Hotspots, Callouts, & Spotlights

Steps

Steps are the building blocks of Arcades.

When an Arcade is finished recording, each click will be broken out into a step. The steps are listed on the left-hand tab and are made up of either pictures, videos, or overlays. (Here's how Arcade chooses when to use still images and when to use video.)

When you're editing an Arcade, you can duplicate, merge, add, or delete steps.

What are steps?

Steps are the building blocks of Arcades. Each click you record is automatically broken out into a separate step. Steps can be made up of:

• Pictures

• Videos

• Overlays

You can edit steps by duplicating, merging, adding, or deleting them.

How do I edit an Arcade?

When your recording is finished:

1. You'll be taken to the upload page automatically.

2. Once the upload is complete, go to the Edit tab to start editing.

In Edit mode, you can:

• Change the Arcade title

• Delete and duplicate steps

• Move and add hotspots

• Add hotspot text, images, videos, and overlays

• Change the logo

• And much more

Tip: Always add text to your hotspots to tell a story rather than just labeling clicks.

Can I duplicate steps?

Yes. To duplicate:

• Use ⌘C and ⌘V (just like copy-paste elsewhere)

• Use Shift + Click to select multiple steps at once

Can I import steps from one Arcade into another?

Yes. You can copy steps from one Arcade and paste them into another using the same ⌘C and ⌘V shortcuts.

Note: You can only copy steps between Arcades within the same account.

How do I replace a step in an Arcade?

You have two options:

• Delete the old step and drag in a new one

• Go to the Media Library, hover over a step, and select Replace current step or Add to new step

Can I give a name to a step?

Yes! Instead of relying on just numbers, if you click on the three dots of a step (from the left hand view), you'll have the option to rename that step.

This can help you keep order in more complex (branched) and longer Arcades.

What dimensions should I use when uploading new media?

• Arcade will automatically crop all steps to match the dimensions of the first step.

• To check the dimensions, hover over the Upload button. [See the above Arcade.]

How do I change the text in the browser search bar?

If your Arcade uses a wrapper:

• The text shown in the fake browser bar is your Arcade's title.

• To update it, simply click on the Arcade title in Edit mode and change it.

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Hotspots

What are hotspots?

Hotspots are clickable areas created automatically during recording at every place you click. Viewers must click on a hotspot to move forward (unless autoplay is enabled).

How can I add a hotspot to an Arcade?

You can add a hotspot in two ways:

• Double-click anywhere on the Edit page

• Click the Hotspot button from the top editing toolbar

A new hotspot will appear wherever you click.

How can I edit a hotspot?

When you select a hotspot, the editing options appear on the right-hand side. You can:

• Add or edit the text

• Align text (Left, Center, Right)

• Choose whether text should open automatically

• Choose a style: Hotspot (pulsating dot) or Callout (text box)

• Change the Background color and Text color

• Apply styling to all hotspots with one click

• Adjust the Pointer position (left, right, top, or bottom of the hotspot)

• Set the Destination (by default, it goes to the next step, but you can send users to any step in the Arcade)

• Toggle Voiceover generation for the text

How can I add text to a hotspot?

To add text:

1. Click on the hotspot.

2. Edit the text in the right-hand side panel.

You can also:

• Use plain text or emojis

• Create line breaks by pressing Shift + Enter

Can I control where hotspot text appears?

Yes, when editing a hotspot, you can set whether the text appears to the left, right, top, or bottom of the hotspot.

Can I control what happens when someone clicks a hotspot?

Yes. In the Destination setting:

• By default, the hotspot progresses to the next step.

• You can change it to send users to any other step in your Arcade.

Can I add a hotspot that doesn't change the step?

Yes! This is great for requiring users to interact with multiple hotspots on the same page.

To do this:

• Set the hotspot destination to "this step"

• The viewer will stay on the same page until all hotspots are clicked

Can I make the Arcade progress automatically without clicking a hotspot?

Yes, Arcade supports autoplay in two ways:

Step-level autoplay:

• Click the three dots (...) on a step

• Select Enable autoplay or

• Use the shortcut ⌘A

Arcade-level autoplay:

• Click Design in the toolbar

• Scroll down to the Other dropdown

• Find Autoplay and turn the toggle on

Notes:

• Arcade-level autoplay will not work if your Arcade starts with a video (due to browser restrictions).

• Engagement and completion rates will not be collected when autoplay is turned on.

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Callouts

What are callouts?

Callouts are text boxes placed over your Arcade, similar to Arcades, but designed for text over drawing attention to a location (like a hotspot)

Hotspots look like pulsating, clickable dots. Callouts look like floating text boxes.

When should I use callouts instead of hotspots?

Callouts are best for:

• Sharing extra information not tied to a click

• Providing guidance, instructions, or tips

• Highlighting key points without needing user interaction

If you want users to click, use a hotspot instead.

How can I add a callout to an Arcade?

You can add a callout two ways:

• Double-click anywhere on the Edit page and then change the style to Callout

• Click the Callout button from the top editing toolbar

How can I edit a callout?

When you select a callout, you can:

• Add or edit the text

• Align text (Left, Center, Right)

• Change the Background color and Text color

• Apply changes to all callouts with one click

• Add an arrow pointing to a specific location

• Choose whether or not to show a pulsating arrow button

• Set the Destination (next step by default or another step)

• Toggle Voiceover generation for the text

See the Hotpsot Arcade above for an overview.

