Skip to content
Tallyfy

Auto-recording steps for SOPs

Full-seat members

Capturing procedures without expensive recording tools

Section titled “Capturing procedures without expensive recording tools”

You don’t need paid tools like Scribe, Trainual, or iorad to document procedures. Free screen capture tools plus Tallyfy’s rich text editor cover everything you need for step-by-step instructions. The real value isn’t capturing steps - it’s tracking completion, automating workflows, and making sure procedures actually get followed.

Why paid capture tools aren’t necessary

Section titled “Why paid capture tools aren’t necessary”

Tools like Scribe, Trainual, or iorad lock your content into proprietary formats. You’re stuck paying monthly fees just to access your own procedures. Worse, they only solve the easy part - capturing steps. They don’t help you:

  • Track who completed which steps
  • Automate task assignments
  • Set deadlines and send reminders
  • Collect data during execution
  • Analyze process performance

Tallyfy handles the hard part - making procedures actually work.

Free tools for capturing procedures

Section titled “Free tools for capturing procedures”

Windows options

Section titled “Windows options”

Steps Recorder (PSR) - Built into Windows, automatically captures every click with screenshots and descriptions. Outputs to .MHT file which you can convert to HTML + images.

  • Run psr.exe from Start menu
  • Click Record, perform your steps, click Stop
  • Save as Web Page (HTML) to extract images
  • Copy step text into Tallyfy, insert extracted images

ShareX (open-source) - Screenshot and recording tool with auto-upload

  • Capture screenshots with annotations
  • Auto-upload to Imgur for instant URLs
  • Record GIFs for short step demos
  • Insert images into Tallyfy using URLs or uploads

Xbox Game Bar (Win+Alt+R) - Built-in screen recorder

  • Records any app window as MP4
  • Upload videos directly to Tallyfy (100MB limit)
  • Or upload to YouTube/Vimeo and embed

macOS options

Section titled “macOS options”

Built-in Screenshot (Shift-Cmd-5) - Native capture tool

  • Take screenshots of each step
  • Record screen as video
  • Drag images directly into Tallyfy editor

Kap (free, open-source) - Elegant screen recorder

  • Export as GIF for animated steps
  • Export as MP4/WebM for longer procedures
  • Trim and compress before importing

Cross-platform options

Section titled “Cross-platform options”

OBS Studio - Professional recording software (Windows/Mac/Linux)

  • Record full procedures as video
  • Add voiceover narration
  • Upload to YouTube unlisted, embed in Tallyfy

Screenity - Chrome extension for any OS

  • Record browser-based procedures
  • Add annotations while recording
  • No account or time limits

Mobile capture

Section titled “Mobile capture”

iOS Screen Recording - Control Center feature

  • Swipe down, tap record button
  • Captures taps and swipes
  • Upload video to Tallyfy

Android Screen Record - Quick Settings tile (Android 11+)

  • Pull down notification shade
  • Tap Screen Record
  • Save and upload to Tallyfy

Bringing captured content into Tallyfy

Section titled “Bringing captured content into Tallyfy”

Method 1: Image-based steps (Scribe-style)

Section titled “Method 1: Image-based steps (Scribe-style)”
  1. Capture screenshots while performing the procedure
  2. In your template, click Edit
  3. For each step, type the instruction text
  4. Use the image button in the toolbar to add the screenshot
  5. Choose upload (for local files) or URL (for hosted images)

Method 2: Video walkthroughs

Section titled “Method 2: Video walkthroughs”
  1. Record using OBS, Kap, or built-in tools
  2. Upload to YouTube/Vimeo as unlisted
  3. In Tallyfy’s editor, use the video or embed button in the toolbar
  4. Paste the video URL
  5. Add text descriptions for key steps below

Videos work well for UI procedures where motion helps explain the flow.

Method 3: Animated GIF loops

Section titled “Method 3: Animated GIF loops”
  1. Use ScreenToGif (Windows) or Kap (Mac) to record 3-10 second loops
  2. Export as a compressed GIF
  3. Insert as images in Tallyfy
  4. GIFs animate automatically in the task view

Short loops explain drag-and-drop, hover states, or multi-step clicks better than static images.

Method 4: HTML content embedding

Section titled “Method 4: HTML content embedding”
  1. Host the HTML on your web server
  2. Use the embed button in Tallyfy’s toolbar to embed the content
  3. Or copy text from HTML and paste into Tallyfy
  4. Rebuild formatting using Tallyfy’s rich text editor

Tallyfy strips most HTML formatting when pasting to maintain consistency.

