Scribe: AI-Powered Process Documentation and How-To Guides

Introduction

Scribe (scribehow.com) is an AI-powered platform designed to make process documentation effortless and instant. Its core mission is to empower anyone to capture and share "how-to" knowledge quickly, transforming mundane tasks into clear, step-by-step visual guides. Scribe automatically generates these guides by recording user actions as they perform a process on their computer, complete with annotated screenshots and written instructions.

The platform is targeted at a wide range of users, including teams, individuals, operations managers, trainers, IT support personnel, and anyone who needs to document or share processes efficiently. By automating the most time-consuming parts of guide creation, Scribe helps improve productivity, standardize procedures, and facilitate knowledge sharing.

Key Features

Scribe offers a suite of features to streamline the creation and sharing of process documentation:

  • Automatic Process Capture:
    • Browser Extension: Available for Chrome and Edge, it records actions performed within web applications.
    • Desktop App: Available for Mac and Windows, it captures processes across desktop applications.
    • Automatically captures clicks, keystrokes, and on-screen activity.
  • Step-by-Step Guide Generation:
    • Instantly creates a visual, step-by-step guide based on the captured process.
    • Each step includes an annotated screenshot highlighting the action and AI-generated text describing the step.
  • AI-Powered Enhancements:
    • AI-Generated Text & Titles: AI assists in generating clear titles, descriptions, and instructional text for Scribes and Pages.
    • AI Writer for Operations: Helps streamline process documentation by automatically generating structured guides.
  • Screenshot Editing & Annotation:
    • Edit Screenshots: Crop, resize, and modify captured screenshots.
    • Annotations: Add arrows, shapes, text callouts, highlights, and other markups to screenshots for clarity.
    • Sensitive Data Redaction (Smart Blur): Automatically or manually blur sensitive information in screenshots to maintain privacy and security. (Primarily a Pro/Enterprise feature).
  • Customization:
    • Edit Steps: Add, delete, merge, or reorder steps in the generated guide.
    • Customize Text: Edit the AI-generated text for each step, add tips, alerts, or additional context.
    • Custom Branding (Pro/Enterprise): Add company logos and custom colors to Scribes and Pages for consistent branding.
  • Sharing & Embedding:
    • Shareable Links: Generate a unique link to share Scribes instantly.
    • Embed Options: Embed Scribes directly into knowledge bases, wikis, LMS platforms, and websites (e.g., Notion, Confluence, Zendesk, SharePoint). Embedded Scribes automatically update when the original is edited.
    • Export Options:
      • PDF Export: Available on all plans.
      • HTML & Markdown Export: Available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
      • Confluence Export: (Pro/Enterprise)
  • Pages:
    • Combine multiple Scribes into a single, comprehensive document.
    • Add additional content like text, descriptions, videos (e.g., YouTube, Loom), images, and GIFs alongside your Scribes to create training manuals, SOPs, or user guides.
    • AI can assist in building out these larger documents.
  • Team Collaboration:
    • Workspaces: Shared environments for teams to create, manage, and access Scribes.
    • User Roles & Permissions: Control who can create, edit, and view Scribes within a team.
    • Feedback & Comments: Team members can leave comments or emoji reactions on Scribes.
    • Scribe Sidekick: A feature that allows teammates to easily access relevant Scribes side-by-side as they work within other applications.
  • Analytics (Pro/Enterprise):
    • Track views and completion rates for specific Scribes and Pages to understand engagement and effectiveness.
    • Data retention for analytics varies by plan (e.g., 30 days for Free, 1 year for Business/Enterprise).
  • Security & Compliance:
    • SOC 2 Type II Compliant.
    • Adheres to GDPR and relevant US state privacy laws.
    • Offers features to support HIPAA and FERPA compliance needs.
    • Data encryption at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+).
    • Controls for data redaction.