Can I add an arrow to a callout?

Yes. In the callout editing panel, use the Arrow location dropdown to add an arrow pointing to a specific part of the screen.

Can I toggle between a hotspot and a callout after creating one?

Yes. You can switch easily between Hotspot and Callout at any time within the editing panel.

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Spotlight Area

The Spotlight Area feature lets you visually emphasize a specific area of the screen while dimming everything else. It combines the flexibility of hotspots and callouts with a stronger visual focus.

What is Spotlight Area?

Spotlight Area is an area-based highlight that draws attention to a defined section of the screen rather than a single click target.

It’s designed for:

• Guiding users through complex UI

• Emphasizing grouped elements

• Reducing visual noise during explanations

Where can Spotlight Area be used?

Spotlight Area can be applied to:

• Hotspots

• Callouts

It’s available anywhere the Area option appears.

How do I add a Spotlight Area?

1. Select an existing hotspot or callout

2. Choose Area

3. Click and drag to define the Spotlight Area

Once created, the Spotlight Area can be fully customized.

What shapes are supported?

You can choose from:

• Square

• Rounded corners

• Circle

This allows the Spotlight Area to match the shape of the UI element being highlighted.

How do border settings work?

Border settings control the highlighted area itself, including:

• Border color

• Border opacity

Use the border to clearly define the Spotlight Area.

How does the overlay work?

The overlay controls everything outside the Spotlight Area:

• Overlay color

• Overlay opacity

This helps de-emphasize the background while keeping focus on the highlighted area.

Can I apply Spotlight Area to multiple buttons?

Yes. You can choose to apply the Spotlight Area to all matching buttons at once.

This is useful when highlighting repeated UI patterns across a flow.

Can I move or reposition the Spotlight Area?

Yes. Spotlight Area behaves like standard hotspots and callouts:

• You can move it at any time

• You can adjust where the text connects to the Spotlight Area

This helps avoid covering important UI elements.

What’s the difference between Border and Overlay?

• Border → controls the appearance of the Spotlight Area

• Overlay → controls the appearance of everything outside the Spotlight Area

Understanding this distinction makes it easier to fine-tune visual emphasis.

Does Spotlight Area follow the same rules as hotspots and callouts?

Yes. Spotlight Area follows the same rules as hotspots and callouts when it comes to:

• Location and positioning

• Orientation

• Text placement and attachment

The difference is purely visual.

Instead of highlighting a single point, Spotlight Area changes how highlighting and opacity behave by emphasizing a defined area and dimming everything outside of it.

All interaction and layout behavior remains the same.

How do I use Highlight in my Arcade?

If you're looking for our Highlight feature, we've sunset this and replaced it with our Area Spotlight feature.

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Text Formatting and Markdown

What is the Rich Text Editor in Arcade?

The Rich Text Editor allows you to format text directly inside Arcade when editing:

• Hotspots

• Callouts

• Spotlight Area text

It gives you structured formatting controls without needing external tools.

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What formatting options are available?

When you select text in the right-hand editor panel, you can apply:

• Bold

• Italics

• Underline

• Hyperlinks

• Bullet points

• Numbered lists

• Text alignment (left, center, right)

• Variables

This allows you to create hierarchy, emphasis, and structure directly inside your Arcade.

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How do I format text?

1. Select a Hotspot, Callout, or Spotlight Area.

2. Highlight the text you want to modify.

3. Choose the formatting option from the toolbar.

Formatting applies only to the selected text.

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Can I add links inside a Hotspot or Callout?

Yes, you can highlight text and add a hyperlink directly in the editor. This is useful for:

• Linking to documentation

• Sending users to external resources

• Connecting to support articles

• Adding CTAs inside guided flows

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Can I use bullet points or numbered lists?

Yes, you can structure instructions using:

• Bullet points for grouped information

• Numbered lists for step-by-step guidance

This is especially helpful for onboarding and product walkthroughs.

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What are Variables and how do they work?

Variables allow dynamic content to populate inside your text.

For example:

• User name

• Workspace name

• Custom dynamic values

They help personalize demos and make content feel tailored without duplicating Arcades.

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Can I align text?

Yes.

You can align text:

• Left

• Center

• Right

This gives you more control over visual hierarchy and layout.

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Is the Rich Text Editor available in Chapter Steps?

No.

Rich text formatting is not currently supported in Chapter Steps. It is only available for:

• Hotspots

• Callouts

• Spotlight Area text

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Does this affect existing Arcades?

No.

Existing content remains unchanged. Formatting is applied only when you manually edit or update text.

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Why isn’t this available in Chapter Steps yet?

Chapter Steps use a different structural layout than overlay-based components like Hotspots and Callouts. The formatting engine is currently scoped to overlay text components.

How can I add bold, italics, or links to hotspot or callout text?

Arcade supports Markdown inside hotspots and callouts.

Markdown formatting:

• Bold: **bold text**

• Italic: *italic text*

• Bold and italic: ***bold and italic text***

• External link: [link text](https://<external_url>)

You can always reference this by clicking the ? icon in Arcade and selecting Text Formatting.

Can I use CSS inside a hotspot or callout text?

Yes. Arcade supports limited CSS inside text fields for styling.

Can I add hotspots and callouts to videos?

Absolutely. You can add hotspots and callouts to videos the same way you do with images. They will stay visible over the video, and clicking a hotspot will advance the Arcade to the next step.