How to show keyboard inputs in gameplay clips

Updated 5 November 2026

To show keyboard inputs in a gameplay clip, you need a recorder that logs which keys you held while it recorded and draws them over the video. Clippy's input overlay does this for keys, mouse buttons and controller buttons, sticks and triggers. It is optional and off by default. Turn it on, and you can show the inputs in the editor or burn them into an export.

When an input overlay helps

Most clips do not need one. Some clips are much better with one.

Movement tech. Bunny hops, slide cancels and wave dashes look like magic until people see the keys.
Tutorials. "Press this, then this" is easier to follow when the keys light up on screen.
Combos and execution. Fighting game and rhythm game clips show timing that viewers cannot see from the picture.
Answering questions. When someone asks how you did something, a clip with inputs answers it once.

What Clippy's input overlay shows

The overlay shows the keys and mouse buttons you pressed. With a controller, it shows the buttons, the sticks and the triggers. It is one switch for all of it, and it is off by default, so nothing is recorded until you turn it on.

The overlay is drawn from what you held while the clip was recording, so it lines up with the video. You do not have to sync anything by hand, and there is no separate overlay tool to set up.

Drawn over the clip, or burned into the export

Clippy draws the overlay over the clip in the editor, rather than baking it into the recording. That means a clip you saved with inputs can still go out without them: you decide when you export.

When you want the keys in the video itself, burn the overlay into the export. That is the version to post anywhere else, because other sites play the video file and know nothing about Clippy's overlay.

Turn on the input overlay in Clippy (it is off by default).
Play and save clips with your save key, F8 by default.
Open a clip in the editor to see the inputs drawn over it.
Burn the overlay into the export when you want it in the file.

Controller inputs, sticks and triggers

Clippy's overlay covers the controller too: buttons, both sticks and the triggers. That makes it useful for racing games, where trigger control is the whole story, and for any game where stick movement shows the skill.

Controller hotkeys work too, so you can save a clip with a controller button and never reach for the keyboard.

Tips for clear input clips

An overlay adds a lot to look at, so give viewers a chance to read it.

Keep the clip short. The overlay is busy, and a long clip of constant key presses is hard to follow.
Slow down the key part. Clippy's editor has 0.5x and 0.25x speed, which makes fast inputs readable.
Add a line of text that says what to watch for. You can put up to three text items on an export.
Use chapters to mark the exact moment, so you can jump to it while you trim.

Share the clip

Once the overlay is burned in, the clip is an ordinary video. Export it vertical for TikTok, Shorts and Reels, or press Share to upload it to clippy.gg and paste the link in Discord, where it shows as a clean embed. See the sharing guide for the options.

Questions

How do I show my keyboard inputs in a clip?

Turn on Clippy's input overlay, which is off by default. It records the keys and mouse buttons you press while recording, and draws them over the clip in the editor or burns them into an export.

Does the input overlay work with a controller?

Yes. It shows controller buttons, sticks and triggers as well as keys and mouse buttons.

Can I hide the inputs on a clip I recorded with them?

Yes. The overlay is drawn over the clip in the editor rather than baked into the recording, so you choose at export whether to burn it in.

Is the input overlay on by default?

No. It is optional and off by default.