Specific Use Cases

Scribe is used across various industries and roles to:

  • Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Quickly document internal processes and workflows for consistency and training.
  • Develop Training Materials & Onboarding Guides: Build step-by-step tutorials for new hires, software training, or skill development.
  • Software Tutorials & Demos: Clearly demonstrate how to use software applications or specific features.
  • Customer Support Documentation: Create how-to guides, FAQs, and troubleshooting steps for customers.
  • IT Support & Helpdesk: Document solutions to common IT problems and system configurations.
  • Process Improvement & Knowledge Sharing: Capture and share best practices within teams and organizations.
  • Client Onboarding & Support: Provide clients with clear instructions on how to use products or services.
  • Documenting Any Click-Based Process: Ideal for any task that involves a sequence of steps on a computer.

Usage Guide

Using Scribe to create and share guides is a simple process:

  1. Sign Up/Log In & Install:
    • Go to https://scribehow.com/.
    • Sign up for a free account or choose a paid plan.
    • Install the Scribe browser extension (for Chrome or Edge) and/or the desktop application (for Mac or Windows).
  2. Capture a Process:
    • Start Capture: When you're ready to document a process, click the Scribe extension icon in your browser or open the desktop app and click "Start Capture" (or "Start Recording").
    • Perform the Process: Go through the steps of the task you want to document as you normally would (clicking, typing, navigating). Scribe will automatically capture screenshots and log your actions.
    • Stop Capture: Once you've completed the process, click "Stop Capture" (or the blinking red button).
  3. Review and Edit Your Scribe:
    • Scribe will automatically generate a step-by-step guide in a new browser tab.
    • Edit Text: Review and modify the AI-generated text for each step to ensure clarity and accuracy. Add tips, alerts, or additional details.
    • Edit Screenshots (Pro/Enterprise):
      • Annotate: Add arrows, rectangles, text, or highlights to screenshots.
      • Crop or Resize.
      • Redact: Use Smart Blur or manual redaction tools to hide sensitive information.
    • Manage Steps: Add new steps, delete unnecessary ones, merge steps (which can create GIFs of the actions), or reorder them.
    • Customize (Pro/Enterprise): Apply custom branding (logo, colors).
    • AI Assistance: Use AI to generate a title, description, or further refine text.
  4. Using Pages (to combine Scribes):
    • Create a new Page within Scribe.
    • Add multiple Scribes to the Page.
    • Insert additional text blocks, headings, videos (e.g., YouTube, Loom embeds), images, and GIFs to create comprehensive documents like training manuals or SOPs.
    • AI can assist in structuring and generating content for Pages.
  5. Share Your Scribe or Page:
    • Shareable Link: Click the "Share" button to get a direct link to the Scribe or Page.
    • Embed: Copy the embed code to place the Scribe or Page directly into knowledge bases (Notion, Confluence, Zendesk, etc.), websites, or LMS platforms. Embedded Scribes update automatically when the original is edited.
    • Export:
      • PDF: Available on all plans.
      • HTML, Markdown, Confluence: Available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
    • Share with Teammates: Invite team members to your workspace to view or collaborate on Scribes.

Pricing & Plans

Scribe offers a range of plans for individuals and teams:

  • Basic Plan:
    • Cost: Free.
    • Users: Designed for individual use, but can have multiple users in a workspace (e.g., "Starts at 5 seats" is mentioned in some team-oriented basic descriptions, which seems to be a free team setup with limited features compared to Pro Team). Clarification: The primary "Free" offering for an individual is usually more limited than a team-focused "Basic" tier if one exists.
    • Features: Capture with browser extension (web apps), quick customization, shareable links, PDF export.
    • Limitations: May have limits on the number of Scribes, no access to desktop capture, screenshot editing, custom branding, or advanced export options.
  • Pro Personal Plan:
    • Cost: Around $29 per seat/month (or a discounted annual rate, e.g., $23/seat/month).
    • Features: Includes everything in Basic, plus:
      • Capture web, mobile (via uploads), and desktop apps.
      • Custom branding (logos, colors).
      • Screenshot editing and annotation.
      • Sensitive data redaction (Smart Blur).
      • Export to PDF, HTML, and Markdown.
  • Pro Team Plan (or similar team-focused Pro tier):
    • Cost: Around $12-$15 per seat/month (billed annually, minimum seats like 3 or 5 often apply).
    • Features: All Pro Personal features, plus team collaboration tools, shared workspaces, and potentially more features geared towards team use.
  • Enterprise Plan:
    • Cost: Custom pricing (contact sales).
    • Features: Includes all Pro Team features, plus:
      • Advanced security and governance (e.g., SSO, custom data retention).
      • Automatic redaction of sensitive info.
      • Centralized user and document management.
      • Advanced analytics and insights.
      • Dedicated customer success manager and priority support.

