home / skills / everyinc / compound-engineering-plugin / feature-video
This skill records a feature walkthrough video, uploads it, and adds an embedded link to the PR description for easy reviewer access.
npx playbooks add skill everyinc/compound-engineering-plugin --skill feature-videoReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: feature-video
description: Record a video walkthrough of a feature and add it to the PR description
argument-hint: "[PR number or 'current'] [optional: base URL, default localhost:3000]"
---
# Feature Video Walkthrough
<command_purpose>Record a video walkthrough demonstrating a feature, upload it, and add it to the PR description.</command_purpose>
## Introduction
<role>Developer Relations Engineer creating feature demo videos</role>
This command creates professional video walkthroughs of features for PR documentation:
- Records browser interactions using agent-browser CLI
- Demonstrates the complete user flow
- Uploads the video for easy sharing
- Updates the PR description with an embedded video
## Prerequisites
<requirements>
- Local development server running (e.g., `bin/dev`, `rails server`)
- agent-browser CLI installed
- Git repository with a PR to document
- `ffmpeg` installed (for video conversion)
- `rclone` configured (optional, for cloud upload - see rclone skill)
- Public R2 base URL known (for example, `https://<public-domain>.r2.dev`)
</requirements>
## Setup
**Check installation:**
```bash
command -v agent-browser >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "Installed" || echo "NOT INSTALLED"
```
**Install if needed:**
```bash
npm install -g agent-browser && agent-browser install
```
See the `agent-browser` skill for detailed usage.
## Main Tasks
### 1. Parse Arguments
<parse_args>
**Arguments:** $ARGUMENTS
Parse the input:
- First argument: PR number or "current" (defaults to current branch's PR)
- Second argument: Base URL (defaults to `http://localhost:3000`)
```bash
# Get PR number for current branch if needed
gh pr view --json number -q '.number'
```
</parse_args>
### 2. Gather Feature Context
<gather_context>
**Get PR details:**
```bash
gh pr view [number] --json title,body,files,headRefName -q '.'
```
**Get changed files:**
```bash
gh pr view [number] --json files -q '.files[].path'
```
**Map files to testable routes** (same as playwright-test):
| File Pattern | Route(s) |
|-------------|----------|
| `app/views/users/*` | `/users`, `/users/:id`, `/users/new` |
| `app/controllers/settings_controller.rb` | `/settings` |
| `app/javascript/controllers/*_controller.js` | Pages using that Stimulus controller |
| `app/components/*_component.rb` | Pages rendering that component |
</gather_context>
### 3. Plan the Video Flow
<plan_flow>
Before recording, create a shot list:
1. **Opening shot**: Homepage or starting point (2-3 seconds)
2. **Navigation**: How user gets to the feature
3. **Feature demonstration**: Core functionality (main focus)
4. **Edge cases**: Error states, validation, etc. (if applicable)
5. **Success state**: Completed action/result
Ask user to confirm or adjust the flow:
```markdown
**Proposed Video Flow**
Based on PR #[number]: [title]
1. Start at: /[starting-route]
2. Navigate to: /[feature-route]
3. Demonstrate:
- [Action 1]
- [Action 2]
- [Action 3]
4. Show result: [success state]
Estimated duration: ~[X] seconds
Does this look right?
1. Yes, start recording
2. Modify the flow (describe changes)
3. Add specific interactions to demonstrate
```
</plan_flow>
### 4. Setup Video Recording
<setup_recording>
**Create videos directory:**
```bash
mkdir -p tmp/videos
```
**Recording approach: Use browser screenshots as frames**
agent-browser captures screenshots at key moments, then combine into video using ffmpeg:
```bash
ffmpeg -framerate 2 -pattern_type glob -i 'tmp/screenshots/*.png' -vf "scale=1280:-1" tmp/videos/feature-demo.gif
```
</setup_recording>
### 5. Record the Walkthrough
<record_walkthrough>
Execute the planned flow, capturing each step:
**Step 1: Navigate to starting point**
```bash
agent-browser open "[base-url]/[start-route]"
agent-browser wait 2000
agent-browser screenshot tmp/screenshots/01-start.png
```
**Step 2: Perform navigation/interactions**
```bash
agent-browser snapshot -i # Get refs
agent-browser click @e1 # Click navigation element
agent-browser wait 1000
agent-browser screenshot tmp/screenshots/02-navigate.png
```
**Step 3: Demonstrate feature**
```bash
agent-browser snapshot -i # Get refs for feature elements
agent-browser click @e2 # Click feature element
agent-browser wait 1000
agent-browser screenshot tmp/screenshots/03-feature.png
```
**Step 4: Capture result**
```bash
agent-browser wait 2000
agent-browser screenshot tmp/screenshots/04-result.png
```
**Create video/GIF from screenshots:**
```bash
# Create directories
mkdir -p tmp/videos tmp/screenshots
# Create MP4 video (RECOMMENDED - better quality, smaller size)
# -framerate 0.5 = 2 seconds per frame (slower playback)
# -framerate 1 = 1 second per frame
ffmpeg -y -framerate 0.5 -pattern_type glob -i 'tmp/screenshots/*.png' \
