Video: background section
The Video: background section plays an uploaded video behind a heading, text and button in Highlight, with a fallback image for mobile.
Applies to: Highlight 4.1.0 and later. Added in: Highlight 1.0.0. Last checked: 2026-10-13 against Highlight 4.1.0.
The Video: background section plays a video you uploaded to Shopify behind a heading, a paragraph and a button. The video starts by itself, muted and in a loop. A fallback image takes its place when the video cannot play.
Where to find it: Online Store → Themes → Customize → Add section → Video: background (Media & galleries category).
Video and fallback image
- Video picks a video uploaded to Shopify (in the picker, or in Shopify admin → Content → Files). Until you pick one, the section plays a Shopify sample video.
- Fallback image shows instead of the video when the video cannot play, for example on phones in low power mode or with data saving on.
- Heading shows a small title above the video. Leave it empty for no title.
- Heading tag sets the HTML level of that title for search engines.
Upload a fallback image for mobile devices where autoplay is disabled. Depending on the internet connection, the phone settings, the battery level and the mobile browser, video autoplay can be turned off.
Size & alignment
- Video height sets the section height: Natural (16:9) (the default, the full video frame), Large (70 % of the window height) or Full (the whole window height). Large and Full crop the video to fill the area.
- Text alignment places the text in one of nine positions over the video, from Left top to Right bottom. Default: Left bottom.
Heading colors
- Custom text color colors the text and the button over the video. Transparent uses the store text color.
- Background overlay lays a color over the video so the text stays readable. Pick a color with some transparency, for example a semi-transparent black under white text.
Blocks
Each block can be added once; drag them to change their order. The section starts with a Heading and a Text block.
Heading
- Heading is the large text on the video. Default: "Talk about your brand".
- Heading size sets Regular (the default), Large or Extra large.
Text
Text is a paragraph under the heading. It supports bold, italic and links. The block's Heading size setting has no effect in Highlight 4.1.0.
Button
Button label and Button link add an underlined link with an arrow. The block's Button size setting has no effect in Highlight 4.1.0.
Setting up a background video
Upload the video
In Shopify admin → Content → Files, upload the video, or upload it from the Video picker in the section. Short, small files start faster.
Pick the video
Select the Video: background section and choose the video in Video.
Add a fallback image
Upload a still of the video, or a matching photo, in Fallback image.
Add the text
Write the Heading and Text blocks, add a Button block if needed, and set Text alignment.
Make the text readable
Set Custom text color and a semi-transparent Background overlay if the text is hard to read over the video.
Test on a phone
Open the page on a phone, also in low power mode, to check that the fallback image looks right.
Why does the video not play on my phone?
The phone did not allow autoplay. Phones block or pause autoplaying videos in low power mode, with data saving on, or on a slow connection. Highlight then shows the Fallback image. Without a fallback image, the area stays empty. Highlight 4.0.2 improved autoplay on Chrome for Android.
Can I use a YouTube or Vimeo video?
No. The Video: background section plays only videos uploaded to Shopify. For a YouTube or Vimeo video that customers start themselves, use the Video: popup section.
All Video: background settings
Every setting, with its type and default.
Accepts these blocks: Heading, Text and Button.
Heading (text field, default: "Video background").
Video (video): Sets the video uploaded to Shopify that plays behind the text, muted and in a loop. Without one, a Shopify sample video plays.
Fallback image (image): Sets the image shown instead of the video when the video cannot play, for example on phones in low power mode.
Video: background section: Size & alignment
Where to find it: Video: background → Size & alignment
Video height (dropdown, default: Uncropped: Natural (16:9)): Sets the section height: the full 16:9 video frame, 70 percent of the window height (Large) or the whole window (Full). Large and Full crop the video. Options: Uncropped: Natural (16:9), Cropped: Large, Cropped: Full.
Text alignment (dropdown, default: Left bottom): Places the text in one of nine positions over the video. Options: Left top, Center top, Right top, Left middle, Center middle, Right middle, Left bottom, Center bottom, Right bottom.
Video: background section: Heading
Where to find it: Video: background → Heading
Custom text color (color, default: transparent): Sets the color of the text and the button over the video. Transparent uses the store text color.
Background overlay (color, default: transparent): Lays a color over the video to keep the text readable. Use a color with transparency.
Video: background section: SEO
Where to find it: Video: background → SEO
Heading tag (dropdown, default: H2): Specify heading level to help search engines index the structure of your page. Options: H1, H2, H3, H4, span.
Heading block
Where to find it: Video: background → Add block → Heading
One Heading block per section.
Heading (text field, default: "Talk about your brand").
Heading size (dropdown, default: Regular): Sets the size of the heading on the video. Options: Regular, Large, Extra large.
Text block
Where to find it: Video: background → Add block → Text
One Text block per section.
Text (rich text, default: "Use this text to share information about your brand with your customers. Describe a product, share…").
Heading size (dropdown, default: Regular): Has no effect in Highlight 4.1.0: the section does not read it. Options: Regular, Large, Extra large.
Button block
Where to find it: Video: background → Add block → Button
One Button block per section.
Button label (text field, default: "Button label").
Button link (link).
Button size (dropdown, default: Regular): Has no effect in Highlight 4.1.0: the section does not read it. Options: Regular, Large.
Related pages
- Video: popup section: a YouTube or Vimeo video behind a play button.
- Troubleshoot sections and blocks: videos that do not load or play.
- Sections: every section you can add.