Demo types overview

Overview

Walnut supports multiple demo formats so teams can match the experience to the audience, use case, and stage of the journey.

Instead of forcing every viewer through the same product story, Walnut lets you choose the right level of structure for the moment. You can guide viewers through a curated narrative, give them room to explore freely, or combine both approaches in a single experience.

The three core Walnut demo types are Guided Demos, Hybrid Demos, and Non-Guided (Sandbox) Demos.

Choosing the right demo format helps shape how viewers experience your product. The right structure can improve clarity, reduce friction, and create stronger engagement signals across marketing, sales, onboarding, and customer education workflows.

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Guided Demos

Guided demos use annotations, tooltips, and step sequencing to lead viewers through a curated product story.

This format is designed to reduce friction and make the experience easier to follow, especially when the viewer is new to the product, still learning the value story, or needs help understanding what to focus on.

Guided demos work best when you want the experience to feel structured, intentional, and educational.

Best for:

• Marketing pages
• Help Centers and knowledge resources
• Onboarding and customer education
• Narrative-driven product walkthroughs

Experience: Structured, guided, and story-led

Common placements: Embedded demos, learning hubs, documentation, self-serve discovery pages

Example of a Guided Demo Experience

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walnut.io/demo

Why teams use guided demos

Guided experiences often drive higher completion, stronger clarity, and cleaner intent signals because viewers are not left guessing where to click or what matters most.

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Hybrid Demos

Hybrid demos combine guided storytelling with optional exploration.

In this format, viewers start with guided context so they can understand the product and the story you want to tell. Once they are oriented, they can continue exploring on their own.

Hybrid demos are often the most flexible Walnut format because they work well for both live presentation and asynchronous follow-up. They give you the structure of a guided experience without fully removing the freedom to explore.

Best for:

• Mixed audiences
• Product education plus evaluation
• Live demo plus leave-behind workflows
• Audience journeys that need both clarity and flexibility

Experience: Guided introduction followed by optional self-serve exploration

Common placements: Product tours, embedded demos, sales follow-up, demo centers

Example of a Hybrid Demo Experience

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walnut.io/demo

Best practice

Use the guided portion to earn attention and create orientation first, then let viewers explore once they understand the story. This helps reduce bounce while preserving flexibility.

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Non-Guided (Sandbox) Demos

Non-guided demos, often called sandbox demos, give viewers full freedom to explore the product on their own.

There are no step-by-step instructions or enforced narrative paths. Instead, the viewer clicks around naturally and self-directs the experience.

This format works best when the audience already knows what they want to investigate, is comfortable exploring independently, or needs a more realistic evaluation-style environment.

Best for:

• Technical evaluators
• Power users
• Late-stage prospects
• Confident viewers who want open exploration

Experience: Open exploration with no guided flow

Common placements: Sales-sent links, technical evaluation pages, trial-style experiences, product deep dives

Example of a Sandbox Demo Experience

Open in a new tab

walnut.io/demo

Note

Sandbox demos work best when viewers already have context. Without guidance, first-time or early-stage visitors may struggle to find the most valuable workflows quickly.

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Demo Types at a Glance

Demo Type	Best For	Viewer Experience	Good Fit When You Need To...
Guided Demo	Discovery, education, onboarding	Structured and narrative-led	Control the story and reduce friction
Hybrid Demo	Mixed audiences, live plus follow-up	Guided first, then open exploration	Balance structure with flexibility
Non-Guided / Sandbox Demo	Technical evaluators, later-stage exploration	Fully self-directed	Let confident viewers explore naturally

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How to Choose the Right Demo Type

The best demo type depends on how much context your audience needs and how much control you want the experience to have.

• Use a Guided Demo when viewers need more clarity, structure, or education.
• Use a Hybrid Demo when you want to introduce the story first, then let viewers explore on their own.
• Use a Sandbox Demo when your audience already understands the product and wants open evaluation-style exploration.

A simple rule of thumb:

• More guidance needed → Guided Demo
• Need both structure and flexibility → Hybrid Demo
• Audience wants freedom to explore → Sandbox Demo

Best practice

When in doubt, start with a Hybrid Demo. It gives you a guided opening for orientation while still allowing the viewer to self-explore once they are ready.

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Summary

Walnut’s core demo formats help teams shape the right product experience for the right audience.

Guided demos are best when you want a structured story. Hybrid demos are best when you want to combine guidance with flexibility. Non-guided sandbox demos are best when viewers already know what they want to explore.

Choosing the right format can improve clarity, strengthen engagement, and make the experience more useful across discovery, evaluation, onboarding, training, and follow-up workflows.

Final Takeaway

The best demo type is the one that matches viewer intent. Use guided demos for clarity, sandbox demos for freedom, and hybrid demos when you want to bridge both in a single experience.