What makes Tallyfy different

Section titled “What makes Tallyfy different”

Beyond documentation - actual execution

Section titled “Beyond documentation - actual execution”

Capture tools stop at documentation. Tallyfy makes sure procedures get done:

  • Assignment automation - Routes tasks to the right job titles or groups
  • Deadline management - Sets due dates and sends reminders
  • Progress tracking - See who’s stuck and where bottlenecks occur
  • Data collection - Form fields capture information during execution
  • Conditional logic - Automations adapt procedures based on responses
  • Completion verification - Approval steps for quality control

Real examples

Section titled “Real examples”

Employee onboarding

  • Scribe/Trainual: Static checklist with screenshots
  • Tallyfy: Auto-assigns IT setup to tech team, schedules training by start date, collects equipment confirmations, tracks completion across departments

Customer support procedures

  • iorad: Interactive tutorial for agents to review
  • Tallyfy: Routes tickets by type, escalates if SLA breached, collects resolution data, triggers follow-ups

Quality inspections

  • Dozuki: Work instructions with images
  • Tallyfy: Enforces inspection schedule, captures defects with photos, routes issues to quality team

Avoiding vendor lock-in

Section titled “Avoiding vendor lock-in”

Problems with paid documentation platforms

Section titled “Problems with paid documentation platforms”

Scribe - Exports only as PDF or requires paid team access. Lose interactivity and ability to update.

Trainual - Content lives in their system. Canceling means rebuilding everything elsewhere.

iorad - Tutorials break if UI changes. Expensive to maintain for large teams.

Dozuki - Requires annual contracts. Migration is complex and often incomplete.

WorkRamp - Learning content trapped in their LMS. No easy bulk export.

Keep your content portable

Section titled “Keep your content portable”
  • Keep original screenshots in cloud storage
  • Save screen recordings as standard MP4 files
  • Store text instructions in documents you own
  • Use open formats (HTML, Markdown) when possible

This way you can switch platforms without losing work.

Quick start guide

Section titled “Quick start guide”

Capture your first SOP in 10 minutes

Section titled “Capture your first SOP in 10 minutes”

  1. Choose your capture tool

    • Windows: ShareX for screenshots or Xbox Game Bar for video
    • Mac: Built-in screenshot tool or Kap for recordings
    • Any browser: Screenity extension

  2. Perform the procedure while capturing

    • Take a screenshot at each decision point
    • Or record the entire flow as video
    • Add annotations to highlight key areas

  3. Create your Tallyfy template

    • Go to Templates
    • Click Create New
    • Add your captured content to each step

  4. Add Tallyfy features

  5. Test and refine

Integration with existing content

Section titled “Integration with existing content”

Embedding external tutorials

Section titled “Embedding external tutorials”

Already have procedures hosted elsewhere? Embed them in Tallyfy:

  • Google Docs/Sheets: Publish to web, embed URL
  • YouTube/Vimeo videos: Paste link into Embed URL
  • Miro/Mural boards: Share public link, embed
  • Figma prototypes: Get embed code, insert
  • SharePoint pages: If publicly accessible, embed URL

Converting existing documentation

Section titled “Converting existing documentation”

From Word/Google Docs:

  1. Copy text content
  2. Paste into Tallyfy (formatting stripped)
  3. Rebuild structure with editor tools
  4. Insert images individually

From PDFs:

  1. Extract text and images using free tools
  2. Recreate as structured Tallyfy steps
  3. Attach original PDF as reference if needed

From wikis/knowledge bases:

  1. Export as HTML or Markdown
  2. Copy section by section
  3. Convert to step-based format
  4. Add automation and tracking

Best practices for procedure capture

Section titled “Best practices for procedure capture”

What to document visually vs text

Section titled “What to document visually vs text”

Use screenshots for:

  • Complex UI with many options
  • Specific button locations
  • Form field examples
  • Error messages
  • Configuration screens

Use video for:

  • Multi-step sequences
  • Drag and drop actions
  • Timing-sensitive procedures
  • Processes with motion/animation
  • Verbal explanation needed

Use text only for:

  • Simple linear steps
  • Conceptual information
  • Policies and rules
  • Decision criteria
  • Background context

Keeping file sizes small

Section titled “Keeping file sizes small”

Keep procedures loading fast:

  • Resize images to max 1920px wide
  • Use JPEG for photos, PNG for screenshots
  • Compress images with free tools (TinyPNG)
  • Keep videos under 5 minutes per step
  • Use YouTube/Vimeo for longer videos

Maintenance

Section titled “Maintenance”
  • Capture at the lowest UI detail needed
  • Focus on workflow, not exact pixels
  • Use generic examples, not real data
  • Date your screenshots for version tracking
  • Link to external systems rather than duplicating

Moving beyond documentation

Section titled “Moving beyond documentation”

Documentation is the starting point. Tallyfy handles what capture tools can’t:

Section titled “Related articles”

Introduction

Tallyfy turns business processes into self-running workflows in minutes. Create templates with…

Pro > Getting started

Get started with Tallyfy in under 30 minutes. These step-by-step tutorials cover organization…
Get in touch
About Tallyfy