Video Media Type

The Video media type lets you feature a video as the primary visual for a portfolio project. The theme supports three sources: self-hosted files, YouTube, and Vimeo - they all use the same set of player controls.

#Setting Up a Video

1. Open your portfolio item and go to the Media tab
2. Set Primary Media Type to Video
3. Choose a Video Source: Self-hosted, YouTube, or Vimeo
4. Provide the source - upload a file or paste a URL (see the table below)
5. Optionally upload a Video Poster Image - shown before playback starts
6. Tune the four player toggles to match how the video should behave

#Video Source

Source	What to Provide	Notes
Self-hosted	Upload an MP4 (H.264) or WebM file	Full control, no third-party branding. Uses your bandwidth.
YouTube	Paste any standard YouTube URL	youtube.com/watch?v=…, youtu.be/…, youtube.com/embed/…, and youtube.com/shorts/… are all accepted. The theme uses youtube-nocookie.com for a privacy-friendly embed.
Vimeo	Paste any Vimeo URL	vimeo.com/…, channel/showcase URLs, and player.vimeo.com/video/… are all accepted. DNT (Do Not Track) is on by default.

Tip: For YouTube and Vimeo, the theme extracts the video ID from the URL automatically - you do not need to find or build an embed link manually.

#Player Controls

Four toggles let you tune how the video plays back. They apply consistently across all three sources.

Toggle	Default	Behavior
Autoplay	On	Starts the video as soon as it appears. Browsers block autoplay with sound, so combine with Muted for it to actually start.
Muted	On	Starts the video with audio muted. Required by most browsers for autoplay to work.
Loop	On	Replays the video continuously when it ends.
Show Player Controls	Off	Shows play/pause/scrub controls. Disable for an immersive ambient-loop look.

#Video Poster Image

The Video Poster Image is a static frame shown before the video loads. It is required for self-hosted videos and used as the card thumbnail in portfolio grids. For YouTube and Vimeo, the platform serves its own poster, so the field is optional.

#How the Video Renders

#On Single Project Pages

The hero video uses the toggles you set above:

• Self-hosted videos render as an HTML5 <video> element with your chosen attributes
• YouTube and Vimeo render as a privacy-respecting <iframe> with the same options applied via embed parameters
• All three respect responsive sizing and adapt to the chosen single page layout style

#On Portfolio Archive Cards

Video projects display a play button overlay on the card thumbnail. Clicking the button opens the video in a lightbox with full controls - regardless of the Show Player Controls toggle on the project itself.

#Best Practices

#Self-hosted

• Use MP4 (H.264) for widest browser compatibility. WebM is a good alternative for smaller file sizes but has less universal support.
• Compress your video before uploading. Use HandBrake or FFmpeg to reduce file size. Aim for under 20MB.
• Always set a poster image. Without one, visitors see a blank frame until the video loads.
• Match the poster dimensions to your video. A 1920x1080 video deserves a 1920x1080 poster to avoid layout shifts.
• Keep videos short. Project showcase videos work best at 15-60 seconds.

#YouTube and Vimeo

• Use unlisted videos if the project is portfolio-specific and you do not want it surfacing in YouTube search results.
• Disable end screens and suggestions in YouTube Studio for a cleaner viewing experience.
• Keep the URL clean. Both extractors handle tracking parameters fine, but a clean URL is easier to maintain.
• Test region restrictions. YouTube and Vimeo can block playback in certain countries - confirm your audience can see the video.

Warning: Large self-hosted video files significantly increase page load time. Always compress your videos and test page speed after uploading. If the file exceeds 20MB, consider switching to YouTube or Vimeo - they handle streaming and bandwidth.

Info: The featured image in the WordPress sidebar is used as the card thumbnail in portfolio grids when no Video Poster Image is set, or when you use a YouTube/Vimeo source without uploading a poster.

Last updated 19 Aug 2026