HeyGen for L&D: The Definitive AI Video Quick-Start Guide

Welcome to your AI L&D video quick-start guide

Want to create more video content but feel held back

back by limited time, budget, or production resources? You are not alone. Here is the good news: with HeyGen, you can produce, translate and adapt videos that look even better than traditional productions at a fraction of the cost and time.

This guide is designed for learning professionals, instructional designers, and training content creators who are ready to enhance their work with AI video. You’ll learn how to move from concept to course, creating high-quality, scalable content without needing cameras, studios, or on-screen presenters.

Top use cases: how learning professionals are using HeyGen

HeyGen is more than a video tool. It is a creative engine built for learning professionals who need to move fast, scale content, and drive results without sacrificing quality. From courses to multilingual training videos, here is how learning professionals across functions are using HeyGen to create high-impact videos at scale.

Why video is crucial for L&D today

• #1 medium for enhancing learner engagement and improving knowledge retention is video
• 83% of learners surveyed prefer watching video rather than audio or text
• 40–60% reductions in learning time can be achieved with video, as learners take in information more efficiently through visual and auditory cues.
• 95% information retention when learners watch a video, compared to 10% when reading text (Insivia)

The Challenge

• Frequent updates require quick, easy video edits as policies, processes, and industries evolve
• Limited bandwidth and global language or accessibility requirements put pressure on production capacity
• Outsourcing is expensive and time-consuming, especially for complex content such as compliance or safety

What AI Video Enables

Cost savings

€1,000 saved for every minute of training content by Sibelco

80% lower production costs and 50% faster delivery time at Simulations Software

Speed

5X increase in educational video production speed at leading financial services firm Equity Trust

Scalability

80–90% average completion rates for customer and partner training videos at Komatsu

15K+ live sales role-play training simulations and 2.5K+ hours of training completed at Copient.ai

Localisation

80% reduction in video localisation costs and 50% production time saved by Würth Group

5X increase in return on ad spend across the Spanish, French, and German markets at Rosetta Stone

Personalisation

Hundreds of onboarding videos welcoming new hires by name and in their preferred language at Lattice

Creating your first AI video

Introduction

New to video or trying out HeyGen for the first time? You’ve got this. This section will guide you through each step to help you create a great video, quickly.

Prefer learning by seeing it in action?

Select a video type above to open a ready-made template in HeyGen and follow along as you proceed.

Not ready to get started yet?

No worries. Glance through the steps now and return to the full how-to whenever you are ready.

Ready to get started?

Begin with this 2-minute tour of HeyGen's AI Studio Editor, and then we will dive in.

For more information, please visit our step-by-step video tutorials:

→ HeyGen Academy: 101

broad overview of all HeyGen features

→ HeyGen Academy: AI Studio

explore video editing in more depth

Step 1: Set up your HeyGen workspace for scale

Smart marketers do not start from zero every time – they build systems that can scale.

With HeyGen, it’s easy to keep your videos on-brand by setting up a Brand Kit to use your fonts, colours, logos and assets automatically.

Simply paste your company’s URL to get started, or upload your brand elements manually.

In a hurry? No problem. You can always come back and complete this step later.

Pro tip

Once your Brand Kit is set up with your brand’s colours, you can easily update most HeyGen Templates to match. Just swap in your colours so every video stays on-brand.

Step 2: Set Your Strategy

Before creating your video, take a moment to step back and clarify your learning strategy, especially if this video is part of a larger course or training programme. Define the objective of this particular video, who the learners are, how the video will be delivered, and how you will keep learners engaged throughout.

Step 2: Choose the right AI avatar

Your facilitator sets the learning environment. Choose a ready-made Public Avatar, create a Custom Avatar that fits your organisation or subject matter, or for the ultimate personal touch, create your digital twin in minutes with HeyGen’s Hyper Realistic Avatar feature!

HeyGen provides several options for creating Custom Avatars. Click the links below to explore the details in depth.

Expert Tip

Use HeyGen’s Generating Looks feature to change your avatar’s pose, surroundings or attire using only a text prompt.

Best Practices: Creating the Ideal Custom Avatar

Ready to create a professional, lifelike avatar with extensive customisation options? Explore the resources below for tips, best practices, and a quick overview of what you will need to get started.

When creating a Custom Avatar, remember: quality in = quality out. The better your photos, videos, and written prompts, the more realistic and polished your avatar will be.

Whatever is included in your Hyper Realistic Avatar training video, from gestures and facial expressions to vocal inflection, will be reflected in the final result.

Expert Tip

Use HeyGen’s Generating Looks feature to change your avatar’s pose, surroundings or attire using only a text prompt.

Training Objective

What would you like this video to achieve?