Note: Plan names ("Basic," "Pro Personal," "Pro Team"), seat requirements, specific feature inclusions, and pricing are subject to change. Always check the official Scribe pricing page (https://scribehow.com/pricing) for the most current and detailed information.

Commercial Use & Licensing

  • Scribe users are the owners of the Scribes and Pages they create.
  • Using Scribe for commercial or business purposes is a primary use case, especially with the Pro and Enterprise plans which offer features like custom branding.
  • Users are responsible for the content they capture, including redacting any sensitive or proprietary information, and ensuring they have the rights to document the processes they are scribing.

Refer to Scribe's official Terms of Service for definitive information on content ownership and usage rights.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is Scribe? A1: Scribe (scribehow.com) is an AI-powered platform that automatically creates step-by-step visual guides with screenshots and text instructions by recording your actions as you perform a process on your computer (via browser extension or desktop app).

Q2: How does Scribe automatically create guides? A2: When you start a capture, Scribe monitors your clicks and keystrokes. For each action, it takes a screenshot and automatically generates a text description for that step. This compiles into a complete how-to guide once you stop the capture.

Q3: Is Scribe free to use? A3: Scribe offers a free Basic plan with core functionality for capturing web-based processes. For advanced features like desktop app capture, screenshot editing, custom branding, advanced export options, and team features, paid Pro and Enterprise plans are available.

Q4: What kind of processes can I document with Scribe? A4: You can document virtually any process you perform on a web browser or your desktop (with the desktop app). This includes software tutorials, SOPs, customer support workflows, onboarding tasks, how-to guides for any tool, and more.

Q5: Can I edit the guides Scribe creates? A5: Yes, you have full control to edit the generated Scribes. You can edit the text for each step, add or remove steps, merge steps, and (on Pro/Enterprise plans) edit screenshots by adding annotations, cropping, and redacting sensitive information.

Q6: What is "Pages" in Scribe? A6: "Pages" is a feature that allows you to combine multiple Scribes into a longer, more comprehensive document. You can add additional text, descriptions, and embed videos or other media alongside your Scribes to create training manuals, SOPs, or detailed user guides.

Q7: How secure is the information captured by Scribe? A7: Scribe emphasizes security and is SOC 2 Type II compliant. They offer features like sensitive data redaction (Smart Blur) to help protect private information in screenshots. All data is encrypted at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+). Refer to their official security page for more details.

Q8: What integrations does Scribe offer? A8: Scribe guides can be embedded into many popular platforms like Notion, Confluence, Zendesk, SharePoint, and other knowledge bases or LMS systems. They also offer direct export options suitable for various tools.

Data Privacy, Security, and Responsible AI

Scribe takes data privacy and security seriously:

  • Compliance: SOC 2 Type II compliant. Adheres to GDPR and relevant US state privacy laws. Offers features to support HIPAA and FERPA compliance.
  • Data Encryption: All customer data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 and in transit using TLS 1.2+.
  • Sensitive Data Redaction: Pro and Enterprise plans offer tools like Smart Blur and manual redaction to remove sensitive information from screenshots.
  • Access Controls: Enforces least permissions access control for its employees.
  • Responsible Use: Users are responsible for the content they capture and ensuring they have appropriate permissions to document processes and share the resulting guides.

Last updated: May 26, 2025

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