Contents

Poster Image

The still picture shown in place of the video until someone presses play.

Where to find it
Labelled Poster Image in the "Selected Component" section of the Modify drawer.
Offered by
The Video component. Other components do not have this setting.
Per device
Yes — you can set one value for every screen, or separate values for phone, tablet, and desktop.

In plain English

Before a visitor presses play there is nothing to show, so something has to fill the space. By default RuleCMS uses the video's own first frame, which needs no work from you and is usually fine.

It is not always fine, though. Plenty of videos open on a fade from black, a blurred half-second, or a title card that reads as a mistake when frozen. This setting lets you choose an uploaded image instead, so the space holds a deliberate picture rather than an accident of where the video happened to start.

A good poster looks like a frame from the video, has the same shape as the video, and reads clearly at the size it will actually appear.

When you would use it

  • The video's first frame is dark, blurred, or otherwise unflattering.
  • You want a designed thumbnail, with a title or a play prompt on it.

How to change it

  1. Upload the picture you want to use in the Images area of your team.
  2. Click the video component on the canvas.
  3. In the Modify drawer, open "Selected Component", then "Poster Image".
  4. Select the image. Leave it unset to keep using the video's first frame.
One value, or one per device? Every input in this setting sits under a “Same value for all resolutions” checkbox. Leave it checked for a single value everywhere, or uncheck it to give phones, tablets, and desktops their own. How per-device values work.

Watch out for

  • Give the poster the same shape as the video. A mismatch leaves visible bars, or crops the poster unexpectedly.
  • A poster that promises something the video does not deliver reads as a bait-and-switch. Keep it honest.
  • The poster is what visitors see while the video downloads, so it is worth the same care as any other image on the page.

Related settings

Where to go next