Examples: onboarding new joinees, reinforcing compliance procedures, upskilling for new tools or processes

Learner Profile

Who are you creating this video for? Which role or team are they part of? What is their current level of knowledge?

Examples: All employees, mostly non-technical, limited time, differing levels of awareness of security protocols

Primary Distribution Channel

Where will people access your video?

Examples: internal LMS, SharePoint, Slack, onboarding email services, company wiki, mobile learning app

Engagement Strategy

How will you keep learners engaged and improve retention?
Examples: interactive prompts, spaced repetition, relatable scenarios, brief and focused segments to maintain attention and reinforce key takeaways

Expert Tip

Want a second opinion on your strategy? Go to ChatGPT, Claude, or any other tool you prefer and use the following prompt:

"I’m planning to create a [training video] for [topic or skill]. The goal is [insert learning objective], my target audience is [learner profile], it will be delivered via [platforms or channels], and the engagement strategy is: [engagement strategy]. Could you please share your feedback on how effective this plan is, and suggest any improvements?"

Step 3: Write Your Script

Your script is the backbone of a clear, effective learning experience. Whether you are creating a standalone tutorial or one module in a larger programme, a well-structured script ensures clarity, consistency, and learner engagement. Here is how to get it right:

• Begin with context and relevance such as a scenario, question, or common challenge to show why the topic is important. This helps build motivation and learner buy-in.
• Keep it structured and focused, breaking the content into logical, easy-to-follow steps with a clear, steady pace.
• Use simple, conversational language, speaking directly and clearly to the learner. Avoid jargon unless it is explained.
• Reinforce key learnings and next steps by closing with a simple summary, an invitation to reflect on or apply the learning, or a clear pointer to the next module or resource.

Expert Tip

Want to move faster? Have a look at the following Best Practices page for guidance on using tools like ChatGPT to write your script.

Still not sure how to get started? Here are a few sample outlines to give you some inspiration.

If you’re following along in HeyGen, these scripts are already built into your template.

Access templates, including these scripts, here:

→ Course Video

→ Training Video

→ How-to Video

Explore more detailed script templates and additional tips for popular L&D video formats

→ Learning Courses

→ How-to videos

→ Explainer videos

→ Corporate Training

→ Skills Training

Best Practices: Write Scripts Better and Faster with AI

Want to streamline your workflow and save hours of writing time? Here is how you can use tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to quickly generate clear, learner-focused scripts for your training videos.

Step 1: Begin with a clear prompt

Tell the AI what kind of training video you are creating, who it is meant for, and what outcome you want to achieve. Include context such as:

• Objective: what should the learner be able to do or understand?
• Learner profile: who are they (new hire, sales representative, team lead) and what is their basic level of knowledge?
• Distribution: where will the video be hosted (LMS, Slack, onboarding flow)?
• Engagement: preferred tone and delivery (conversational, scenario-based, direct instruction)

‎

Sample prompt:

“Write a 2-minute training script on how to complete expense reports in Workday. The audience is new finance hires with no prior experience using Workday. The tone should be clear and supportive. This will be delivered by an avatar inside our LMS.”

Step 2: Add key talking points

Help the AI remain accurate and focused by adding a brief list of the key points the video should cover

Example:

• Task or tool being described
• Key steps or policies
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Any compliance or process notes
• Desired result

‎

Sample prompt:

"Cover: where to find the expense tool in Workday, how to upload a receipt, how to submit it for approval. Note: highlight the submission policy timeline."

Step 3: Ask for the correct format

Let the AI know how the content will be delivered. This influences the tone, pacing, and choice of words.

For example:

• A spoken script narrated by an avatar
• Created for voiceover with visuals displayed on screen
• Modular, suitable for inclusion in a microlearning sequence

‎

Sample prompt:

"Write this as a script for a talking head avatar, using short, clear sentences and natural pause points for on-screen visual callouts."

Step 4: Review and refine

Paste your script into HeyGen and use the preview tool to see it come to life. Then refine it as required. You can use follow-up prompts such as:

• Make this more concise for a 60-second version.
• Add a question that encourages reflection.
• Use slightly less formal language and make it sound more conversational.
• Include an example of a common mistake and how to correct it.

Best Practices: Creating High-Quality Custom AI Voices

HeyGen has a massive library of stock AI-generated voices in over 175 languages, dialects, and emotional tones, but sometimes the perfect video calls for something custom. Below are three ways to create Custom Voices.

For the best voice quality, start with clear, high-quality source audio. Here is how to get a great recording:

• Use a high-quality mic or smartphone, held 6–8" away from your mouth

• Record in a quiet, noise-free environment

• Speak clearly, with natural pauses and a gentle touch of emotion

• Upload multiple samples with different emotional tones for greater versatility (for HeyGen Custom Voice Clones only)

Want to explore this in more depth?

