# Record Terminal Sessions as SVG with termsvg
When writing technical documentation, sometimes a static screenshot isn't enough to explain a complex CLI workflow, but a video file is too heavy or requires a dedicated player.
**termsvg** solves this by capturing your terminal session and converting it into a lightweight, scalable, and beautiful SVG animation that plays directly in any modern web browser.
## 1. Installation
`termsvg` is a Go-based tool. You can install it using `go install`:
```bash
go install github.com/mrmarble/termsvg/cmd/termsvg@latest
```
Ensure your `$GOPATH/bin` is in your `$PATH` so you can run the command from anywhere.
Or using brew for MacOS users
```bash
brew install termsvg
```
## 2. Basic Usage
### 2.1 Record a session
Recording a session is straightforward. Run the command and specify the output filename:
```bash
termsvg rec terminal-recording-$(date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S").cast
```
Once you run this command:
1. A new shell session starts.
2. Everything you type and every output generated is recorded.
3. To stop recording, simply type `exit` or press `Ctrl+D`.
### 2.2 Playback
```bash
termsvg play terminal-recording-20260509_110827.cast
```
### 2.3 Convert to SVG
```bash
termsvg export terminal-recording-20260509_110827.cast
```
That generates a file named `terminal-recording-20260509_110827.svg` in the current directory.
## 3. Why Use termsvg?
* **Scalability**: Being an SVG, you can zoom in infinitely without losing quality.
* **Searchable**: The text inside the SVG is often selectable and searchable (depending on the viewer).
* **Lightweight**: Much smaller than a GIF or a video for short terminal snippets.
* **No Plugins**: Works natively in HTML using a simple `` tag or an `