Training & Onboarding Videos

Produce training and onboarding videos with the HeyGen API — update the script and regenerate when a policy or process changes.

The Problem

Corporate training content is expensive to produce, goes stale fast, and doesn’t scale across languages. A single compliance training video can cost $5,000–$15,000 to produce professionally — and needs to be re-recorded every time a policy changes.

How It Works

Training docs/policies → LLM structures into video modules → Video Agent renders → Translate for global teams

Generate training videos from your existing materials. When the source document updates, regenerate the video. Need it in 10 languages? Use Video Translation.

Build It

1. Structure your training material

   Break content into modules. Each module becomes a separate video — this keeps videos short (2–5 minutes) and makes updates surgical.

   modules = [
       {
           "title": "Data Privacy Basics",
           "source": "policies/data-privacy.pdf",
           "duration": "3 minutes",
           "style": "professional, clear, reassuring",
       },
       {
           "title": "Handling Customer Data",
           "source": "policies/data-handling.md",
           "duration": "4 minutes",
           "style": "professional, specific, example-driven",
       },
       {
           "title": "Reporting a Breach",
           "source": "policies/breach-response.md",
           "duration": "2 minutes",
           "style": "urgent but calm, step-by-step",
       },
   ]
   
2. Generate video prompts with an LLM

   Use an LLM to convert each training document into a structured video prompt. The LLM acts as an instructional designer.

   import anthropic
   
   client = anthropic.Anthropic()
   
   def generate_training_prompt(module, content):
       message = client.messages.create(
           model="claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
           max_tokens=1500,
           messages=[{
               "role": "user",
               "content": f"""You are an instructional designer creating a training
   video from a policy document. Convert this into a HeyGen Video Agent prompt.
   
   Structure the video as:
   1. Introduction (10s) — What this training covers and why it matters
   2. Key concepts (60-70% of duration) — Break into 2-4 clear sections
      with specific examples and scenarios employees will recognize
   3. Do's and Don'ts (15s) — Quick visual checklist
   4. Summary + quiz teaser (10s) — Recap key points, prompt to take the quiz
   
   Requirements:
   - Tone: {module['style']}
   - Duration: {module['duration']}
   - Use text overlays for key terms and definitions
   - Include scenario-based examples ("Imagine you receive an email from...")
   - Make it engaging — this isn't a lecture, it's a conversation
   
   Training document:
   {content}
   
   Output ONLY the Video Agent prompt."""
           }],
       )
       return message.content[0].text
   
   # Generate prompt for each module
   for module in modules:
       with open(module["source"]) as f:
           content = f.read()
       module["video_prompt"] = generate_training_prompt(module, content)
   
3. Generate videos

   Submit each module to Video Agent. Space them out for rate limits.

   import requests
   import time
   
   HEYGEN_API_KEY = "your-api-key"
   
   for module in modules:
       resp = requests.post(
           "https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-agents",
           headers={
               "X-Api-Key": HEYGEN_API_KEY,
               "Content-Type": "application/json",
           },
           json={
               "prompt": module["video_prompt"],
               # Optional: attach policy document for visual context
               # "files": [{"type": "url", "url": "https://..."}]
           },
       )
       module["video_id"] = resp.json()["data"]["video_id"]
       print(f"Submitted: {module['title']} → {module['video_id']}")
       time.sleep(5)
   

   Then poll for completion — see Video Agent docs for the polling pattern.

4. Translate for global teams

   Once your English videos are ready, translate them for every region in one batch.

   languages = ["Spanish", "French", "German", "Japanese", "Chinese", "Portuguese", "Korean"]
   
   for module in modules:
       resp = requests.post(
           "https://api.heygen.com/v3/video-translations",
           headers={
               "X-Api-Key": HEYGEN_API_KEY,
               "Content-Type": "application/json",
           },
           json={
               "video": {"type": "url", "url": module["video_url"]},
               "output_languages": languages,
           },
       )
       module["translation_ids"] = resp.json()["data"]["video_translation_ids"]
       print(f"Translating {module['title']} into {len(languages)} languages")
   

   Translating many modules? Submit them all in one call with POST /v3/video-translations/batches — see Batch Video Translations.

   See Video Translation docs for speed vs precision mode and all supported languages.

Training Categories

This workflow applies to any training content:

Category	Source material	Key considerations
Compliance (HIPAA, GDPR, SOX)	Regulatory docs, policies	Must be accurate, auditable, up-to-date
Onboarding	Employee handbook, culture docs	Warm and welcoming tone, company-specific
Software training	Help docs, screenshots	Attach screenshots as file inputs for visual context
Safety	Safety procedures, SOPs	Clear, step-by-step, scenario-based
Sales enablement	Product knowledge, objection handling	Conversational, example-heavy

Keeping Videos in Sync

The biggest advantage of generated training videos: when the policy changes, regenerate the video.

Policy doc updated → Detect change (git diff, CMS webhook, manual trigger)
                   → Re-run the same pipeline
                   → New video replaces the old one
                   → Re-translate if needed

No re-recording, no scheduling a film crew, no editing. Just re-run the pipeline.

Variations

• Interactive follow-up: After the pre-rendered training video, launch a Live Avatar AI Tutor for Q&A and knowledge checks
• Manager versions: Generate a shorter executive summary version alongside the full training
• Assessment-ready: End each video with key questions that feed into your LMS quiz system

---

Next Steps

Multilingual Content

Deep dive into translating videos across languages.

AI Tutor

Add interactive Q&A after training with a Live Avatar tutor.