Creating a page with video background using HTML/CSS

Do not miss this exclusive book on Binary Tree Problems. Get it now for free.

Introduction
Prepare the Video file
Set up the HTML structure
Style the video container
Important thing to remember
Conclusion

Introduction

Have you ever wondered how to have a video play in the background while you display some contents to your users? In this tutorial at OpenGenus, we will go over how to create a video background in your web application by using simple HTML and CSS.

Prepare the Video File:

First, make sure you have a video file in a suitable format (e.g., MP4, WebM) for web usage. You will need the video file hosted on your server or use a third-party video hosting service.

Set up the HTML structure:

Create an HTML file and add the necessary structure. Here's a basic example:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Video Background Page</title>
  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="styles.css">
</head>
<body>
  <div class="video-container">
    <video autoplay loop muted>
      <source src="path/to/your/video.mp4" type="video/mp4">
      <!-- Include additional source elements for other video formats -->
    </video>
    <div class="content">
      <!-- Your page content goes here -->
    </div>
  </div>
</body>
</html>

Style the video container:

Create a CSS file (e.g., styles.css) and add the necessary styles. Here's an example:

html, body {
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    height: 100%;
  }
  
  #video-container {
    position: relative;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    overflow: hidden;
  }
  
  #video-background {
    position: absolute;
    top: 0;
    left: 0;
    width: 100%;
    height: 100%;
    object-fit: cover;
  }
  
  #content {
    position: relative;
    z-index: 1;
    /* Add any additional styles for your content */
  }

In the CSS code above, we set the video-container as a relative positioned container that takes up the full width and height of the viewport. The video element is positioned absolutely and centered using the transform property. The content div is also positioned absolutely and centered on top of the video, acting as the content overlay.

Important thing to remember

Remember to replace "path/to/your/video.mp4" in the HTML code with the actual path to your video file.

Conclusion

Summary steps to create a page with a video background using HTML and CSS:

Prepare the video file in a suitable format (e.g., MP4, WebM) for web usage.
Set up the HTML structure with a video element inside a container div.
Link a CSS file to the HTML document and define styles for the video container, video element, and content overlay.
Customize the HTML content and CSS styles according to your desired layout and design.
Save the HTML file and CSS file.
Open the HTML file in a web browser to see the page with a video background.

By following these steps, you can create an engaging webpage that includes a video background, adding visual appeal and enhancing the overall user experience.

Table of Contents