VHS — Record Terminal Sessions as GIFs and Videos

What it is

VHS is a tool by Charmbracelet that turns terminal recordings into code. You write a .tape file describing the commands to execute, and VHS produces high-quality GIFs, MP4s, or WebMs. No screen recording software, no manual trimming, and fully reproducible output.

Developer advocates, open-source maintainers, and documentation writers use VHS to create polished terminal demos for README files, blog posts, and project showcases without the inconsistency of manual screen captures.

How it saves time or tokens

VHS replaces the manual workflow of recording a terminal session, trimming the output, and converting formats. A .tape file is version-controlled and reproducible, so updating a demo for a new version means editing a text file and re-running VHS. No more re-recording from scratch when commands change.

How to use

1. Install VHS using Homebrew, Go install, or download the binary from the releases page.
2. Write a .tape file with commands, timing, and display settings.
3. Run vhs your-file.tape to generate the output GIF, MP4, or WebM.

Example

# demo.tape - VHS recording script
Output demo.gif
Set FontSize 14
Set Width 1200
Set Height 600

Type "echo 'Hello from VHS'"
Enter
Sleep 1s

Type "ls -la"
Enter
Sleep 2s

Type "cat README.md | head -20"
Enter
Sleep 3s

# Generate the GIF
vhs demo.tape
# Output: demo.gif (ready for README or docs)

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Common pitfalls

• Setting Sleep durations too short, making the output feel rushed and hard to follow.
• Using system-specific commands in .tape files that break on other operating systems or CI environments.
• Generating very large GIFs by recording long sessions. Keep demos under 30 seconds for README use.