Adding Video Backgrounds

In version 2.3 of Full Screen Background Images, we added the ability to include video backgrounds in place of an image.

There are two types of videos that can be added: YouTube videos (any video on YouTube), and MP4 videos that are self hosted on your WordPress site, another website, or cloud storage.

How To Add A YouTube Video

  • First, navigate to Appearance > Fullscreen BG Image.
  • Click Add New or edit an existing image.
  • Find the video you want to use as a background on YouTube. You can copy the video's URL from your browser's address bar or by using the share button below the video.
  • Paste the YouTube URL in the "Choose an image" box in Full Screen Background Images as shown in the image below.

Limitations On Using YouTube Videos

There are a few limitations when using YouTube videos.

YouTube does not provide a way for the videos to be played on a loop. This means that the video will play once and then stop. If the video is 10 minutes long and your visitors typically only stay on your site for 1-2 minutes, this likely won't be a problem for you.

Additionally, the video's thumbnail will flash on the screen for a moment before the video begins playing. The video's thumbnail will also be displayed after the video stops playing.

How To Add An MP4 Video

You have a couple options with MP4 videos.

If you have the video file on your computer, you can upload it to your WordPress website the same way that you would upload an image to your site to use in Full Screen Background Images.

  • Navigate to Appearance > Fullscreen BG Image.
  • Click Add New or edit an existing image.
  • Click the Choose Image button and upload or select an image from the WordPress media library.

If the video is hosted on another website, or a third party cloud storage service, you can use the video the same way that you use a YouTube video:

  • Navigate to Appearance > Fullscreen BG Image.
  • Click Add New or edit an existing image.
  • Get the URL to the video that you want to use as a background.
  • Paste the video's URL in the "Choose an image" box in Full Screen Background Images.

By default, the MP4 videos will loop on repeat, so you can have a short video that will continue playing for the duration of the time the visitor is on your page.

Notes For All Video Types

All videos are played muted so that no audio will be played at all. If audio is an important part of the video, you may wish to choose a different video.

Developers may wish to modify some of the default functionality through several hooks that are available: