Utility extension · Free
Switch on a muted, looping MP4 behind the container you already built. Set a poster image, choose whether phones play it, and swap in a lighter clip per device. Free.
The short answer
Background Video is an Animation Addons for Elementor extension that adds an Elementor background video to the Flexbox, Div Block and Grid containers you already use. Pick an MP4 or paste a direct link and add a poster image. The clip plays muted behind the content; phones and reduced-motion visitors see the poster.
| Plan | Free |
|---|---|
| Type | Utility (panel section) |
| Works on | Elementor's Flexbox, Div Block and Grid |
| Main controls | Enable, Source (Media File or External URL), Video File, Video URL, Poster Image, Play Once, Play On Mobile |
| Engine | Native HTML5 video, no GSAP; a small script adds the video layer as the container's first child |
| Playback | Always muted, autoplays inline, loops unless Play Once is on |
| Editor preview | Plays on the editor canvas; after changing a setting, allow a moment for the canvas to catch up |
| Licence | None: part of the free plugin, works without Animation Addons Pro or Elementor Pro |
| Limits | Flexbox, Div Block and Grid only; direct video files only (MP4 recommended; no YouTube or Vimeo); no sound, play/pause buttons or start/end time; phones show the poster unless Play On Mobile is on |
| Plugin version | Animation Addons for Elementor 4.3 · Last updated October 2026 |
Demo variations
Ideas you can build today with Background Video, free in Animation Addons, on Elementor 4's own elements. The settings on each card are a good place to start.
A full-height hero with slow studio b-roll behind a left-aligned headline.
A short, wide band of steam rising from bread, with a centred button.
Three property cards over a drone clip of the coastline.
A product UI clip plays once behind the headline, then stops.
Slow class footage behind a weekly timetable card; tablets get a shorter clip.
Last year's crowd footage behind the date, a Countdown and a ticket button.
Features
Every point below is a real control in the Background Video panel section or part of how it works. Nothing here needs custom code.
No new element to drag in. Switch on Enable on an existing Flexbox, Div Block or Grid; its layout, Classes and children stay as they are.
Poster Image shows while the clip loads, and instead of it on phones and for reduced-motion visitors, so the background is never empty.
Play On Mobile is off by default, so phones get the poster, not the video file. Turn it on when the clip is short and light.
Source, Video File, Video URL and Poster Image are set per breakpoint. Use a smaller file on tablet, or a different poster on mobile.
Clips loop by default. Play Once plays the clip through and stops, which suits intros and product reveals.
Step by step
Six steps from switching it on to publishing. The bold names are the exact labels you will see on screen.
Download freeInstall and activate Animation Addons for Elementor and open a page in the Atomic Editor.
Select the Flexbox, Div Block or Grid that should carry the video.
Open the Background Video section in its panel and switch on Enable.
Choose Source: Media File to pick an MP4 from the Media Library, or External URL to paste a direct link into Video URL.
Add a Poster Image, then set Play Once and Play On Mobile.
Use the device switcher to set a lighter clip or poster for smaller screens, then publish.
Honest comparison
What each option has, side by side. Where the other choice is the better fit, we say so.
| Feature | Elementor Background Video (4.3) | Animation Addons Background Video |
|---|---|---|
| How you add it | A separate element you build content into | A switch on an existing Flexbox, Div Block or Grid |
| Video source | Select, upload or insert from URL | Media File or External URL |
| Start and end time | Yes | No |
| Play and pause buttons | Yes, as nestable containers | No |
| Sound | Mute toggle | Always muted |
| Loop | Loop toggle | Loops unless Play Once is on |
Compared with Elementor 4.3.3 (September 2026).
Elementor 4.3's own Background Video element is the better pick when visitors need play and pause buttons, sound or start and end times. Use the extension for video behind a container you've already built, with a poster for phones and a clip per device.
Who it's for
The people who get the most out of it, and what they use it for.
Adding showreel heroes to client sites built on Elementor Free.
Setting the mood with short ambient clips.
Showing a location with drone footage behind listings.
FAQ
Install the free Animation Addons for Elementor plugin, select a Flexbox, Div Block or Grid and open its Background Video section. Switch on Enable, choose Media File or External URL, and add your MP4 and a Poster Image. Animation Addons Background Video then plays the clip muted and looping behind the content.
In Animation Addons Background Video, Play On Mobile is off by default, so phones show the Poster Image instead of downloading the clip. Switch Play On Mobile on for that container if you want playback. The video is always muted and set to play inline, which mobile browsers need before they will autoplay. Some battery-saver settings still block autoplay; the poster covers that case.
No. Animation Addons Background Video plays a direct video file from the Media Library or a direct link to a file. MP4 is the safest format; WebM and Ogg are not supported everywhere. For a YouTube or Vimeo clip, use the Animation Addons Video element or Elementor's YouTube element as a foreground player instead.
The Animation Addons Background Video script is only added to pages where a container has a video switched on, and it needs no animation library. The video file is the real weight: keep clips short, compressed and silent, add a Poster Image, and leave Play On Mobile off unless the clip is light.
Animation Addons Background Video hides the video layer from screen readers and keyboard focus, treating it as decoration. Visitors who ask their device to reduce motion see the Poster Image instead. There is no pause button, so keep clips slow and subtle and put the message in text.
Yes. In Animation Addons Background Video, Source, Video File, Video URL and Poster Image can each be set per breakpoint. Switch Elementor's device mode to Tablet or Mobile and choose a smaller file or another poster. Enable applies to all devices; Play On Mobile controls phone playback.
Animation Addons Background Video works on Elementor's Flexbox, Div Block and Grid; for other elements, wrap them in a Div Block. It is part of the free plugin, so no Animation Addons Pro or Elementor Pro licence is needed. The clip also plays on the editor canvas; after changing a setting, give the canvas a moment to update.
More answers in the FAQ · Documentation · Free vs Pro
Pairs well with
What works well with Background Video on the same page or template.
A full foreground player for YouTube, Vimeo and hosted files when people should watch with sound.
A clip inside a shape that opens to full frame on click.
Clip the same container to a circle, blob or your own SVG.
Reveal the headline over the video word by word (Pro).
Add depth to the content layered above the clip (Pro).
Free on Elementor Free, with a poster for phones and a lighter clip per device.
