HTML Tags

HTML <video> Tag

The <video> tag is used to embed video files directly into a webpage.
It supports multiple formats such as MP4, WebM, and Ogg, and provides built-in playback controls for users to play, pause, or adjust volume.

Syntax

html

<video controls>
  <source src="video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
  <source src="video.webm" type="video/webm">
  Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>

Attributes

Attribute	Description	Example
src	Specifies the path to the video file.	src="movie.mp4"
controls	Displays video playback controls.	controls
autoplay	Automatically plays the video.	autoplay
loop	Repeats the video after finishing.	loop
muted	Starts the video with sound muted.	muted
poster	Specifies an image to show before the video starts.	poster="preview.jpg"
width / height	Sets the dimensions of the video player.	width="640" height="360"
preload	Indicates how the video should be preloaded: none, metadata, or auto.	preload="metadata"
crossorigin	Manages CORS requests for the video element.	crossorigin="anonymous"

Example

html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>Video Tag Example</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h2>Example: Embedding a Video</h2>

  <video width="640" height="360" controls poster="https://ik.imagekit.io/html5andcss3/lesson-samples/sample_thumbnail.png">
    <source src="https://ik.imagekit.io/html5andcss3/lesson-samples/sample_video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
    <source src="https://ik.imagekit.io/html5andcss3/lesson-samples/sample_video.webm" type="video/webm">
    Your browser does not support the video tag.
  </video>

</body>
</html>

Output

Browser Output

html

Displays a built-in video player with play, pause, progress bar, and volume controls.
Use our Try It Editor to view and test video playback directly in your browser.

Browser Support

Chrome	Edge	Firefox	Safari	Opera	IE9+
Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

The <video> element is supported across all major browsers starting from Internet Explorer 9.
Older browsers (IE8 and below) do not support HTML5 video playback.

Notes

You can include multiple <source> elements for different video formats to ensure compatibility.
The poster attribute helps improve user experience by showing a thumbnail before playback starts.
Avoid using autoplay without muted, as modern browsers block auto-playing videos with sound.

Conclusion

The <video> tag provides a native, flexible, and browser-friendly way to embed video content.
It replaces older plugins like Flash and supports modern formats and responsive attributes for seamless integration across devices.

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