Video Block

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The Video Block allows you to upload and embed video into your post or page.

You can type “/video” in a new paragraph block to add one quickly.

Detailed instructions on adding blocks can be found here.

Adding a Video

When you add a Video Block you will be prompted with three options to add your content, UploadMedia Library, and Insert from URL.

TheUpload will allow you to upload a new video file from your computer. Media Library lets you select a file that’s already uploaded to your site’s media library.

If you insert a URL from a supported block type, such as YouTube, the Video Block will automatically transform into a YouTube Block.

Once the video is embedded in the page, you can add an optional caption if desired.

Block Toolbar

Every block comes with unique toolbar icons and block specific user controls that allow you to manipulate the block right in the editor.

TheVideo Block shows standard six buttons:

  • Change block type or style
  • Moving handles
  • Change alignment
  • Text tracks
  • Replace
  • More options

Change block type or style

You can transform video into Columns Block,Cover Block,File Block, Media & Text Block, or Group. The Group would give you the ability to change the background color around the video.

Editor view of Video Block as a group with Color settingscontrols

Moving handles

The up and down arrow icons can be used to shift a block up and down in your document.

Detailed instructions on moving a block within the editor can be found here.

Change alignment

  • Align left – Make the block left-aligned.
  • Align center – Make the block alignment centered.
  • Align right – Make the block right aligned.
  • Wide width – Increase the width of the post beyond the content size.
  • Full width – Extend the block to cover the full width of the screen.

Text tracks

The Text tracks option will allow you to display timed text tracks (such as subtitles or captions) when the media is playing.

The tracks are formatted in WebVTT format (.vtt files) — Web Video Text Tracks.

Once you upload the track, you will find the edit track option.

Label

A user-readable title of the text track which is used by the browser when listing available text tracks.

Source language

Language of the track text data. It must be a valid BCP 47 language tag. If the Kind attribute is set to Subtitles, then the Source language must be defined.

Kind

How the text track is meant to be used. If omitted, the default kind is Subtitles. If the attribute contains an invalid value, it will use Metadata.

  • Subtitles: Translations of the dialogue in the video for when audio is available but not understood. Subtitles are shown over the video.
  • Captions:Transcription of the dialogue, sound effects, musical cues, and other audio information for when the viewer is deaf/hard of hearing or the video is muted. Captions are also shown in the video.
  • Descriptions:Text descriptions of what’s happening in the video for when the video portion isn’t available because the viewer is blind, not using a screen, or driving and about to crash because they’re trying to enjoy a video while driving. Descriptions are read by a screen reader or turned into a separate audio track.
  • Chapters: Chapter titles that are used to create navigation within the video. Typically they’re in the form of a list of chapters that the viewer can click on to go to a specific chapter.
  • Metadata: Tracks that have data meant for javascript to parse and do something with. These aren’t shown to the user.

Replace

TheReplace option will allow you to select a new video file for your block. Use this if you need to replace the video file in your Video Block.

More options:

Hide Block Settings

The Hide Block Settings option hides (or shows) the Block Setting panel in the editor’s sidebar.

Copy

Copy can be used to copy a selected block and then you can paste it wherever you want in the editor.

Duplicate

Duplicate can be used to duplicate selected block.

Insert Before

Insert a new block before the selected block(s).

Insert After

Insert a new block after the selected block(s).

Move To

If you select Move To, you will get a blue line inside your content, you can then use the arrows to move that line up and down to where you want the selected content to be moved into, hitting return on your keyboard at that point moves the block to that position.

Instruction on using Move To option to move a block can be found here.

Add to Reusable blocks

Using the Add to Reusable blocks option lets you add the selected block to a list of reusable blocks, so you can use them on other posts or pages as well.

Group

Select the Group option if you want to create a group of blocks and treat them as a unit. You can for instance add a common background color or other blocks to the group.

Remove Block

With the Remove Blockoption, you can delete the selected block from your content.

Block Settings

Every block has specific options in the editor sidebar in addition to the options found in the block toolbar. If you do not see the sidebar, simply click the ‘cog’ icon next to the Publish button.

Video settings

Autoplay, Loop, & Muted

These options let you set your video file to autoplay when someone visits the page or post. Looping lets you choose if the video file repeats after it’s finished. You can also choose to mute the video if your circumstance requires it.

Playback controls

Toggle this option to show or hide the playback control overlay on the video.

  • With Playback controls:
  • Without Playback controls:

Play inline

This option lets you set your video is to be played inline, that is within the element’s playback area.

Note: Turning this option off does not imply that the video will always be played in fullscreen.

Preload

This option allows you to select how much of the video file is downloaded when the page or post is loaded. While it may be tempting to go ahead and have the whole file download automatically, keep in mind that this can slow your page’s load speed down.

There are three settings:

  • Auto – The entire video file is downloaded, regardless of whether the visitor clicks the Play button or not. This makes the biggest impact on your page or post’s load speed, especially with larger video files.
  • Metadata – Only basic info about the file will be downloaded automatically. Like the None option, the download of the video file only begins when someone clicks Play. This setting is also very fast, as the only thing downloaded is text. On a fundamental level, there’s not a big difference between None and Metadata.
  • None – Nothing about the video file is downloaded automatically. The download of the video file only begins when your visitor clicks the Play button. This is the fastest setting.

Poster image

You can choose a poster image that will be displayed before a video is set to play, this can be useful if the first frame of the video isn’t necessarily appealing or indicative of the video content. An eye-catching poster image can really draw attention to your video.

Advanced

TheAdvanced tab lets you add HTML anchor and CSS class(es) to your block.

HTML anchor allows you to make a unique web address for a particular Video Block. Then, you’ll be able to link directly to a Video Block of your page.

TheAdditional CSS class(es) lets you add CSS class(es) to your block, allowing you to write custom CSS and style the block as you see fit.

Changelog

  • Updated 2020-12-07
    • Added Text tracks in Block Toolbar
    • Changed screenshots in Block Toolbar
  • Updated 2020-08-25
    • Screenshots as per WordPress 5.5
    • Added feature changes in Block Toolbar
    • Added feature changes in Block Settings
  • Updated 2020-06-18
    • Added “Go back to the list of Blocks” to the top of the page
    • Added the Changelog
  • Created 2019-03-07