Video Preview Card with Play Button

Showcase your video content and encourage plays with this dynamic and visually engaging preview card.

This component is a must-have for any site featuring video, such as vlogs, tutorials, or course platforms. It combines a large video thumbnail with an overlaid title, duration, and a prominent "play" icon to maximize user engagement.

Get Source Code Preview

About this Component

This card is designed to look like a modern video player interface. The video's title and duration are overlaid on the bottom of the thumbnail, using a gradient to ensure readability. The most prominent feature is the large, centrally-located play button, which invites the user to click. A subtle zoom effect on the thumbnail on hover adds a polished interactive feel.

Features

Clear Visual Hierarchy: The central play button is the primary focal point, making the card's purpose immediately clear.
Info Overlay: Title and duration are displayed on a gradient overlay, a common pattern in modern video platforms that maximizes thumbnail space.
Hover Effects: A subtle zoom on the thumbnail and a growing effect on the play button provide rich visual feedback to the user.
Accessible: The card is a single, large, clickable link. The play button is marked with aria-hidden="true" as it's a decorative element supporting the main link.

Code Breakdown

HTML Structure

The card is an article. The main interactive element is a single a tag that wraps both the thumbnail container and the description below. Inside the thumbnail-container, we have the img, the play button div, and another div for the overlaid text info.

CSS Styling

The layout of the overlay is achieved with CSS absolute positioning. The .video-card-thumbnail-container has position: relative, which acts as the positioning context. The play button and the text overlay are then positioned absolutely within it. The play button is centered perfectly using top: 50%, left: 50%, and transform: translate(-50%, -50%). A CSS ::before pseudo-element on the container creates the gradient effect for the text overlay.

Code

Here's the complete, self-contained code. Simply update the thumbnail image, title, and description for your videos.

<style>
/* This is an optional body style to provide a background for the page */
body {
    background-color: #f3f4f6;
    font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif;
}

/* === Grid Container for the Cards === */
.cards-grid-container {
    display: grid;
    grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(320px, 1fr));
    gap: 1.5rem;
    padding: 1.5rem;
}

/* === Video Preview Card Styles === */
.video-card {
    --video-radius: 12px;
    --video-shadow: 0 4px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.08);

background-color: #ffffff;
    border-radius: var(--video-radius);
    box-shadow: var(--video-shadow);
    display: flex;
    flex-direction: column;
    overflow: hidden;
}
.video-card-link {
    display: block;
    text-decoration: none;
    color: inherit;
}
.video-card-link:hover .video-card-title {
    color: #4f4e45;
}

.video-card-thumbnail-container {
    position: relative;
    overflow: hidden;
    background-color: #111827; /* Fallback */
}
/* Thumbnail image */
.video-card-thumbnail {
    width: 100%;
    height: 180px;
    object-fit: cover;
    display: block;
    transition: transform 0.3s ease, filter 0.3s ease;
}
.video-card-thumbnail-container:hover .video-card-thumbnail {
    transform: scale(1.05);
    filter: brightness(0.9);
}
/* Gradient overlay for text */
.video-card-thumbnail-container::before {
    content: '';
    position: absolute;
    inset: 0;
    background: linear-gradient(to top, rgba(0,0,0,0.6) 0%, transparent 70%);
}
/* Play Button */
.video-play-btn {
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    left: 50%;
    transform: translate(-50%, -50%);
    background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.2);
    backdrop-filter: blur(8px);
    width: 60px;
    height: 60px;
    border-radius: 50%;
    border: 2px solid #ffffff;
    display: flex;
    align-items: center;
    justify-content: center;
    cursor: pointer;
    transition: background-color 0.2s ease, transform 0.2s ease;
}
.video-play-btn svg {
    width: 28px;
    height: 28px;
    color: #ffffff;
    margin-left: 4px; /* Optical alignment for play icon */
}
.video-card-thumbnail-container:hover .video-play-btn {
    background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0.3);
    transform: translate(-50%, -50%) scale(1.05);
}

/* Video info overlaid on thumbnail */
.video-info-overlay {
    position: absolute;
    bottom: 0;
    left: 0;
    right: 0;
    padding: 1rem;
    color: #ffffff;
    text-shadow: 1px 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);
}
.video-info-overlay .video-card-title {
    margin-bottom: 0;
}
.video-info-overlay .video-card-duration {
    font-size: 0.875rem;
    font-weight: 500;
}

/* Description area below the thumbnail */
.video-card-body {
    padding: 1.25rem;
}
.video-card-description {
    font-size: 0.95rem;
    line-height: 1.6;
    color: #4b5563;
    margin: 0;
}

</style>

<div class="cards-grid-container">
    
    <article class="video-card">
        <a href="#" class="video-card-link">
            <div class="video-card-thumbnail-container">
                <img src="https://placehold.co/800x360/475569/ffffff/png?text=Vlog" alt="Thumbnail for a travel vlog." class="video-card-thumbnail">
                <div class="video-play-btn" aria-hidden="true"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4.5 5.653c0-1.426 1.529-2.33 2.779-1.643l11.54 6.647c1.295.748 1.295 2.535 0 3.284L7.279 20.99c-1.25.715-2.779-.217-2.779-1.643V5.653z" clip-rule="evenodd" /></svg></div>
                <div class="video-info-overlay">
                    <h3 class="video-card-title">Kyoto in 4K</h3>
                    <span class="video-card-duration">14:32</span>
                </div>
            </div>
            <div class="video-card-body">
                <p class="video-card-description">A cinematic journey through the ancient temples and vibrant streets of Kyoto, Japan.</p>
            </div>
        </a>
    </article>

<article class="video-card">
        <a href="#" class="video-card-link">
            <div class="video-card-thumbnail-container">
                <img src="https://placehold.co/800x360/f59e0b/ffffff/png?text=Tutorial" alt="Thumbnail for a cooking tutorial." class="video-card-thumbnail">
                <div class="video-play-btn" aria-hidden="true"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4.5 5.653c0-1.426 1.529-2.33 2.779-1.643l11.54 6.647c1.295.748 1.295 2.535 0 3.284L7.279 20.99c-1.25.715-2.779-.217-2.779-1.643V5.653z" clip-rule="evenodd" /></svg></div>
                <div class="video-info-overlay">
                    <h3 class="video-card-title">The Perfect Omurice</h3>
                    <span class="video-card-duration">8:15</span>
                </div>
            </div>
            <div class="video-card-body">
                <p class="video-card-description">Chef Motokichi Yokota shares his secrets to creating the perfect tornado omurice at home.</p>
            </div>
        </a>
    </article>
</div>

View Output