Embedding an uploaded video file

Note: This article covers embedding video files in posts/pages using the WordPress block editor. To learn about embedding video files in your ProPhoto layout, please see the ProPhoto Video Module article instead.

WordPress makes it very easy for you to upload and embed video files in posts and pages. But, just because you can upload your videos does not mean you should. Videos take up a lot of storage on the server and they can take a long time to load in your post or page, resulting in a poor user experiencing. So we recommend embedding videos from a third-party sharing service whenever possible.

That said, you may have a valid reason for uploading a video file, and here is how to do it.

Embedding the video in a post/page

To add a video file to your post or page, you can add a Video block in the WordPress block editor. 

You can then upload your own video file, select a previously uploaded video file from the Media Library, or paste in the URL to an externally hosted video file.

(Alternatively, you can also click and drag a video file from your computer directly into the block editor where you'd like it to display.) Just be aware that there is a 50Mb upload limit, so your video file will need to be under that limit in order to upload.

Once you've selected your video file, the video will display directly in the editor.

Just like it will on the front of post/page when updated or published.

Additional video options

When you select a video block in the block editor, WordPress provides a number of additional settings in the right hand sidebar.

Most of the options are pretty self-explanatory. Just be aware that with regards to the "Autoplay" option, it may not always work. For example, if your video contains audio, you may need to also enable the "Muted" option for autoplay to work. But even then, browsers can still be finicky about autoplay and may choose not to allow it.

"Play inline" refers to how the video is displayed on mobile devices. When selected, a video will display inline with the rest of the content when it is played. But if it is disabled, the video will instead display full screen when played on mobile.

The "Poster Image" option allows you to upload a placeholder image, which will display in place of the video, until the video is played. This can be helpful if you want to display something other than the default first frame of the video.