Guides ·
How to Add Annotations to Your SOPs
Add arrows, boxes, callouts, and text to SOP photos and videos. Video annotations show only at the second you pick. A step-by-step guide for operations teams.
Updated
Table of contents
TL;DR
SOPX annotations mark up step photos and videos with arrows, rectangles, ellipses, text, and numbered callouts, so operators see exactly where to look. On a photo, annotations stay on the picture. On a video, each annotation has a start and end time, so it shows only while it matters. Each video step also has a Detail: a still picture you pick from the clip, crop, and annotate on its own.
- The tools are text, arrows, rectangles, ellipses, and numbered callouts. You can layer them and change their order.
- Photos: click Annotate under the photo. You can also rotate, straighten, and crop it first with Edit image.
- Videos: on the Video tab, click Annotate clip. Each annotation gets a bar on a timeline. Drag it to set when it shows.
- Detail: on the Detail tab, click Edit detail to pick a frame and crop it, then Annotate detail to mark up the still.
- Annotations are added by hand today. AI-generated annotations are in development.
- Exports keep them. PDF and Word show annotated stills. PowerPoint and SCORM burn timed annotations into the video.
You can see a live example in the SOPX walkthrough with annotations. It opens in the browser, no login required.
The best way to create visual SOPs with screenshots and annotations
A visual SOP is a procedure where each step carries a photo or a video, not just a paragraph. The best way to create one is to start from a real recording or photo. Then annotate it, so the operator sees exactly what to look at.
In SOPX that flow is short. Record a process (or upload a screen recording or a PDF). AI splits it into steps and cuts a clip for each one. Then you mark up the steps that need it. Use arrows to point, rectangles or ellipses to box or circle a part, numbered callouts to label it, and text to explain. The pictures come from the work, and the annotations tell the reader where to focus.
That combination, real footage plus arrows, boxes, and callouts, makes a visual SOP faster to follow than a wall of text. The rest of this guide walks through adding those annotations step by step.
If you need to hide something in a frame, note that SOPX has no blur tool yet. To cover a detail, draw a filled rectangle over it.
Why annotations matter
A video clip shows a step from start to finish. That is useful, but it does not always tell the operator where to focus. A specific button on a panel, a torque value on a wrench, the difference between two similar parts: these need a visual marker, not just narration.
Annotations close that gap. You point at the exact thing and the operator sees it. On a video, the marker shows up at the moment it matters and goes away after, so it never points at the wrong thing. For training new hires and for any work instruction where small details decide whether the job is done correctly, annotations carry a lot of weight per minute of editing.
Where you can add annotations
| Where | How it shows | Open it with |
|---|---|---|
| Step photo | Always on the photo | Annotate under the photo |
| Step video | Only between the start and end time you set | Video tab > Annotate clip |
| Detail of a video | Always on the still picture | Detail tab > Annotate detail |
Video annotations and Detail annotations are separate. Changing one does not change the other.
Step 1: Enter edit mode
Open the SOP and click Edit.
Step 2: Annotate a step photo
Under the step photo, click Annotate. Pick a tool and draw. Here, a box marks the counter display, and callouts 1 and 2 mark the RESET and SET buttons. The list on the right sets which annotation sits on top.
Click Apply to place the annotations. Is the photo sideways or tilted? Click Edit image first to rotate, straighten, or crop it. Annotate then opens on the edited photo.
Step 3: Annotate a step video at the right moment
Every video step has two tabs: Video and Detail. On the Video tab, click Annotate clip.
Annotate video opens. Pause where the annotation should appear, then draw it. A bar appears on the timeline under the video:
- Drag the bar to move it. Drag its ends to change when it starts and ends.
- For exact timing, type the Start and End times, or nudge them one frame at a time with - and +.
- Click a bar to jump to that moment.
Click Apply when you are done. If you trim the clip later, annotations outside the clip turn grey and won’t show. Widen the trim and they come back.
You add video annotations on a computer. Everyone can watch them on any device.
Step 4: Annotate the Detail
The Detail is the still picture for a video step. On the Detail tab, click Edit detail to pick any frame and crop it. Then click Annotate detail and mark it up, the same way as a photo.
Viewers see the Detail tab only when it adds something: it has annotations, or it is framed differently from the video.
Step 5: Save changes
Click Save changes to save the SOP. On a published SOP, your edits go into a new draft version, as always.
Operators now see the annotations in the app, on a phone, in full screen, and on public share links. Video annotations come and go with the clip, also when people skip ahead or play at 2x speed.
When to use annotations
- Point to a specific button or control on a panel.
- Mark a torque value, gauge reading, or measurement.
- Highlight an inspection point on a part.
- Call out the difference between two similar components.
- Flag a safety hazard the operator should avoid. Pair it with an ISO 7010 safety icon in the step text.
- In a video, show an arrow only at the second the operator presses the button.
Here is a good rule. If a new operator would need someone standing next to them to point at the right thing, that is a place for an annotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to create visual SOPs with screenshots and annotations?
Start from a real recording instead of a blank page. Record the process or upload a screen recording or a PDF. SOPX AI splits it into steps with a clip or picture for each. Then annotate the steps that need it with arrows, rectangles, ellipses, callouts, and text. The pictures come straight from the work, and the annotations point the operator at the exact detail.
What can I annotate with?
Text, arrows, rectangles, ellipses, and numbered callouts. You can combine any of them on one photo, video, or Detail.
Can I annotate both images and videos?
Yes. On a photo, annotations always show. On a video, each annotation has its own start and end time, so it shows only at the moment it matters. A video step also has a Detail, a still picture you can annotate on its own.
Where do annotations appear?
Photo annotations show on the photo. Video annotations show on the video during their time range. Detail annotations show on the Detail tab. All of them work in the app, on phones, and on public share and embed links.
Can an annotation follow a moving part in the video?
Not today. An annotation stays where you drew it. Use the start and end time to show it only while the part is in that spot.
Are annotations added automatically by AI?
Not today. Annotations are added by hand. AI-generated annotations are in development. Contact us at [email protected] for the release date.
Can I edit or remove an annotation later?
Yes. Open the SOP in edit mode, click Annotate (photo), Annotate clip (video) or Annotate detail on the step, and change or delete any annotation. Every change can be undone. Save changes to keep the update.
Do annotations show in exports?
Yes. PDF and Word exports show photo annotations and the annotated Detail of each video step, so shared SOPs and printed copies match the app. PowerPoint and SCORM exports burn video annotations into the clip, and they show only during their time range. PDF, Word, and Markdown can’t play video, so they don’t include timed annotations.
Annotations are available on every SOPX plan. Sign up or log in to start marking up your procedures. To see what is new, read video annotations and photo edits in SOPX.
