How can I render a background video correctly in Webflow to avoid cropping?
TL;DR
- Use Webflow’s Background Video element inside a div with set dimensions (e.g., 100% width, 100vh height).
- Set the video’s object-fit to "contain" to avoid cropping or "cover" if full coverage is preferred, and consider using a video embed for more control.
If your background video is getting cropped in Webflow, it’s typically due to how background videos scale to fill their containers. You can fix this by adjusting the element's styling and layout.
1. Use the Correct Element for Background Video
- Use Webflow's Background Video element rather than a custom video embed when you want a video as a true background.
- You can find this under the Add panel (A) in the Media section.
2. Set the Right Container Dimensions
- Place the Background Video element inside a Div block.
- Set the Div block to have a defined width and height, depending on your layout (e.g., 100% width and 100vh height for full-screen).
- Ensure the positioning of the container and children is managed correctly (usually relative for the parent if any absolutely positioned elements are inside).
3. Adjust the Background Video Styling
- Select the background video and set the following styles:
- Object Fit: Cover – ensures the video fills the container without letterboxing, but it may crop.
- If you want no cropping, set Object Fit: Contain, but this may leave empty space depending on aspect ratio.
- Consider experimenting with Object Position (e.g., center center) to align content properly if some cropping is acceptable.
4. Control Cropping via Aspect Ratio
- Background videos are inherently responsive and scale to fit containers.
- If cropping is still an issue, consider:
- Changing layout to use an inline video embed instead of a background (if cropping is unacceptable).
- Custom CSS via Embed element to control more exact scaling using
videotags styled withobject-fit.
5. Upload Properly Sized Video
- Webflow's background video element compresses and limits files to 30 MB.
- Ensure your video has a 16:9 aspect ratio for best fullscreen compatibility across devices.
- Avoid tall/narrow or square videos as they don't adapt well in wide browser windows.
Summary
To avoid cropping, place the background video inside a properly sized div container and use object-fit: contain if full visibility is more important than filling the container. Alternatively, use a regular video embed for precise control over layout, aspect ratio, and cropping.
