Brett LindenbergUpdate, October 2026: Everything in this update is in the Mindstamp editor today. We corrected three details below: hotspots now have seven effects (the six listed plus Tap), Shimmer stays white instead of taking the hotspot's color, and a Card can hold more than two action buttons. Cards open from the Show Card click action on a button, hotspot, image, or text, as the click actions guide describes, and the hotspots page covers hotspots in general. Smart Grid is the Smart setting of the Snap control in the strip under the video. In the 36-second demo that follows, pick a part of a fictional espresso machine to see where each hotspot leads.
Mindstamp has three new tools for interactive video creators: animated hotspot effects, Cards, and faster interaction placement controls. Together, they make interactions easier to notice, easier to explore, and faster to place at the correct time.
The update is available now. You can add movement to a hotspot and open a detailed Card from a button or another interaction. In the editor, Smart Grid aligns elements, and you can drag an interaction's start and end points directly on the timeline.
Quick answer: what is new in Mindstamp?
This product update adds animated effects for interactive video hotspots (seven as of October 2026), a new Card interaction for extra information and actions, and two editor improvements. Smart Grid helps align interactions as you move them. The timeline editor lets you drag an interaction's start and end points to control when it appears and disappears.
These changes do not alter your source video. They improve the interactive layer that you add in Mindstamp.
Make interactive video hotspots easier to notice
An interactive video hotspot is a clickable area that you place over part of a video. It can sit over a product, a person, a menu item, or another detail in the frame. When the viewer selects it, the hotspot can open information or start an action.
A hotspot does not need to look like a standard button. This gives you more design control, but it creates a practical problem: viewers must know that the area is interactive. The new effects give the hotspot a clear visual signal at the time that it matters.
Seven effects for different levels of emphasis
Open a hotspot, go to Styling, and select the Effect row to choose one of seven effects:
- Glow adds a soft halo around the hotspot that brightens and fades.
- Beam sends a point of light around the hotspot's border.
- Pulse sends rings out from the border, like radar.
- Sparkle twinkles small stars around the hotspot.
- Focus frames the hotspot with corner brackets, like a camera focus box.
- Shimmer sweeps a white diagonal sheen across the hotspot.
- Tap presses a small dot near the lower-right corner and sends out one ripple ring.
Every effect except Shimmer takes the hotspot's color, so you can match the effect to your brand without setting up a second color. Shimmer is always white. If the hotspot changes color after a click, the effect switches to the post-click color. Effects stop while any interaction is open for editing, so close it or use Preview to check the motion. Viewers who turn on reduced motion in their device settings see a still version of the cue. Effects are available on supported plans.
To make a hotspot follow an object that moves, use Track motion under Styling. That tool first shipped as trackable hotspots, listed in our roundup of features added in 2022.
When to use a hotspot effect
Use an effect when the clickable area may not be obvious on its own. For example, you can highlight a product in a demonstration, a control in a software tour, a part in a training procedure, or a point of interest in an educational video.
Use one clear effect at the important moment. Too much motion competes with the video, so save the effect for the object the viewer should find.
Show more information with Cards
A Card is a responsive panel that opens when a viewer selects an interaction. It gives the viewer more detail without forcing you to place a large block of text over the video.
A Card can include text, an image, and one or more action buttons. Pick the Info, Media, or Product template: Media and Product Cards need an image, and Product adds a price field. The layout adapts to desktop and mobile screens.
What can you put in a Card?
Cards work well when a viewer needs context before taking the next step. Common uses include:
- product details and purchase options
- speaker or employee profiles
- definitions and supporting explanations
- links to a resource, demo, or booking page
- additional media related to the current scene
To use one, open a button, hotspot, image, or text interaction, set its click action to Show Card, and build the Card. This separates the visual trigger from the content panel. You can keep the interaction simple while the Card holds the detail.
