If you need to build interactive demos that actually show off your product—without a developer or a week of headaches—Walnut is one of the go-tos. This guide is for anyone who needs to create demos that work, whether you’re in sales, product marketing, or just tired of sending PDFs nobody reads.
I’m going to walk you through the real steps to creating a demo in Walnut from scratch. I’ll flag what’s genuinely useful, what’s just “nice to have,” and what you can ignore unless you’re trying to win a design award. Let’s get straight to it.
Step 1: Get your account set up
First things first: You need access to Walnut. Depending on your company, you might need to request access, or you can sign up directly.
- Sign up on their site (or accept an invite from your team).
- Check your permissions—some features are only available to admins or editors.
- Install the Chrome extension (if prompted). Walnut works by capturing your product via a browser, so you need Chrome and their extension for most things.
Pro tip: If your company is tight on security, double-check that the Walnut extension is approved. Sometimes IT blocks it by default.
Step 2: Plan your demo (don’t skip this)
Before you record anything, know what you want to show. Good demos are short, focused, and tailored to a real use case—not a tour of every button.
- Pick a single use case. E.g., “How a sales rep creates a new lead.”
- Write down the key steps. What has to be shown? What can you skip?
- Decide what’s interactive. Do you want users to click, fill forms, or just watch?
- Keep it short. 2–5 minutes is ideal. Nobody finishes a 20-minute click-through.
You can always add more demos later. Don’t try to show everything at once.
Step 3: Record your product flow
This is where Walnut shines. You capture your own product, so the demo looks and feels real—no fake slides, no PowerPoint.
Here’s how:
- Open Chrome. Log into your product (the real one, not a staging server if you can avoid it).
- Start the Walnut extension. Click “New Capture” or similar—it changes from time to time.
- Walk through your flow. Carefully go step by step through the process you mapped out. Every click, every field, every menu—do it as you want users to see.
- Pause if needed. You can usually pause or restart if you mess up. Don’t stress about perfection; you can edit later.
- Finish and save. Name your capture something you’ll remember.
Honest take: Walnut’s recorder is solid, but it can get confused by pop-ups, modals, or really complex in-app widgets. If something looks weird, re-record that step, or skip it for now.
Step 4: Edit and clean up your demo
You’ve got a raw capture. Now it’s time to polish it—without going overboard.
What you should do:
- Trim unnecessary steps. Cut dead clicks, error messages, or anything off-script.
- Add tooltips or guides. Use Walnut’s “steps” or “hotspots” to point out what matters.
- Hide sensitive info. Blur out real customer data, emails, or anything private.
- Check navigation. Make sure the demo flows logically—no dead ends or confusing branches.
What to skip (unless you have a lot of time):
- Over-designing. Fancy graphics and animations are nice, but nobody buys based on a spinning logo.
- “Easter eggs.” Unless you’re in marketing, skip the hidden jokes or personal touches.
Editing tips: - If you want users to click a specific button, make it clear with an arrow or highlight. - You can break the demo into sections (“Chapters”). Use this if your flow has natural pauses.
Step 5: Add interactivity
This is the magic of Walnut—making the user actually do something. But don’t get carried away.
- Clickable elements: Make buttons, links, or fields interactive. You set which clicks move the demo forward.
- Input fields: You can let users type fake info, but keep it simple—nobody wants to fill out a form just to see a report.
- Guided steps: Use prompts to tell users what to do next. Don’t assume they’ll know.
Real talk: More interactivity isn’t always better. If every step needs a click, some people will bail halfway. Balance “hands-on” with “get to the point.”
Step 6: Test your demo (on someone who doesn’t know your product)
You’re too close to your product. Grab a coworker (or your least techy friend) and have them run through the demo with zero instructions.
- Watch where they get stuck. Did they miss a click? Did a tooltip cover something important?
- Check for browser issues. Walnut is Chrome-based, but it should work in most browsers—still, test it.
- Look for broken steps. Sometimes clicks don’t register, or fields act weird. Fix these before sharing.
Pro tip: If you have time, do a “silent run”—watch someone go through the demo without talking. You’ll spot the confusing parts fast.
Step 7: Publish and share
Once it’s working, it’s time to get your demo in front of real people.
- Publish to a shareable link. Walnut lets you generate a unique URL for each demo.
- Set permissions. Control whether it’s public, private, or password-protected.
- Embed on your site or send via email. You can usually embed the demo, but sometimes it’s easier just to send the link.
Analytics: Walnut gives you basic analytics—who viewed, where they dropped off. Check these after a week; they’ll tell you if people actually make it through or bail after step 2.
What to ignore (for now)
- A/B testing different demo flows. Cool in theory, but not worth it until you’ve got a basic demo that people actually finish.
- Deep CRM integrations. Unless you’re running a huge sales team, stick to the basics. You can always add integrations later.
- Over-customizing for every prospect. It sounds nice, but it’s a time suck. Build one great demo first.
Wrapping up
Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Start with one focused, interactive demo. Launch it, get feedback, and iterate. Walnut is flexible enough to handle fancy stuff, but most people just want a clear, fast demo that shows what your product actually does.
If you get stuck, keep it simple: trim steps, clarify instructions, and remember—nobody’s expecting a Hollywood production. Just a demo that works.