→ Comprehensive guide to hyper-realistic Custom Voice Cloning

→ Add emotions to your Custom Voice Clone

Best Practices: Prompting Like a Pro

Prompting is the practice of carefully crafting and refining text instructions (called prompts) that are used to guide AI tools to generate content from scratch, such as images, motion, or audio.

Prompting is a powerful skill for any AI video creator. When combined with HeyGen, prompting opens up countless ways to create high-impact videos where your imagination is the only limitation. Be ready to test, adapt, and apply prompts in HeyGen so that your videos are finely tuned to your specific goals.

Best Practices for Prompting

Be Specific

The more clearly you describe what you want (tone, look, gesture, emotion), the better the AI can match your vision.

Begin with a Clear Structure

Use a consistent structure: what, who, where, how. This applies to visuals, tone of voice, and motion direction.

Include Context & Intent

Let the AI know the purpose: Is it for a product demo, a social ad, or a tutorial? Providing context helps customise the result.

Use Descriptive Language

Use adjectives that express emotion, style, or clarity (for example, “confident”, “minimalist”, “high energy”, “calm pace”).

Iterate & Refine

Do not settle for your first attempt. Even small prompt adjustments can lead to significantly better results across all media types!

Prompting best practices can vary slightly depending on what you are creating

Explore the resources below to understand each type in more depth and get the most out of your prompts!

• Prompting best practices, common issues, and practical solutions
• Prompting best practices for generating looks
• Prompting best practices for adding motion

Step 5: Create and refine your scenes in AI Studio

Now that your script and avatar are ready, it’s time to bring your message to life in HeyGen’s AI Studio editor, where it’s easy to customise, enhance, and polish every part of your video – no editing experience required!

• Create your scenes within minutes using the Brand Kit or Templates that you set up in Step 1.
• Strengthen your message with on-screen text or visuals and set them to appear or disappear using Animations.
• Browse HeyGen’s stock media library for high-quality, royalty-free b-roll video.
• Use Premium Scene Transitions to give your video a smooth, professional finish.
• Add and customise Captions to make your videos more engaging and accessible.
• Translate your videos to reach learners, colleagues, and audiences across the world.
• Using a SCORM-compliant LMS? Enterprise plan users can streamline their workflows with SCORM exports.

Expert Tip

Create and compare multiple versions of your training videos to understand what enhances engagement, knowledge retention, and learner outcomes.

Ready to edit like a professional?

Visit HeyGen Academy: AI Studio, a detailed video course covering all of HeyGen’s editing features.

Best Practices: Adjust Pronunciation, Emotions, and Intonation

Need your avatar to sound just right? HeyGen gives you powerful tools to fine-tune voiceovers for natural, precise delivery that feels true to life.

Want to see how it works in real time?

Watch the HeyGen Academy: AI Studio - Pronunciation module to see these features in action and learn how to use them in your own projects.

Strategies to Expand Your Impact

Whether you are entering new markets, testing what works, or tailoring content for different audiences, these advanced best practices and tools will help you scale your impact with precision.

Expand Globally with Translation

Learn how to translate and localise your videos into 175+ languages and dialects, with no dubbing or voice actors required.

Use HeyGen’s Brand Voice feature to maintain consistency in translated videos by customising how certain words are handled (for example, brand name pronunciations, and forcing or blocking translation for specific terms).

Enterprise and Team plan users can also make edits directly to translated scripts by using our Proofread feature.

Looking for some ideas? Have a look at how Trivago used HeyGen to localise TV ads for 30 markets at the same time.

Support Change Management with Flexible, Updatable Content

Change is constant and your learning materials need to keep pace. Whether you are refreshing a full course module or updating a single training video, traditional content production with re-shooting and editing can turn even a small update into a major effort.

With HeyGen, updating videos takes minutes, not days. Swap out scripts, edit text, change visuals, and generate new versions with just a few clicks. No more bottlenecks. Just fast, flexible video that helps your learners adapt as quickly as your organisation moves. Learn more about using HeyGen for change management.

Accessibility and Inclusive Learning at Scale

In today’s learning environments, accessibility is not optional – it is essential. Learners come with a wide range of abilities, preferences, and levels of digital literacy, and your content needs to reflect that.

Explore our guide on how to create accessible training videos that meet diverse learner needs for more information on how to easily adapt for visual and auditory accessibility needs, create microlearning modules, and adjust for cultural differences.

Interactive Avatar

Whether you are delivering compliance training or onboarding new employees, Interactive Avatars transform passive videos into dynamic, two-way learning experiences that increase engagement, personalise content, and drive learner action.