The Card builder has Content, Actions, Design, and Behavior tabs. The first action is the primary button, and any others appear as quieter buttons. By default the Card pauses the video while it is open. On the Behavior tab you can keep the video playing, close the Card when the viewer clicks outside it, or close it on its own after 5, 10, or 15 seconds. To reuse a Card in another video, save it as a preset and apply the preset there.
Place interactions faster with Smart Grid and timeline editing
The editor update improves two parts of interaction placement: where an interaction sits in the frame and when it appears in the video.
Align elements with Smart Grid
Smart Grid helps you align interactions while you drag them. It gives you a faster way to line up buttons, hotspots, and other elements without adjusting each position by eye.
To turn it on, open an interaction and choose Smart in the Snap control at the right end of the strip under the video. Snapping starts off, and the editor remembers your choice in that browser. Smart snaps an element's edges and center to the middle of the frame, the thirds, and a title-safe margin 5% in from each edge. It also snaps to the edges and centers of other interactions. Grid snaps to a 12 by 12 grid instead. Hold Alt while you drag to place an element freely.
This is useful when a video contains a group of related actions, such as a menu, a set of product choices, or a row of chapter buttons. The spacing stays controlled, and the viewer gets a cleaner layout.
Drag the start and end points on the timeline
When you edit an interaction, a timeline strip now appears below the video. The strip shows the period when the interaction is visible. Drag the start point to set the show time. Drag the end point to set the hide time.
Drag the middle of the band to move both times together. While you drag, the video seeks to the edge you are moving, so you see the frame where the interaction enters or leaves. Edges snap to the playhead and to the start and end times of other interactions when they come within 0.2 seconds; hold Alt to stop that. The Show and Hide buttons jump to each time, and the 1-second and 0.1-second buttons step the playhead back or forward.
This makes timing a direct visual task. You can place an interaction around the exact scene it supports, then preview the result without moving between separate time fields.
Which new feature should you use?
| Feature | What it solves | Good use |
|---|---|---|
| Hotspot effects | Helps viewers find a clickable area | Products, diagrams, software controls, and training details |
| Cards | Shows more detail without crowding the video | Product information, resources, profiles, and next actions |
| Smart Grid | Aligns interactions while you move them | Menus, button groups, and repeated layouts |
| Timeline editing | Makes show and hide timing easier to set | Any interaction tied to a specific scene or moment |
A simple workflow for your next interactive video
- Open a video and identify the moments where a viewer may need more detail or a clear next step.
- Add a hotspot or button at one of those moments.
- Connect a Card if the viewer needs information before taking action.
- Add a hotspot effect only when the clickable area needs a stronger cue.
- Use Smart Grid for position and the timeline endpoints for show and hide timing.
- Preview the full path on desktop and mobile before you share it.
If you are building your first project, read the complete guide on how to make an interactive video. It covers planning, interaction design, testing, and measurement.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hotspot in an interactive video?
A hotspot is a clickable area placed over part of a video. It lets the viewer select an object or region in the scene to open information or start an action.
Which hotspot effects are available?
Mindstamp includes Glow, Beam, Pulse, Sparkle, Focus, Shimmer, and Tap. Every effect except Shimmer uses the hotspot's color automatically.
What can a Mindstamp Card contain?
A Card can contain text, an image, and one or more action buttons. You can use the Info, Media, or Product template.
Can a button or hotspot open a Card?
Yes. Select Show Card as the click action for the button, hotspot, image, or text that should open it.
How does the interaction timeline editor work?
The timeline strip shows when the selected interaction is visible. Drag its start point to change the show time and its end point to change the hide time.
What does Smart Grid do?
Smart Grid helps align interactions as you drag them in the video frame. Choose Smart in the Snap control under the video to turn it on. It is useful for clean groups and repeated layouts.
Try the new tools in one video
Start with one scene that already needs a clearer action. Add a hotspot, use an effect to make it visible, and connect it to a Card. Then use Smart Grid and the timeline editor to place it.
Open Mindstamp to use the new tools, or request a demo to see how Cards, hotspots, and interactive video reporting can work together.
