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The video tag allows you to embed video content in your HTML pages.
Basic Usage
Reference a video file with the src attribute:
<video src="file.mp4"></video>To display the built-in controls, add the controls attribute:
<video src="file.mp4" controls></video>Common Attributes
poster
Display a custom thumbnail image before the video plays:
<video src="video.mp4" poster="thumbnail.png" controls></video>Without a poster, the browser displays the first frame of the video.
autoplay
Play the video automatically. Many browsers require muted to be set for autoplay to work:
<video src="file.mp4" controls autoplay muted></video>loop
Restart the video when it reaches the end:
<video src="file.mp4" controls loop></video>width and height
Set the dimensions of the video player:
<video src="video.mp4" controls width="800" height="450"></video>preload
Control how the browser preloads the video:
<video src="video.mp4" preload="auto"></video>Values: none, metadata (default), or auto.
Multiple Sources
To support different video formats, use the source element:
<video controls>
<source src="video.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>The browser will use the first format it supports.
Fallback Content
Add text for browsers that don’t support the video element:
<video src="video.mp4" controls>
Your browser does not support the video element.
</video>JavaScript Events
You can listen for various events on video elements:
const video = document.querySelector('video')
video.addEventListener('play', () => {
console.log('Video started playing')
})
video.addEventListener('pause', () => {
console.log('Video paused')
})
video.addEventListener('ended', () => {
console.log('Video finished')
})Common events include: play, pause, ended, timeupdate, and volumechange.
CORS
Videos from other origins (domains) are subject to CORS restrictions. The server hosting the video must include appropriate CORS headers to allow cross-origin playback.