Quick answer: A video script template is a fill-in layout that splits a short video into timed beats: hook, context, proof, payoff and call to action. A 30-second video holds roughly 65 to 80 spoken words at a common pace of 130 to 160 words a minute. Copy the three templates below, swap in your topic, then read the result aloud with a timer.
Key facts
- A 30-second video fits about 65 to 80 spoken words, a 45-second video about 100 to 120 and a 60-second video about 130 to 160. These are conventions, not platform rules.
- Every template here uses 5 beats: hook, context, proof, payoff and call to action.
- YouTube Shorts can run up to 3 minutes, but the templates stop at 60 seconds because tight scripts are easier to finish.
- Our recommendation is to land the hook in the first 3 seconds and to write one line per beat.
- Publiqa's Simple video mode offers 30, 45 or 60 seconds, which match Templates A, B and C.
- Scope note: this page covers the spoken script. For the planning document that comes before it, use the content brief template.
How do you write a video script?
A short video script is a few lines of spoken words, each tied to a moment on screen. Most scripts fail because they are written like articles. They explain first and promise later, so viewers leave before the point arrives.
Use this order instead.
- Write the payoff in one sentence: what will the viewer know or be able to do at the end?
- Turn that sentence into a hook that hints at the result without giving it away.
- List the proof: three steps, three examples or one short story.
- Add one line of context so a stranger understands why the video exists.
- Finish with a single action, such as save, follow or send.
- Read it aloud, time it, and cut until it fits the target length.
That last step matters most. If you are writing a longer piece for YouTube, our guide to a YouTube script generator shows how to turn an article into a script. Long-form YouTube scripts need more proof beats than these short-form templates, so plan them separately.
The 5-part short video script template
This short video script template works for Shorts, Reels and TikTok because the beats do not depend on a platform. Only the timing changes.
| Beat | Job | Share of runtime | Prompt to fill in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | Earn the next few seconds | About 10% | "What would make a stranger stop?" |
| Context | Say who it is for and why now | About 15% | "Who needs this today?" |
| Proof | Deliver the substance | About 45% | "What are the three things I would show?" |
| Payoff | Repeat the benefit in new words | About 20% | "What did they just gain?" |
| Call to action | Ask for one action | About 10% | "What is the single next step?" |
The shares are our recommendation, rounded to make timing easy. Adjust them after you see where viewers leave. YouTube Analytics reports a "Viewed vs. swiped away" metric for Shorts, which is a useful check on your hook.
Template A: a 30-second tip video
Use this one for a single tip or fix. Aim for about 70 spoken words.
| Time | Beat | Fill-in line | Filled example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3 s | Hook | State the payoff or a surprise | "Your Reel loses people before second three, and the fix is one line." |
| 3 to 8 s | Context | Name the audience and the problem | "If you post product demos, this is for you. Most open with a logo or a greeting." |
| 8 to 22 s | Proof | Three quick steps, one line each | "One, open with the result. Two, show the product doing it. Three, say your name last." |
| 22 to 27 s | Payoff | Restate the benefit | "Same demo, but the first frame now earns the next five seconds." |
| 27 to 30 s | Call to action | One action | "Save this before your next shoot." |
Template B: a 45-second story video
Stories need a turning point, so the proof beat carries a small plot. Aim for 100 to 120 words. The example below is hypothetical, written to show the structure.
| Time | Beat | Fill-in line | Filled example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 s | Hook | An odd or specific opening | "A client said their videos had stopped working, so I watched twelve in a row." |
| 4 to 14 s | Context | Set the scene and the stakes | "Every one opened with a logo animation and a slow hello. The ideas were fine, but the first three seconds were not." |
| 14 to 32 s | Proof | The turning point, with one concrete detail | "So we kept the script and moved the best line to the front. We cut the intro. Captions now matched each spoken line." |
| 32 to 40 s | Payoff | What changed | "The next video felt faster without a single new idea in it." |
| 40 to 45 s | Call to action | One action | "Follow for the full checklist." |
Template C: a 60-second explainer video script template
An explainer needs more room for proof, because the viewer starts from zero. Aim for 130 to 160 words and keep each proof point to one idea.
| Time | Beat | Fill-in line | Filled example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 5 s | Hook | A claim the viewer can test | "The caption you spent ten minutes on may be hidden behind a button, and you would never know." |
| 5 to 15 s | Context | Define the term in plain words | "A safe zone is the part of a vertical frame that apps leave clear. Buttons, your username and the caption bar cover the rest, and they sit in different places on each app." |
| 15 to 45 s | Proof | Four or five single-idea points | "Keep key text off the bottom edge, where the caption bar lives. Keep faces and logos out of the right-hand column, where the buttons stack. Leave the top strip clear too, because some apps place a search bar or label there. Preview the finished video on a real phone, not just in your editor. Then re-check after each app update, since layouts change." |
| 45 to 54 s | Payoff | What the viewer now has | "Do those five things, and your words stay readable on every screen, whatever the app does next." |
| 54 to 60 s | Call to action | One action | "Send this to whoever edits your videos, and save it for your next export." |
How long should a short video script be?
