vhs-recorder

Create professional terminal recordings with VHS tape files - guides through syntax, timing, settings, and best practices

Create terminal recordings with Charm's VHS. Use when creating CLI demos, README animations, documentation videos.

Prerequisites

• vhs installed (brew install vhs / go install github.com/charmbracelet/vhs@latest)
• ttyd and ffmpeg on PATH

Tape File Structure

tape

Output demo.gif         # Outputs first
Set Width 1200          # Settings second
Set Theme "Catppuccin Mocha"
Require git             # Requirements third
Hide                    # Hidden setup
Type "cd /tmp && clear"
Enter
Show
Type "your command"     # Main recording
Enter
Wait
Sleep 2s

Core Commands

Command	Purpose
Type "text"	Type text (uses TypingSpeed setting)
Enter / Tab / Space	Key presses
Up / Down / Left / Right	Arrow navigation
PageUp / PageDown	Page navigation
Ctrl+C / Ctrl+D / Ctrl+L	Signal/EOF/clear combos
Wait / Wait /pattern/	Wait for prompt or regex match
Sleep 2s	Fixed pause (supports ms/s/m)
Hide/Show	Hide setup/cleanup from output
Type@50ms "text"	Override typing speed inline
Backspace N / Delete N	Delete N chars back/forward
Copy / Paste	Clipboard operations
Screenshot path.png	Capture single frame
Env VAR "value"	Set environment variable

Essential Settings

Setting	Default	Notes
Width/Height	1200/600	Terminal dimensions in pixels
FontSize	32	Text size; FontFamily for custom fonts
TypingSpeed	50ms	Per-char delay (override with Type@Xms)
Theme	-	Use vhs themes to list all available
Padding	40	Border space; LetterSpacing/LineHeight also available

Timing & Patterns

3-2-1 Rule: 3s after important commands, 2s between actions, 1s for transitions

• Clean start: Hide → Type "clear" → Enter → Show
• Command-wait: Type → Enter → Wait → Sleep 2s
• Fast hidden: Type@10ms "setup command"
• ASCII preview: Output demo.ascii for instant test

Output Formats

Format	Use Case
.gif	Web/README (universal)
.mp4/.webm	Social media / modern browsers
.ascii	Preview/test (instant, no ffmpeg)
frames/	PNG sequence for post-processing

Quick Fixes

Issue	Solution
Commands too fast	Add Wait + Sleep 2s after Enter
Messy terminal	Hide → clear → Show at start
Inconsistent pacing	Follow 3-2-1 timing rule

CLI Commands

bash

vhs demo.tape       # Run tape file
vhs themes          # List all available themes
vhs manual          # Show full command reference

References

• vhs-syntax.md - Full command reference
• timing-control.md - Pacing strategies
• settings.md - All configuration options
• examples.md - Real-world tape files