---
title: "How to Create a Video Popup in WordPress?"
url: https://nexterwp.com/docs/create-a-video-popup-in-wordpress/
date: 2024-12-11
modified: 2026-09-28
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "A video embedded in the middle of a page competes with everything around it, and loads whether or not anyone watches. A popup shows a still image or a play..."
image: https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/How-to-Create-a-Video-Popup-in-WordPress_-1024x519.jpg
word_count: 438
---

# How to Create a Video Popup in WordPress?

A video embedded in the middle of a page competes with everything around it, and loads whether or not anyone watches.

A popup shows a still image or a play icon, and opens the video over the page only when someone asks for it.

*For every Video setting in one place, see the [Video block guide](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-videos-in-wordpress/).*

[LIVE BLOCK LINK](https://nexterwp.com/nexter-blocks/blocks/wordpress-video-player/)

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** **Free** — the Video block is in the free Nexter Blocks plugin.- **Block to enable:** Video, switched on under **Nexter > Blocks** in your WordPress dashboard.- **A thumbnail image** if you want the banner style rather than a bare play icon.

![A Video block set to open in a popup, showing the banner image and play icon](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/video-popup-before.webp)

![The video playing in a real lightbox popup after clicking](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/video-popup-after.webp)

## Steps

- Add the **Video** block to your page and click **Design from Scratch**.

- Set **Source** to **YouTube**.

![The Source setting with YouTube, Vimeo and Self Hosted](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/video-source.webp)

- Open the **Banner / Icon** panel and switch **Custom Layout** on.

![Custom Layout on, with the banner and title settings](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/video-layout.webp)

- Choose your banner image, and add a **Video Title** and **Video Description** if you want them over it.

- Switch **Play on Popup** on.

![The Play on Popup toggle](https://nexterwp.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/video-popup.webp)

- Publish and click the thumbnail.

> ***Play on Popup only works with the Banner / Icon panel.** On its own it does nothing — measured: the page rendered the ordinary inline player and no popup link at all.*

## How It Behaves

- **The popup is real.** Measured: with Custom Layout and Play on Popup both on, the thumbnail became a link carrying the embed URL, and clicking it opened a lightbox over the page.- **It works for all three sources.** A self-hosted file produced a link straight to the MP4 with `type="video/mp4"`.- **Nothing loads until the click.** With the banner showing, there is no player on the page — which is the speed and privacy benefit of doing it this way.- **The Layout setting also offers an icon-only style**, which gives a bare play button with no thumbnail and opens the same popup.

## Limitations

- **Play on Popup does nothing on its own.** Without Custom Layout, or the icon-only layout, the page just renders the ordinary inline player — measured.- The thumbnail is your own image, so it does not update if the video's own thumbnail changes.- A popup is awkward on very small screens, where the video ends up nearly full width anyway.- One video per block. For a row of videos, use several blocks or a carousel.

## Troubleshooting

### Clicking does nothing and the video is just embedded in the page

**Custom Layout** is off. Play on Popup needs it, or set the **Layout** to the icon-only option.

### The thumbnail does not show

No banner image is selected. Choose one in the **Banner / Icon** panel.

### I want just a play button, not a picture

Set **Layout** to the icon-only option.

## Related Docs

- [Video block: all settings](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-videos-in-wordpress/)- [Embed a YouTube video](https://nexterwp.com/docs/embed-a-youtube-video-in-wordpress/)- [Add a self-hosted video](https://nexterwp.com/docs/add-a-self-hosted-video-in-wordpress/)