Screen sharing: choose a tab, window or entire screen

Should you share a tab, a window or your entire screen?

Choose a browser tab for a website, a window for a presentation, and the entire screen when you need to switch between applications. Keep the studio and notifications outside the captured area. Check the preview and audio before recording: audio capture depends on the browser and source, not just a visible picture.

1. Open the material in a separate window or tab.
2. Press Share screen in the studio and select the source.
3. Enable source audio if your browser offers that option.
4. Check the frame and listen to a short test recording.

MDN: capture sources and screen-sharing limitations

The source defines the frame

A tab, a window, and an entire screen are different capture boundaries. Your choice determines whether viewers see only the presentation, transitions between applications, or the whole desktop. Decide what must be shown first. The broadest source is not automatically the easiest because it contains more details you have to manage.

For one website, try a separate tab. For a document or presentation, try its window. Entire-screen sharing is useful when moving between applications, but remove unrelated messages and windows beforehand. The selection dialog and audio availability depend on the browser and operating system. Screen capture documentation

Choose the source deliberately

After selecting, perform the actual transition required by the video. Open a menu, change a slide, or display a dialog. Seeing the initial image confirms only that state. An important part of the explanation might appear in another window, so test the complete action before recording a long take.

Avoid the screen-within-screen effect

Capturing the monitor containing the studio can include its own preview. The result may repeat the image and expose the script or controls. For an ordinary lesson, open the material separately and capture that window. With multiple monitors, decide where the studio and presentation belong before starting.

The teleprompter text is not part of the camera image. However, entire-desktop recording can capture it like any other visible item. “I can see the script” and “the viewer cannot see the script” are therefore separate claims. Verify a short downloaded recording rather than relying only on the arrangement before capture begins.

Prepare a website walkthrough

Open the page in the state where the viewer should begin. Remove unnecessary panels and increase zoom if labels are too small. Use demonstration data appropriate for sharing. Move the pointer toward the object you are explaining; repeated circling adds movement without necessarily making the action clearer.

Organize the script around what to open, what to notice, and what it means. Avoid performing the next action before explaining the previous result. If loading interrupts the flow, pause the recording. Before continuing, check that the correct source remains selected and the relevant content is visible.

If the required image disappears

Stop and inspect the source. You may have opened a new window rather than navigated within the selected tab. Do not continue a long explanation without checking. A fresh short segment with the right source is more useful than narration over an unchanged earlier frame. Review the transition in the downloaded trial as part of your preparation.

Will shared content include audio?

Not necessarily. Image and sound need separate checks. The dialog may offer an audio option, and support varies by browser and source. Play a test sound, speak a sentence, then listen to the downloaded file before the main take. A moving picture alone does not establish that source audio was captured.