Want to grab customer attention effectively? Learn how to upload a video file to Shopify store pages for great results. Humans love visual content. Just the sight of golden French fries and a juicy burger is enough to get your mouth watering.
Advertisers know how powerful videos are, which is why 30-second Super Bowl commercials cost $7 million a pop. Your Shopify store can also harness this media power.
Does Shopify Allow Videos?
Videos are absolutely allowed on Shopify. What’s more, Shopify strongly encourages you to use them. The platform has evolved to support high-quality videos, product images, and even 3D models.
The tricky part is compatibility. Only some Shopify themes support video content out of the box, and many require Online Store 2.0, which is an upgraded version of Shopify’s framework that allows for more flexible customization and additional features. If you’re rocking Craft, Crave, Dawn, or Sense themes, then you’re in luck.
With third-party themes, there’s a good chance you can use videos, but you need to do some testing first, such as verifying compatibility and checking video responsiveness.
How Do You Upload a Video File to Your Shopify Store?
OK, you’ve upgraded to Shopify Online Store 2.0 or a compatible theme. Now you’re ready to blow your audience away with attention-grabbing videos. Here’s how to get your videos on the page.
Adding Video Directly to Product Pages
The new Shopify makes it easy to upload videos for your products. We’ll walk you through it:
- In your Shopify admin, go to the Products tab.
- Select your desired product from the list.
- Scroll down to the box labeled “Media.”
- To upload a video file from your mobile device, computer, or cloud drive, click “Add.”
- To embed a video from YouTube or Vimeo, click “Add from URL.”
You can also add videos to your product descriptions. This is helpful for explaining product features. Go to Shopify Admin > Products > Product Description. Once there, click on the “Insert video” icon that looks like a “Play” button. Paste the URL of your video into the box.
Uploading Videos
The process for adding videos to other pages of your website is a little more complicated, but it’s not hard. First, let’s talk about how to upload your own product videos:
- From your admin, select the Content tab. Then click on “Files.”
- Choose “Upload files.”
- Either browse for the video on your device or click and drag the file onto the screen.
With this method, you can add videos to blog posts, your home page, collection pages, and other areas of your site.
Embedding Videos
If you have a big social media presence or use YouTube to grab search traffic, embedding your videos may be the way to go. This option means you don’t need to upload videos again if they’re already on YouTube.
First, the how:
- Go to your YouTube channel and open the video you want to embed.
- To use YouTube’s native embed code, click “Share” and then “Embed.”
- Copy the code that appears using the “Copy” button.
- Go to the page of your website you want to add the video to and click the “Insert video” icon.
- Paste your embed code into the box and confirm with “Insert video.”
This option is shorter, but not sweeter. Your embedded video will look good on some devices, but too large or small on others.
To get around this issue, visit the free Embed Responsively tool first. Paste your YouTube video’s URL into the box and you get a different embed code that works perfectly for every device. Then, follow the same method as above with the “Insert video” icon.
Why Use Videos for Your Store?
Are videos worth the hassle of uploading? We’ll let you be the judge:
- More sales: Over 95% of users say they watch videos to understand products better, and nearly 90% make purchases because of what they see.
- Greater engagement: Most people spend more than 45 minutes watching YouTube content. Videos can keep people browsing your site much longer than other types of content.
- Happier customers: Visitors feel good when they get the answers they need. Explainer videos are like having a helpful customer service agent right there.
- Fewer Returns: Clear sizing charts and videos that show how a product looks in action can cut down on returns significantly.
You’ve probably noticed these benefits yourself when looking for businesses or products online.
What Video Files are Supported on Shopify?
If you’re just now learning how to upload a video file to your Shopify store, know that you can use .mp4 and .mov files. These are common formats and offer an excellent mix of quality and lightweight performance for web pages. You can use resolutions of up to 4K, but that’s probably overkill most of the time. The max video length/size is 10 minutes or 1 GB.
Before you go crazy adding 4K videos to dozens or hundreds of products, keep in mind that each Shopify plan has a maximum file storage limit. Basic accounts are limited to 100 GB, Shopify Advanced and Shopify Plus get 300 GB, and Shopify Enterprise enjoys up to 10 TB in total.
Should You Use a Shopify App To Upload Videos?
Only you can decide how to use your store’s budget, but we heavily recommend app solutions if you’re not a hands-on tech-loving entrepreneur. They make the process easier and deliver a what-you-see-is-what-you-get experience that gives you more control over what your store looks like.
One time-saving example is Kiwi Sizing. This popular app helps you create professional-quality product size guides with videos, images, and 3D models in minutes. You can upload videos in a few clicks — no coding required.
How Can You Use Videos on Shopify?
Videos can unleash your creativity and offer a phenomenal experience for your customers. The possibilities are practically endless:
- Explainer videos for your blog
- Product comparison videos
- Full 360-degree views of clothing or home decor items
- Short videos highlighting the benefits of your products
- How-to videos or examples of your products in action
Text just isn’t as effective as videos at helping people understand your message quickly and completely.
Need Help With How To Upload a Video File To Your Shopify Store?
At StayTuned Digital, we love helping new and veteran Shopify store owners get great results. We have powerful apps that simplify store management — and an amazing support team. If you want to upload video files to your Shopify store easily, look no further. See how we can help right away.