Explain My BuildUser guide from code vs screen recording: which fits you?
Last updated: July 26, 2026
A user guide from code is derived from your source, so it works before the app is finished and covers what the code does. A guide from a screen recording is captured by a person clicking a live UI, so it needs a deployed app and shows the exact real screens. Pick by what you have now.
What's the difference between a guide from code and from a screen recording?
A user guide can be built two ways, and the split is about where the truth comes from. A guide from code reads your source and describes what the app does. A guide from a screen recording watches a person use the app and captures their clicks.
Neither is universally better. They trade off on three things: whether you need a finished app, whether you know which flows matter, and whether you want the exact live screens. Here's the honest side-by-side.
| From code | From screen recording | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Your repo / local folder | A person clicking a live app |
| Needs a deployed, working UI | No | Yes |
| Works before app is finished | Yes | No |
| Covers flows you didn't think to record | Yes (from code) | No |
| Shows exact real screens | Partial | Yes |
| Interactive / video format | No | Yes |
| Example tools | Explain My Build | Scribe, Guidde, Supademo, DocsHound |
A simple decision tree
Answer three questions in order and you'll land on the right approach.
- Did you write (or generate) the code, and can you access the repo or folder? If yes, a guide from code is available to you. If you only have a login to someone else's product, you're limited to recording.
- Is the app deployed and stable enough to click through end to end? If no, recording isn't an option yet, use code. If yes, recording is on the table.
- Do you already know exactly which flows matter to users? If no, start from code so nothing gets missed. If yes, and you want the exact live screens or an interactive format, recording is a great finish.
For most founders who built an app with AI, the answers are: yes I have the code, no it's not fully polished, no I haven't mapped every flow. That points to starting from code, then adding recordings later.
When a screen recording is the right call
Recording is the right call when the app is finished, the flow is stable, and you want your users to see the exact real screens or try an interactive walkthrough. Scribe captures a specific process into an annotated step guide; Guidde turns it into a how-to video; Supademo makes it an interactive click-through; DocsHound builds a help center from a demo.
These tools are genuinely good and produce a polish that code alone can't: real screenshots, narration, and clickable demos. If that's the format your users need, reach for them, and see Explain My Build vs Scribe or vs Supademo & Guidde for detail.
When generating from code is the right call
Generating from code is the right call when you can't record a clean demo yet, when you want coverage of everything the app does, or when you need a written, searchable guide grounded in the source. This is the common case for a founder who shipped with Lovable, Bolt, v0, Replit, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, or Base44.
Explain My Build is built for exactly this: it reads the code and produces an end-user guide, a founder runbook, and a code-verified fix-list, with every claim cited to real code and anything unverifiable flagged or refused. Paste a public GitHub URL (read, then deleted, never stored) or run private repos and local folders in the browser or via CLI.
The honest limitation
A guide from code is text derived from the source; it isn't a live pen test, an interactive click-through, or a narrated video. It's AI-generated with citations to your code, so you should review it before publishing. For the exact real screens or an interactive format, pair it with a recording tool. The two approaches are complementary, not rivals.
Frequently asked questions
Should I make my user guide from code or a screen recording?
Start from code if you have the repo, the app isn't fully finished, or you don't yet know which flows matter, that's Explain My Build's job. Use a screen recording when the app is live, the flow is stable, and you want the exact real screens or an interactive/video format, that's Scribe, Guidde, or Supademo.
Can I create a user guide before my app is finished?
Yes, if you generate it from code. Screen-recording tools need a deployed, working UI, so they can't run until the app is finished. Explain My Build reads the source, so it produces a guide before the UI is final.
Is a guide from code accurate?
It's grounded in the source: Explain My Build cites each claim to real code and flags or refuses anything it can't verify, so it won't invent steps. Because it's AI-generated, you should review it before publishing. It won't, however, show your exact live screens the way a recording does.
Can I use both a code guide and a screen recording?
Yes, and it's a strong combination. Generate the complete written guide from code with Explain My Build, then record your highest-value flows with Scribe, Guidde, or Supademo. Code gives you coverage; recordings give you the exact screens and interactivity.
Turn your app into a guide your users can follow.
Paste a public GitHub link and get your founder runbook + fix-list free in about a minute — no sign-up. Private code runs entirely in your browser.