Looking for some inspiration? Visit our Interactive Avatar demo page and have a chat with Judy, HeyGen’s 24/7 HR compliance training expert!

Use Case #1: Learning Courses

Whether you are entering new markets, experimenting to see what works, or customising content for different audiences, these advanced best practices and tools will help you scale your impact with accuracy.

Customer Stories & Examples

Ideal For

Ideal for: Instructional Designers, Learning & Development, HR, Sales Enablement

Best Practices

Break content into modular sections

Structure your course into short, focused segments, ideally 3–7 minutes each. This supports spaced learning, makes updates easier, and leads to stronger retention.

Script for clarity, not just the content

Write in a conversational tone, simplify complex ideas, and avoid jargon. Use storytelling, analogies, and real-life scenarios to bring your content to life.

Be visually deliberate

Use visuals to strengthen your message. Combine avatar presenters with relevant graphics, screen recordings, animations, or b-roll to support different learning styles.

Engage with layered interactivity

Supplement your course with engaging videos that encourage reflection, knowledge checks, and follow-up exercises.

Test and refine

Continuously gather and integrate feedback, using HeyGen to simplify change management.

Key Features

• Assets: enrich your learning experience with useful visuals such as screen recordings and graphics that strengthen your message
• Templates: Keep your course’s visual design consistent by using or creating templates to save time and enhance your content
• Generate Looks: use text prompts to customise your avatar instructor’s outfit, surroundings, or pose to suit the topic or audience

Ready to take things to the next level?

→ Explore in more depth with our Practical Guide for L&D Professionals eBook

→ Explore our step-by-step guide to creating engaging learning courses

Use Case #2: Training & Onboarding

Customer Stories & Examples

Ideal For

Instructional Designers, Learning & Development, Sales Enablement, HR, Compliance, Internal Communications

Best Practices

Begin with the essentials

Focus on the information learners need right away such as company values, tools, workflows, or safety protocols. Prioritize clarity and usefulness over completeness in early modules.

Keep it short and targeted

Aim for brief, goal-driven videos (2–5 minutes) that cover one topic at a time. This makes it easier for learners to absorb information and return to specific sections as needed.

Make it welcoming and personal

Use avatars to create a friendly, human-first tone. Personalize with names, roles, or departments where possible to make onboarding feel relevant and tailored.

Design for different attention spans

Use captions, motion, and bold visuals to support comprehension, especially on mobile or when videos are watched with sound off.

Build confidence, not just compliance

Frame content around real situations learners might face. Show how processes and policies help them succeed, not just what they must do.

Plan for updates

Company policies, tools, and org structures evolve. Use HeyGen’s rapid editing tools to quickly update individual scenes or videos without a full reshoot.

Top Features

• Custom Avatars: Give your onboarding a human touch with a digital twin or department-specific presenters to deliver training in a familiar, branded voice.
• Personalized Video: Create personalized videos that greet new hires by name and customize other variables such as department or region to streamline onboarding and boost engagement.
• Brand Kit: Maintain visual brand consistency by setting up a Brand Kit with approved logos, fonts, colors, and assets.

Ready to dive in deeper?

→ Dive in deeper with our Practical Guide for L&D Professionals eBook

→ Visit our step-by-step guides on creating videos for: general training, corporate training, HR onboarding, safety, and compliance.

Use Case #3: Translation & Accessibility

Customer Stories & Examples

Perfect For

Instructional Designers, Communications, Learning & Development, HR, Compliance

Best Practices

Localize for language and culture

Build learner engagement by going the extra mile to offer content in their language and with regionally relevant avatars, accents and visuals.

Support auditory accessibility

by creating multiple versions of your video with captions, subtitles, on-screen text callouts, written transcripts, or adjusting the voice speed for clearer pacing.

Optimize for visual accessibility

by creating an additional version of your video with high contrast palettes, larger fonts, and clean uncluttered visual design.

Create microlearning modules

by breaking longer videos into short, concept-specific sections to make navigation and updates simpler.

Enhance digital literacy

by starting with a guided orientation video for your LMS or at the start of a new course.

Top Features

• Translation: Reach global audiences without ever reshooting by translating or localizing your existing content into different languages or regional accents.
• Brand Glossary: Maintain consistent pronunciation and translation across all your videos
• Public Avatars: Choose from 700+ diverse stock avatars to find the perfect spokesperson for your target region and audience
• Captions: Automatically add captions to any video to increase its accessibility

Pro tip

If your video requires visuals like screen recordings, make sure they align with your script. Start by writing your script, then use the preview button to play the audio while recording your screen in sync with the narration for the best timing.

Ready to dive in deeper?

Check out our guide on creating accessible training videos that meet diverse learner needs.