Short answer: 60 to 90 seconds for most explainer videos. That is long enough to name the problem, show the solution and prove it, and short enough that most people watch to the end.
What the data says
Wistia analyzed 564,710 videos and more than 1.3 billion plays and found that engagement stays steady up to about two minutes, then drops sharply between two and three minutes. A 90 second video holds viewers about as well as a 30 second one. Past two minutes, every second has to earn its place.
Marketers see the same thing. In Wyzowl's 2026 State of Video Marketing survey, 71 percent of marketers said videos between 30 seconds and two minutes are the most effective length.
How many words fit
Clear narration runs about 140 to 160 words per minute. Animation needs a little room to breathe, so we write toward the low end.
| Length | Script words | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 30 seconds | 70 to 80 | Social ads, trade show loops, a single idea |
| 60 seconds | 140 to 160 | Homepages and landing pages |
| 90 seconds | 210 to 240 | Most product and service explainers |
| 2 minutes | 280 to 320 | Complex offers, sales follow up |
Match the length to where it lives
- Homepage or landing page: 60 to 90 seconds. Visitors are deciding whether to stay.
- Social ads: 15 to 30 second cutdowns of the main explainer, built around the strongest single idea.
- Sales follow up: 90 seconds to 2 minutes. The viewer already cares and wants the full picture.
- Onboarding and product walkthroughs: 2 to 4 minutes is fine. People who chose to learn will stay longer.
- Trade shows and lobbies: 30 to 60 seconds that work with the sound off, with captions and strong visuals.
A simple 90 second structure
- 0 to 15 seconds: the problemName the frustration your viewer already feels, in their words.
- 15 to 45 seconds: the answerIntroduce what you do as the way out of that problem.
- 45 to 75 seconds: how it works and proofThree steps at most, then one number, result or customer that makes it believable.
- 75 to 90 seconds: the next stepOne clear action: book a demo, call, start a trial.
How to cut a script that runs long
- Keep one idea per scene.
- Cut the company history. Viewers care about their problem first.
- Let the visuals carry what the voice does not need to say.
- Trim adjectives and repeated benefits.
- Read it aloud with a timer. If you run out of breath, so will the viewer.
Want a hand? See how we make animated explainers, check typical explainer costs, or try the explainer questions in our free Story Starter.