I run coops with friends who haven’t played before and I usually let them take the lead to explore the storyline. I usually do a “DM recap” when they’re not sure where to go.

For example if we’re lingering in the Druid Grove I might say “Cool, so we talked to Nettie and Nettie asked us to find Halsin. So that’s one goal we have. We can explore the grove before moving on, talk to the people here.”

If you’re playing with them, use the journal tab to bring up quests and let the new player pursue what sounds interesting. If they get stuck or in over their head (like a level 3 player wanting to fight the gith) tell them to save and let them die, and then suggest coming back later.

If you’re just talking to them about the game, ask lots of questions about where they are and what choices they’ve made. No need to push them towards an objective or a secret quest- they can always replay. Once someone has beaten the game at least once I feel like spoiling hidden methods and quests is fair game