A teleprompter for Zoom and video calls
On a video call, people can see when you look down at notes. Put your talking points in a narrow column right under the webcam, and your eyes stay near the lens.
Step by step: read under your webcam
- Choose Laptop or desktop webcam. This preset puts a narrow column of text right under the camera, with the reading line near the top, so your eyes stay close to the lens.
- Keep it narrow and close to the lens. The shorter the distance between the words and the camera, the more it looks like you’re talking to the viewer. Keep the text small enough to read without leaning in.
- Run it beside your call or recorder. Zoom, Meet, Teams, OBS or QuickTime keep running underneath. Control the scroll with the keyboard, a clicker, a Stream Deck or your phone.
Set it up with your meeting app
- Open Reframely in a separate browser window and choose Your rig → Laptop or desktop webcam.
- Make the window narrow and place it just under your webcam; keep the meeting window to one side.
- Use bullet points rather than a full script for calls, so you sound conversational.
- Scroll with the keyboard, a Stream Deck key or a phone remote, so the meeting window stays in focus.
Screen sharing? Share a single window or tab, not your whole screen, so the teleprompter stays private.
Where it helps
- Webinars and product demos with a set flow.
- Recorded presentations and training videos.
- Team updates and announcements you want to deliver precisely.
Don't use a teleprompter where reading prepared answers isn't allowed, such as job interviews, exams or assessments. Employers increasingly check for hidden notes and screen overlays.
Using an Elgato Prompter on calls
With a desk prompter such as the Elgato Prompter, you can put the meeting window or your notes on the prompter screen in front of the camera. See using the Elgato Prompter with Reframely.
When to read and when not to
Calls are conversations, so reading everything sounds stiff. Use the prompter for the parts that must be exact: an opening, a demo walkthrough, a pitch, numbers, a difficult message. For the rest, write short prompts rather than sentences, such as Ask about timeline, and pause the scroll.
Answers ready for the questions you expect
Reframely scripts can hold ready answers: write a line starting with ?? and a label, then the answer underneath. On the prompter, press 1 to 9 to show one without losing your place. It works well for sales calls and interviews; the ready-made scripts under More → Ready-made scripts include examples.
Looking natural on camera
- Keep the column narrow and right under the lens; a wide column makes your eyes sweep side to side.
- Make the text smaller than for recording, so the other person doesn't see your eyes tracking lines.
- Glance away now and then, as you would in a normal conversation.
- Close the prompter window before screen sharing, or share one window rather than the whole screen.
Questions
Can I use a teleprompter on Zoom?
Yes. Place a narrow teleprompter window under your webcam while Zoom runs, and scroll it with the keyboard or a phone remote.
Will people see my teleprompter if I share my screen?
Not if you share a single window or tab instead of your entire screen.
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