Put your script as close to your camera lens as your setup allows, share only the slide window (never your full screen), and use a prompter that follows your pace rather than scrolling on a fixed timer. That combination lets you look near the lens, stay on track, and keep your private notes off the shared screen entirely.
Why reading a script on Zoom looks so obvious
On a video call, your audience sees your eyes up close in a small window, so any sideways glance or downward dart reads as distraction or dishonesty, even when you are just checking your next line. In a physical room, people cut you slack because they can see your whole body and posture. On camera, the frame is just your face, and your eyes are doing all the talking.
The usual fixes make it worse. Printed notes next to the keyboard pull your eyes down and away from the lens. A second monitor with your script pulls your head sideways. A phone propped on the desk pulls your chin down. Each of these breaks the eye line your audience is watching, and on a call, that eye line is most of your credibility.
The fix is not to memorize everything. It's to put the words where your eyes already need to be: as close to the camera as physically possible, moving at your pace instead of a fixed scroll.
Where to put the teleprompter text on your screen
If you're presenting from a laptop with a built-in webcam, the camera usually sits at the top center or top edge of your screen. That means your prompter text should run in a narrow window pinned directly under that camera, as high up as your screen allows. Shrink the window so the text sits in the top couple of inches, not spread across the middle of the display.
If you use an external webcam, place it on top of your monitor, centered, and keep your script window immediately below it, full width but short in height. The goal in both cases is the same: minimize the distance your eyes travel between the lens and the words.
Single-screen setup
With one screen, you're juggling the call window, your slides, and your script in the same space. A workable layout is a thin script strip at the very top, the call window below it showing your own video small, and your shared slide window taking the rest. Resize windows ahead of time and save that layout; don't improvise it two minutes before you go live.
Two-screen or second-device setup
If you have a second screen or a tablet, put the call and the audience-facing slides on one display, and keep your script and private notes on the other, positioned as close to the main camera as you can manage. A phone or tablet propped just beneath or beside the webcam works well for this. The point of a second device is control, not distance: it should still sit near the lens, not off to the side where you'll have to turn your head.
How to share only your slides, not your whole screen
This is the step people skip, and it's the one that matters most for keeping your script private. In Zoom, use Share Screen and select the specific application window for your slides, not your entire desktop. In Teams, choose Window under Share content and pick the slide deck window specifically. This keeps your script, notes, and any other open tabs off the audience's view entirely, visible only to you.
Before you go live, do a real test: start a share, open your script window, and have a colleague confirm what they actually see. It should be your slides and nothing else. This is also the moment to turn off notification banners, since a popup message during a share can appear even when the rest of your screen is hidden.
A few habits that prevent awkward surprises on the call:
- Close unrelated tabs and apps before sharing, even ones you think are hidden.
- Rename your script window something generic if your platform shows window titles in the picker.
- Do the test share with the exact software you'll use live, not a similar one.
- Check that your slide window and script window don't overlap, so your slide clicks always land where you expect.
How to keep your pace natural instead of racing a scroll
A timed, auto-scrolling prompter is built for broadcast, where every word is locked to a schedule. On a Zoom call, your pace changes constantly: you slow down for a key point, pause for a question in the chat, or speed up when you're ahead of the clock. A fixed scroll speed fights you the moment you deviate, and chasing text that's outrunning you is exactly what makes a voice sound rushed or flat.
A prompter that follows your actual voice and advances with your words solves this directly, because the text waits for you instead of the other way around. That matters even more on video calls, where speaking too fast when nervous is a common trap, since adrenaline and the pressure of being watched up close tend to speed everyone up.
Keeping eye contact and staying present during the call
Eye contact on video isn't really about staring at the lens the whole time. It's about returning to it often enough that your audience feels looked at, the same principle covered in depth in presenting slides on Zoom without looking away. Glance at your slides or notes when you need to, then come back to the lens, rather than trying to avoid looking away entirely.
It also helps to treat your private notes as a safety net, not a script you read word for word. Keeping a visible but private place for reminders, the way seeing your notes without the audience seeing them describes for in-person talks, works just as well on a call. You want enough support that a blank moment doesn't derail you, without leaning on the text so hard that you sound like you're reading.
This is where Aitho's Presenter View earns its keep on video calls: your script follows your voice and highlights where you are, visible only on your own screen, while the Audience Stage shows just your slides to the people on the call. You share that slide window the same way you'd share any presentation, and your script, pacing, and private notes stay with you, out of the shared view.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a teleprompter app and share my screen on Zoom at the same time?
Yes, as long as you share a specific window (your slides) rather than your entire screen or desktop. Most teleprompter apps run in their own window, so Zoom's window-sharing option keeps it off the audience's view while you still see it on your own display.
Does Microsoft Teams let me share just one window like Zoom does?
Yes. Under Share content in Teams, choose Window and select the specific application, such as your slide deck, instead of Screen, which would show your entire desktop including any script or notes.
What's the best camera placement for reading a script on a video call?
Position your script text directly above or below your webcam, as close to the lens as your screen and stand allow, so your eyes travel the shortest possible distance between reading and looking at the camera.
Will people notice I'm using a teleprompter on a video call?
If the text sits close to the camera and you pace it with your own voice instead of a fixed scroll, most viewers read it as natural confidence rather than reading, since the giveaway is usually darting eyes or a flat, rushed rhythm, not the tool itself.
Present it hands-free
Aitho turns any deck into a hands-free presentation. Your script follows your voice and your slides advance on their own.
Try Aitho →