What is a workflow capture tool and how does it work?
A workflow capture tool is software that records your on-screen actions — clicks, navigation, typing, page transitions — and converts them into structured documentation automatically. It works by observing browser activity through a Chrome extension or desktop agent, capturing screenshots at each step, and generating a step-by-step guide you can edit and share.
How is it different from a screen recorder?
A screen recorder captures video. A workflow capture tool captures structured data. The distinction matters for documentation:
| Feature | Screen Recorder (Loom) | Workflow Capture Tool (Glyde, Scribe) |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Video file | Structured step-by-step guide |
| Screenshots | Must screenshot manually | Captured automatically at each action |
| Step descriptions | Must write manually | Generated automatically |
| Searchability | Not searchable | Full text search |
| Editing | Re-record entire video | Edit individual steps |
| Reference use | Must scrub through video | Scan steps in seconds |
What should you look for in a workflow capture tool?
The core functionality is similar across tools, but quality differs significantly:
- Step detection accuracy — Does the tool capture every meaningful action, or miss steps?
- Description quality — Does it generate "Click the Settings gear icon" or "Navigate to Settings to configure workspace permissions"?
- Screenshot quality — Does it capture the full page or highlight the relevant area?
- Export options — Can you export to Notion, Confluence, PDF, or markdown?
- Privacy controls — Can you blur sensitive data before sharing?
Tools like Glyde use a multimodal approach — combining DOM state, structured step data, and screenshots — to produce higher-quality documentation than tools that rely only on screenshot analysis. The difference is most noticeable in complex workflows where context matters more than just identifying which button was clicked.
This answer is part of our guide to standard operating procedures.