YouTube Outline

YouTube Outline

You are creating a detailed production outline for a YouTube video. The outline is the final pre-production artifact - it specifies exactly what to show, what to say, and what demos to run, and tells the team exactly what to prepare.

Before You Start

You need:

1. The approved brief - Load video-brief-yt-outline.md from the working directory
2. The approved packaging - Load packaging-yt-outline.md for the final title and thumbnail direction
3. Topic research (optional) - If the topic requires technical accuracy, use WebSearch to verify specific feature details, steps, or capabilities

The Outline Process

Step 1: Research the Topic in Depth

Before writing the outline, deeply understand the feature/​tool being demonstrated:

• Verify all steps work as expected (use WebSearch to check documentation)
• Identify potential gotchas or failure points
• Note any prerequisites the viewer needs
• Find the shortest path to the value proposition (minimize setup time in the video)

Step 2: Define the Video Structure

Based on the content type from the brief, choose the appropriate structure:

For Feature Tutorials (15-30 min):

1. Hook (30-60 sec) - What they'll be able to do by the end
2. Context (1-2 min) - Why this matters, brief overview
3. Core demonstration (10-20 min) - Step-by-step walkthrough
4. Advanced tips (2-3 min) - Power user moves
5. CTA + wrap (1-2 min) - Asset giveaway, community mention

For Update Videos (10-20 min):

1. Hook (30 sec) - What just changed
2. Overview (1-2 min) - What the update includes
3. Walkthrough (8-15 min) - Demo each new feature
4. Impact (1-2 min) - What this means for you
5. CTA + wrap (1 min) - Asset giveaway

For Use Case Videos (15-30 min):

1. Hook (30-60 sec) - The impressive outcome
2. Problem (1-2 min) - What manual process this replaces
3. Solution overview (1-2 min) - High-level workflow
4. Step-by-step build (10-20 min) - Building the workflow live
5. Results (2-3 min) - Actual metrics and outcomes
6. CTA + wrap (1-2 min) - Asset giveaway

For Full Tutorials (30-90+ min):

1. Hook (1-2 min) - What they'll know by the end
2. Overview/​roadmap (2-3 min) - What the tutorial covers
3. Setup (5-10 min) - Getting started from scratch
4. Core sections (20-60 min) - Organized by feature/​capability
5. Advanced section (5-10 min) - Power user techniques
6. Summary + next steps (2-3 min) - Recap + what to learn next
7. CTA (1-2 min) - Asset giveaway

Step 3: Write the Detailed Outline

For each section, specify:

Talking points:

• Key message for this section (not a script - bullet points)
• Transition from previous section
• Any specific phrases or analogies to use

What's on screen:

• Screen-share of what tool/​feature
• Specific actions to perform (click here, type this, navigate there)
• Any diagrams, slides, or supporting visuals

Demo sequence:

• Exact steps to demonstrate
• Expected outcome the viewer should see
• What to do if something goes wrong (backup plan)

Timing:

• Target duration for this section
• Running total to stay within target video length

Step 4: Create Demo Prep Checklist

For each demo in the outline, specify what the team needs to prepare:

• Accounts and tools to have logged in
• Sample data or projects to have ready
• Environment settings (clean workspace, no notifications, etc.)
• Backup plans (what if the live demo fails?)

Step 5: Present and Review

Present the outline to the user:

## Video Outline: [Title]

Total estimated length: [X] minutes

[Full section-by-section outline]

Also present the demo prep checklist separately:

## Demo Prep Checklist: [Title]

[Full checklist organized by demo sequence]

"Here's the outline and demo prep list. The team can start preparing."

• Approve and start prep
• Adjust section order
• Add/​remove sections
• Change demo approach
• Need more detail on a specific section

Step 6: Save

Save two files:

• video-outline-yt-outline.md - The full outline
• demo-prep-checklist-yt-outline.md - The team's preparation checklist

Key Principles

• Show, don't tell. Every section should have something on screen. Minimize talking-head time. The value is in the demonstration.
• Shortest path to value. Get to the first "wow" moment as fast as possible. Front-load the payoff, then go deeper.
• Direct and practical. The outline should reflect a direct, no-fluff style. No "in this section we'll cover..." filler. Just do the thing.
• Team-ready. The demo prep checklist should be detailed enough that a team member can prepare everything without asking questions.
• Timing is real. Be honest about section durations. A 20-minute video with 25 minutes of outline is a problem. Cut or restructure.
• Failure-proofed. For every live demo, include a backup plan. If the API call times out, if the feature bugs out - what's the fallback?

Overview

Build detailed step-by-step YouTube video outlines with demo prep, screen-share sequences, and visual planning.

Prerequisites

• Access to the Yt Outline environment or API
• Required CLI tools installed and authenticated
• Familiarity with Yt Outline concepts and terminology

Instructions

1. Assess the current state of the Yt Outline configuration
2. Identify the specific requirements and constraints
3. Apply the recommended patterns from this skill
4. Validate the changes against expected behavior
5. Document the configuration for team reference

Output

• Configuration files or code changes applied to the project
• Validation report confirming correct implementation
• Summary of changes made and their rationale

Error Handling

Examples

Basic usage: Apply yt outline to a standard project setup with default configuration options.

Advanced scenario: Customize yt outline for production environments with multiple constraints and team-specific requirements.

Resources

• Official Yt Outline documentation
• Community best practices and patterns
• Related skills in this plugin pack