-c:v libx264 -pix_fmt yuv420p -vf "scale=1280:-2" \
tmp/videos/feature-demo.mp4
# Create low-quality GIF for preview (small file, for GitHub embed)
ffmpeg -y -framerate 0.5 -pattern_type glob -i 'tmp/screenshots/*.png' \
-vf "scale=640:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen=max_colors=128[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" \
-loop 0 tmp/videos/feature-demo-preview.gif
```
**Note:**
- The `-2` in MP4 scale ensures height is divisible by 2 (required for H.264)
- Preview GIF uses 640px width and 128 colors to keep file size small (~100-200KB)
</record_walkthrough>
### 6. Upload the Video
<upload_video>
**Upload with rclone:**
```bash
# Check rclone is configured
rclone listremotes
# Set your public base URL (NO trailing slash)
PUBLIC_BASE_URL="https://<your-public-r2-domain>.r2.dev"
# Upload video, preview GIF, and screenshots to cloud storage
# Use --s3-no-check-bucket to avoid permission errors
rclone copy tmp/videos/ r2:kieran-claude/pr-videos/pr-[number]/ --s3-no-check-bucket --progress
rclone copy tmp/screenshots/ r2:kieran-claude/pr-videos/pr-[number]/screenshots/ --s3-no-check-bucket --progress
# List uploaded files
rclone ls r2:kieran-claude/pr-videos/pr-[number]/
# Build and validate public URLs BEFORE updating PR
VIDEO_URL="$PUBLIC_BASE_URL/pr-videos/pr-[number]/feature-demo.mp4"
PREVIEW_URL="$PUBLIC_BASE_URL/pr-videos/pr-[number]/feature-demo-preview.gif"
curl -I "$VIDEO_URL"
curl -I "$PREVIEW_URL"
# Require HTTP 200 for both URLs; stop if either fails
curl -I "$VIDEO_URL" | head -n 1 | grep -q ' 200 ' || exit 1
curl -I "$PREVIEW_URL" | head -n 1 | grep -q ' 200 ' || exit 1
```
</upload_video>
### 7. Update PR Description
<update_pr>
**Get current PR body:**
```bash
gh pr view [number] --json body -q '.body'
```
**Add video section to PR description:**
If the PR already has a video section, replace it. Otherwise, append:
**IMPORTANT:** GitHub cannot embed external MP4s directly. Use a clickable GIF that links to the video:
```markdown
## Demo
[]([video-mp4-url])
*Click to view full video*
```
Example:
```markdown
[](https://<your-public-r2-domain>.r2.dev/pr-videos/pr-137/feature-demo.mp4)
```
**Update the PR:**
```bash
gh pr edit [number] --body "[updated body with video section]"
```
**Or add as a comment if preferred:**
```bash
gh pr comment [number] --body "## Feature Demo

_Automated walkthrough of the changes in this PR_"
```
</update_pr>
### 8. Cleanup
<cleanup>
```bash
# Optional: Clean up screenshots
rm -rf tmp/screenshots
# Keep videos for reference
echo "Video retained at: tmp/videos/feature-demo.gif"
```
</cleanup>
### 9. Summary
<summary>
Present completion summary:
```markdown
## Feature Video Complete
**PR:** #[number] - [title]
**Video:** [url or local path]
**Duration:** ~[X] seconds
**Format:** [GIF/MP4]
### Shots Captured
1. [Starting point] - [description]
2. [Navigation] - [description]
3. [Feature demo] - [description]
4. [Result] - [description]
### PR Updated
- [x] Video section added to PR description
- [ ] Ready for review
**Next steps:**
- Review the video to ensure it accurately demonstrates the feature
- Share with reviewers for context
```
</summary>
## Quick Usage Examples
```bash
# Record video for current branch's PR
/feature-video
# Record video for specific PR
/feature-video 847
# Record with custom base URL
/feature-video 847 http://localhost:5000
# Record for staging environment
/feature-video current https://staging.example.com
```
## Tips
- **Keep it short**: 10-30 seconds is ideal for PR demos
- **Focus on the change**: Don't include unrelated UI
- **Show before/after**: If fixing a bug, show the broken state first (if possible)
- **Annotate if needed**: Add text overlays for complex features
This skill records a short, professional video walkthrough of a feature and embeds it into a pull request description. It captures browser screenshots, combines them into an MP4/GIF, uploads the assets to public storage, and updates the PR with a clickable preview. The workflow is optimized for quick demos that provide reviewers immediate context.
The skill inspects the PR to collect changed files and maps them to likely routes to test. It runs agent-browser commands to navigate the app, capture screenshots for key shots, and uses ffmpeg to build an MP4 and a small GIF preview. Finally it uploads assets to a public bucket (rclone/R2) and edits the PR body or posts a comment with a clickable GIF linking to the MP4.
What tools are required?
You need agent-browser, ffmpeg, gh CLI, and optionally rclone configured for uploads. A local dev server or a public base URL is also required.
Can GitHub embed the MP4 directly?
No. GitHub won't inline external MP4s. Use a preview GIF in the PR that links to the MP4 for full playback.
How do I ensure the uploaded URLs work?
After upload, curl -I both the MP4 and GIF URLs and require HTTP 200 before editing the PR.