Hidden Features in VideoAsk

As VideoAsk continues to grow and develop, so does our list of exciting new features and customization options. Read on to try out some of our hidden gems. 👻

Below you'll find some features that haven't made it into the settings area of your account yet, but can be used by adding a simple parameter to the end of your videoask URL.

Note: We're always happy to take feature requests and love to hear about what would benefit your workflow. 🤗

💡 If you're looking for ways to customize your embedded widget or iframe, check out our advanced embed options and code snippet library.

How to add parameters

To add a parameter to your videoask share URL just add a ? followed by the parameter text. To add multiple parameters, add a & between each parameter. You can add a single parameter or multiple parameters; mix and match as you like from the list below!

Force videoask to fullscreen view (regardless of screen width)

By default, your videoask will display at 100% of the page width. There is a breakpoint built in at 1023 pixels that determines the layout of a videoask. If fewer than 1024 pixels are allowed by your screen width, then a videoask will switch from split-screen view (with buttons displayed to the right of the videoask) to fullscreen view (with buttons stacked on top of the video).

If you want to force the fullscreen view (regardless of your screen width) you can do so by adding the following parameter to the very end of your videoask URL:

?fullscreen

Here's an example of a videoask without the ?fullscreen parameter added to the URL (note the buttons displayed to the right of the video):

And here's the same videoask with the ?fullscreen parameter added to the end of the URL (note that now the buttons are stacked on top of the video):

Hide captions before playback

If you've enabled captions to show by default, but you want to make sure they show only when your respondent has clicked the play button, you can add the following parameter to the end of your videoask URL so captions do not show in preview mode:

?nocaptionsonmute

Here's an example of a videoask before the respondent has pressed play, with captions enabled to show by default, and without the ?nocaptionsonmute parameter:

And here's the same one with the ?nocaptionsonmute parameter added:

Redirect from your videoask within your embedded iframe

If you've embedded a videoask on your site that redirects respondents to another videoask or webpage, you can redirect them within your embedded iframe or widget, to avoid directing them away from your website; just add the following parameter to the end of your URL when pasting the embed code into your HTML editor:

?redirect_target=self

And voilà! You can redirect your respondents to another webpage without them leaving your site!

Make the audio recording option bigger than the video or text options

If you want to subtly encourage your respondents to reply with an audio message to an open ended answer type step, you can add the following parameter to the end of your URL to make the audio recording option slightly larger than the video and text options:

?audiofirst

Note: You can do the same to encourage video replies by adding ?videofirst, but this option can also be enabled directly within your advanced settings. 🙌

Below is an example of a standard open ended answer type without any parameters added:

And here's the same videoask with the ?audiofirst parameter added to the end of the videoask URL:

Hide the play button on your videoask

If you're finding the play button a little distracting, you can completely remove it (the video will still play and pause when clicked on). Just add the following parameter to the end of your videoask URL:

?hideplay

Here's an example of a videoask before the ?hideplay has been added to the videoask URL:

And here's the same videoask after the ?hideplay parameter has been added:

Hide answer types and only show video

We think the best part about VideoAsk is the personal interactions with customers and users. However, we recognize there may be times when you simply want to embed a video, without any interactive answer type.

You can remove the answer type buttons by adding the following parameter to the end of your videoask URL when pasting the code into your HTML editor, and ensuring that the video width is below 1024 pixels:

?justvideo

Here you can see an example of a videoask with answer types hidden:

💡 Pro tip: Combine the ?fullscreen and &justvideo parameters to hide answer types and show only the video no matter your video's width!

Set a specific recording time for respondents by hiding the "stop recording" button

There might be times when you want your respondents to record a video of an exact length. By adding the following parameter to the end of your videoask URL, you can hide the "stop recording" button to ensure you get the specific length of responses you require:

?forcetime

⚠️ Important: In order for this parameter to work correctly, you first need to set a time limit on your answers. This will be the length of your respondents' recordings. Remember that the maximum time limit you can set is 300 seconds (ie 5 minutes).

Here's an example before the ?forcetime parameter has been added with the "stop recording" button displayed:

And here's the same videoask with the ?forcetime parameter added to the end of the videoask URL, so there's no way for the respondent to stop recording until the countdown ends:

Force interface text to black in mobile view

By default, all interface text is set to white in mobile view. By adding the following parameter to the end of your videoask URL, you can change it to black:

?darktext

Below you can see an example of a videoask in mobile view before the ?darktext parameter has been added:

And here's the same one with the ?darktext parameter:

Set your videoask to preview mode

You can set any videoask to preview mode to test it out before collecting responses. Just add the following parameter to the end of your videoask share URL:

?preview

⚠️ Important: If your videoask contains a calendar answer type, you'll still receive appointments on your calendar, even if the videoask is set to preview mode. This is because our calendar answer type uses integrations with third-party calendar tools and so is not controlled by VideoAsk.

Here's an example of a videoask without the ?preview parameter added:

And here's the same videoask with the ?preview parameter added to the end of the URL:

If you want to hide the preview banner that appears (but still keep your videoask in preview mode), you can add the parameter ?hidepreviewbanner, so the full parameter would look like this:

?preview&hidepreviewbanner

Add a snowy overlay to your videoask

Add a snowy overlay to your videoasks ❄️ by adding the following parameter to the very end of your videoask share URL:

?letitsnow

Here's an example of a videoask without the ?letitsnow parameter added to the URL:

And here's the same videoask with the ?letitsnow parameter added to the end of the URL:

Pause autoplay on embedded responses

When you embed a response from your videoask on your site, the video will automatically play with the sound on. If you're wanting to prevent the video from playing with sound (especially if you've embedded more than one response 😉), you can add the following parameter to the end of your URL when pasting the embed code into your HTML editor:

?autoplay=0

Below is an example of embedded responses with autoplay paused. When site visitors are ready to view the videos, they can click on the play buttons.

Previously hidden features now available in your VideoAsk account

The following options started out as hidden features, but are now available directly in the Advanced settings area due to popular demand. 🎉 You can continue to use them by adding a parameter to the end of your videoask's URL (see below), or adding them from the Advanced settings tab of any videoask.

Hide the title of your videoask: ?hidetitle

Hide the text close button on overlay text: ?hidetextclose

Change the color of the overlay text: ?textcolor= (add the color you'd like your text to be after the = sign)

Hide the video controls (timestamp, fast forward, and video fit): ?hideprogresscontrols

Pause the video when the videoask is first loaded: ?pauseautoplay

Make the video recording option bigger than the audio & text options: ?videofirst

Example videoask with hidden features

⬇️ Check out the videoask below which has the ?letitsnow and ?hideplay parameters added to its URL. It's also set to preview mode so your answers won't be submitted.

⬆️ You'll find the above videoask in your Templates folder.

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