How to Make a GIF from a Screen Recording
Walkthrough
- 01
Open FastEdit
Go to fastedit.net. Everything runs locally in your browser.
- 02
Drop your screen recording
Drag in your MP4, MOV, or WebM screen recording file. FastEdit does not upload it to a server.
- 03
Trim the useful moment
Use the timeline to remove setup time, pauses, and anything after the action. Short clips make better GIFs and much smaller files.
- 04
Crop to the important area
Use Crop to remove browser chrome, empty desktop space, or unrelated panels. Scrub the timeline to make sure the cursor and UI action stay visible.
- 05
Resize and reduce frame rate
Resize to the smallest useful dimensions and set frame rate around 10-15 fps. Screen recordings usually still read clearly at these settings.
- 06
Export as GIF or WebP
Choose GIF for compatibility or animated WebP for a smaller modern file. If you need to stay under a platform limit, export once, check size, then reduce duration, dimensions, frame rate, or quality.
Small things worth checking
- Keep the GIF focused on one action. A 3-6 second clip is easier to understand and much easier to share.
- Crop out browser toolbars, sidebars, and empty desktop space before resizing. It keeps the important UI larger in the final GIF.
- Frame deduplication works well on screen recordings because many frames are identical during pauses.
- Use lower frame rates for cursor movement and UI demos. Reserve higher frame rates for motion-heavy recordings.
- If the GIF looks too grainy after color reduction, export animated WebP instead for better color and smaller size.