Skip to main content

Adding a Video

Learn how to add, edit, and customize videos in your Storydoc presentations with advanced editing features.

Written by Jack
Updated this week

Adding a Video

  1. Open Your Story
    From your Storydoc dashboard, open the story where you want to place the video.

  2. Select a Slide or Add a New One

  3. Add a Video Element

    • Click the Add a video icon from the right-hand toolbar.

    • Choose your source:

      • Stock videos – browse and select from the built-in video library.

      • My files – upload your own MP4 file (max 30 MB).

      • YouTube/Vimeo/Loom/Vidyard – paste the shareable link.

  4. Position and Resize
    Use the drag handles to adjust placement and size within the slide.

A video placed on a slide in the Storydoc editor

Editing Video Settings

When you select a video in the editor, you'll see editing options in the top toolbar. Click on your video to access the video customization panel.

Basic Video Options

  • Change video – Replace the current video with a new file, stock video, or pasted link from YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, or Vidyard.

  • Edit video – Access advanced editing features including cropping, trimming, and thumbnail selection.

  • Color overlay & opacity – Add a brand-colored overlay and adjust transparency.

  • Black and white filter – Convert your video to monochrome for stylistic effect.

Video editing panel showing color overlay and filter options

Video Shape and Appearance

You can customize the shape of your video beyond the standard rectangular format. Available shape options include:

  • Rectangle – Standard video format

  • Square – Perfect square dimensions

  • Circle – Circular video display

  • Rounded rectangle – Rectangle with rounded corners

  • Parallelogram – Angled geometric shape

Shape selection menu showing different video shape options

Playback Settings

  • Autoplay – Start playing automatically when the video is visible.
    ​Note: Due to modern browser restrictions, autoplay with sound is not supported. Viewers will need to click "Sound On" to hear the audio.

  • Loop – Play the video continuously on repeat.

  • Show controls – Allow viewers to play/pause, adjust volume, or scrub through the video.

  • Shadow – Add a drop shadow effect to your video.

  • Radius – Adjust the corner roundness of your video.

videosettings (1).gif

Edit video

Click on the crop tool to open the advanced editing feature, which allows you to trim, crop, and edit the video thumbnail. This gives you precise control over how your video appears and what content is displayed.


​

Screenshot 2026-04-10 at 14.27.50.png

Video Trimming

Trim your video to show only the most relevant portions:

  1. Click Trim in the video editing modal

  2. Use the timeline at the bottom to select the start and end points of your video

  3. Drag the handles to adjust the timing precisely

  4. Click Trim to apply your changes

Video trimming interface with timeline controls

Thumbnail Selection

Choose the perfect thumbnail for your video:

  1. Click Thumbnail in the editing modal

  2. Browse through different moments in your video

  3. Select the frame that best represents your video content

  4. Click Select to confirm your choice

Thumbnail selection interface showing video frame options

Why thumbnails matter: The thumbnail serves as the video preview before viewers click play. It's also used as the placeholder image in PDF exports, allowing readers to click and open the video from the PDF version.

Additional Editing Options

  • Aspect ratio adjustment – Change between 16:9, square, or other ratios

  • Zoom controls – Zoom in or out of your video content

  • Flip options – Flip your video horizontally or vertically if needed

Full video editing modal with all editing controls visible

Once you've made your edits, click Save to apply all changes. The system will process your edits, which may take a moment for complex modifications like cropping.

Saving progress indicator in the video editor

Make your adjustments, then preview your story to ensure the video looks and plays as intended.

Adding and Editing Slide Background Media (Including Videos)

You can also add videos or images as slide backgrounds to create a more immersive design.

  1. Open Slide Design Panel
    Select your slide and click the Slide design icon from the top bar.

  2. Add Background Media

    • Click + Add background media.

    • Choose from:

      • Stock images or stock videos

      • Upload from My Files

  3. Edit Background Media
    Once added, you can:

    • Change media – Replace the current background with another image or video.

    • Delete media – Remove the background entirely.

    • Adjust overlay & opacity – Apply a color overlay and control its transparency for better readability.

    • Apply black-and-white filter – Toggle to convert the background to monochrome.

  4. Adjust Slide Layout

    • Select Minimal, Auto, or Full slide height.

    • Set horizontal and vertical alignment for your content.

Tips

  • Keep background videos short and lightweight to maintain performance.

  • Use overlays to ensure text remains readable on busy or high-contrast videos.

  • Slide background videos will loop automatically but won't include sound.

  • Take advantage of the advanced editing features to create professional-looking videos that perfectly fit your presentation needs.

  • Choose meaningful thumbnails that accurately represent your video content, especially for PDF exports.

Did this answer your question?