How to Update Product Tutorials After a UI Change

To update a product tutorial after a UI change, first identify what changed in the workflow, find every affected asset, reproduce the new process, update the visuals and narration, test the instructions, and replace or redirect the old version.

Start with the workflow, not the video

Do not begin by opening the editing timeline and searching for visual differences. Write down the current task from the user’s perspective: the starting state, required permissions, sequence of actions, decisions, and successful result.

Then compare the previous process with the new one. This reveals whether the change is cosmetic, navigational, procedural, or conceptual. A colour change may not require an update. A new permission model or confirmation step probably does.

Classify the UI change

• Visual: styling changed, but the workflow remains understandable.
• Label: names or terminology changed.
• Navigation: users reach the same action through a different route.
• Procedural: steps were added, removed, or reordered.
• Permission: availability now depends on role or plan.
• Conceptual: the recommended method or product behaviour changed.

This classification helps determine whether the asset needs a caption correction, partial edit, complete regeneration, or a newly structured tutorial.

Find every affected content asset

The original tutorial may appear in more places than expected. Search the help centre, onboarding emails, customer academy, website, changelog, sales library, in-app messages, social posts, and internal training materials.

Decide whether to edit or recreate

Editing is practical when the changed section is isolated and the surrounding narration remains accurate. Recreating is safer when changes affect several steps, visual continuity, timing, or the basic logic of the tutorial.

A patched video should not feel patched. Sudden interface changes, mismatched cursor behaviour, inconsistent audio, and contradictory captions can make the tutorial harder to follow.

Prepare a clean, current product state

Use a demo or staging account with realistic non-sensitive data. Confirm the account has the correct plan, permissions, feature flags, and starting state. Remove irrelevant notifications and unfinished records that could distract the viewer.

Update visuals, narration, and written steps together

A UI change can affect more than the screen recording. Update spoken terminology, captions, screenshots, numbered instructions, callouts, timestamps, and any “click here” descriptions.

1. Execute the current workflow from beginning to end.
2. Capture or generate the new visual sequence.
3. Rewrite narration where the meaning or terminology changed.
4. Update written steps and prerequisites.
5. Check that the final state matches the promised outcome.

Test the tutorial as a new user

The person who updated the tutorial already knows the product and may overlook missing context. Ask someone less familiar with the change to follow the instructions in a fresh account. Record where they pause, make assumptions, or encounter a different state.

For billing, deletion, data access, permissions, and security workflows, obtain an additional review from the relevant product or support owner.

Replace, publish, and redirect

Where possible, update the existing URL so links and search equity remain intact. Replace embedded videos, update the “last reviewed” date, and ensure cached or CDN-hosted versions refresh correctly.

If a new URL is required, redirect the old page and remove obsolete downloads. Add a short version note when customers may need to distinguish between old and new product experiences.

Use a repeatable update checklist

• Current workflow documented
• Affected tutorials identified
• Demo environment prepared
• Visual sequence updated
• Narration and terminology reviewed
• Written documentation updated
• Permissions and edge cases tested
• Old assets replaced or redirected
• Review date and owner recorded

Where workflow regeneration helps

If the tutorial is stored as a structured workflow, a tool such as Cormaa can rerun the process in the latest product and generate an updated asset for review. This reduces manual capture work, but it does not remove the need to check whether the purpose, audience, or recommended method also changed.

Frequently asked questions