Video
Add the hero background video and the showreel, and embed any video with the lightbox module.
Updated August 23, 2026 · 3 min read · Applies from version 1.0.0
No video file is included with the theme — HubSpot's theme upload does not accept .mp4, and a video URL from another account would not work in yours. The home page hero therefore ships with a still poster image, and the showreel card is hidden until you give it a video.
Add the hero video
- Upload your MP4 to Marketing → Files and Templates → Files (the File Manager). Keep the background video under about 3 MB, muted and without an audio track; a 1280 px wide export is enough for a background.
- Open the home page in the editor and select the Full screen hero with background video and showreel card module.
- In the Background group, set Background to Looping video and pick your file in Background video (MP4).
- Keep a poster image as well: it is painted before the video starts, whenever motion is off, and it is usually the page's largest image — so export it wide and light.
- Optional: Show showreel card (in the Display group) is already switched on. Open the Showreel card group and set Showreel video (MP4), a Showreel poster, a card title and a duration or caption. The card opens a lightbox with controls and sound. Without a video the card is not rendered — that is why it is invisible on a fresh install even though the toggle is on.
If you would rather not use video at all, set Background to Image or Solid color; the hero is designed for all three.
Embed a video anywhere: Video poster with play button and lightbox
A poster image with a centred play button that opens the video in an accessible lightbox with controls and sound. Video source:
- MP4 file — a file from your File Manager.
- Embed URL — the embed URL of a video provider (the address the provider gives you for an iframe embed). The player is loaded only when the lightbox opens.
Optional title and subtitle, over or below the poster; poster ratio (16/9, 4/3, 1/1, 21/9), play button size, corner radius. The lightbox closes with the Escape key and returns focus to the play button; its labels are editable in Accessibility labels.
Keep videos light
- Background video: under about 3 MB, no audio track, a resolution matching its display (1280 px is enough).
- Showreel or embedded video: prefer a provider embed for long videos; keep a poster image in every case — it is what visitors see first and what search engines index.
See also
- Heroes and headings
- Performance and accessibility
- Troubleshooting — "the video does not play"