is written in the language you choose even when the source is in English, so regenerate the same doc once per language.
What does it cost?
See the pricing page for current plans and credits. Logo and brand colours, MP4 download and no watermark are on every paid plan.
Related pages
Document to video
Any PDF, Word file or text into a narrated explainer video.
Tutorial video maker
Step-by-step tutorials explained with a drawn visual for each step.
SOP to video
Standard operating procedures into narrated training videos.
DistilBook MCP server
Make videos from Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and other MCP clients.
Specs and limits
File types, pages, slides, languages, voices and output in one place.
Have docs people skip?
Upload one and see the script before anything is made.