Length follows runtime and speaking pace. A convention many video teams use is 130 to 160 spoken words a minute, so divide your runtime and then trim.
| Runtime | Spoken words | Proof points that fit |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 65 to 80 | 3 |
| 45 seconds | 100 to 120 | 3 to 4 |
| 60 seconds | 130 to 160 | 4 to 5 |
| 3 minutes (Shorts maximum) | 390 to 480 | 8 or more |
YouTube allows Shorts up to 3 minutes, but a longer limit is not a reason to use it. For YouTube's own limits, see YouTube Shorts length. Read your draft aloud at normal speed and time it. If it runs over, cut the context beat before you touch the hook.
Formatting for voiceover and captions
Write one line per beat, and one idea per line. Each line becomes a caption card, a breath in the voiceover and a cut on screen, so the structure on the page matches the structure of the video.
- Put stage directions in brackets, such as cut to screen recording, so they never get read aloud.
- Spell out numbers the way you say them. "Three steps" reads better aloud than "3 steps".
- Keep captions short. About 6 to 8 words per line is a common guideline for readability on a phone, and it is not a platform requirement.
- Mark the beat names in a left column, then delete the column before recording.
Captions also help viewers who watch without sound. The W3C accessibility guidance on captions explains how to make them useful to everyone.
Where to keep it: Google Docs and Word
A script is a working document, so keep it where reviewers can comment. Teams often share the script in Google Docs so reviewers can comment, and clients often want a Word file they can mark up. Either way, paste the tables from this video script template and keep the same four columns.
Add a final row for the on-screen text and the footage note, and put the runtime in the file name, for example "tip-video-30s-v2". That makes versions easy to find a month later.
How Publiqa helps with video scripts
Publiqa works as an AI content and video studio for social channels. Its Cloud Video Studio renders vertical video at 1080x1920 and 30 fps, with voiceover-first timing, word-by-word captions, stock footage matching and background music lowered by 12 dB during speech. Simple mode has 30-, 45- and 60-second options.
Because the voiceover sets the timing, the one-line-per-beat habit from this video script template carries over directly. You can start from an idea or an article in Campaign Studio, then judge the generated version against the templates above.
How do you create an AI video from a script?
A practical workflow looks like this.
- Pick the template that matches your runtime: A for 30 seconds, B for 45, C for 60.
- Start the campaign in Campaign Studio from your idea or article. Creating the core plus 12 platform versions costs about 10 credits.
- Check each generated version against the beats: does line one carry the hook, and is there one idea per line?
- Tighten weak lines. A content revision costs 1 credit.
- Render in the video engine. A 1080p cloud render costs 15 credits.
- Apply your Brand Kit so colors, fonts and logo match the rest of your feed.
Publiqa sends finished content to your tools through outgoing webhooks and headless CMS integrations, which are live. Publishing straight to the networks is arriving step by step.
FAQ
How do you write a script for a video?
Start with the payoff, then write a hook that hints at it. Add one line of context, three proof points, a restated benefit and one call to action. Read it aloud and time it before recording, because spoken length is hard to judge on paper.
How long should a short video script be?
Plan for about 65 to 80 words per 30 seconds, using a common pace of 130 to 160 words a minute. A 60-second script usually lands between 130 and 160 words. Shorter is safer: you can add a beat later, but you cannot rescue a rambling opening.
How do you create AI video from a script?
Break the script into one-line beats, then give each beat a voiceover line, a visual and a caption. An AI video tool can generate voiceover, match stock footage and add captions. Review the result against your beats before you render the final file.
Is there a free video script template for Google Docs or Word?
Yes, the tables on this page are free to copy. Paste them into Google Docs or Word, keep the five beats and the timing column, and replace the example lines with your own. Share the file with reviewers and use comments for edits.
What is the best structure for a YouTube Shorts script?
Use five beats: hook, context, proof, payoff and call to action. Put the hook in the first 3 seconds and keep one idea per line. Shorts can run up to 3 minutes, but 30 to 60 seconds is easier to keep tight.
Your first script in 20 minutes
Pick one tip you already give clients or followers. Spend 5 minutes writing the payoff and hook, 10 minutes filling the beats in Template A, and 5 minutes reading it aloud against a timer. Cut until it fits 30 seconds.
When the script works on paper, start free with 200 credits. No credit card required. Turn one idea into content for 12 channels and compare the result with your timed draft.