Mindstamp has four new features: a Decisions report, hotspot motion tracking, a variable picker with fallback text, and pop-outs with styling for each item.
The Decisions report shows which option viewers pick when a video gives them a choice. Motion tracking makes a hotspot follow a moving object. The variable picker inserts personalization from a list and fills gaps with fallback text. Pop-outs open a panel of buttons, text, and images on a click, and every item can now have its own font, weight, alignment, shadow, and border.
See which option viewers choose with the Decisions report
Many interactive videos ask viewers to choose without a formal question. A training video offers four buttons for four job roles. A product video puts a hotspot on each model. A branching video sends viewers down different paths. Until now, those clicks were in the interaction log, but no report grouped them into one decision.
The Decisions report does that grouping for you. Mindstamp looks for two or more clickable buttons, hotspots, images, or text items that appear and disappear at the same time, and treats each set as one decision. You don't have to change your videos or set anything up. Decisions in videos you published months ago appear too.
Read a decision
- Open Questions in the sidebar and select the Decisions tab.
- Each row shows the video, the time of the decision, a split bar, and the number of choices.
- Open a row to see a frame map with each option marked A, B, C, and so on, plus a bar and a percentage for each option.
- Select View responses to see which viewer chose what, or export the decision to CSV.
A viewer's first click in a view counts as their choice. If they go back and click another option, the report counts that as a repeat click, so the split still shows first instincts. You can filter by date, video, group, folder, playlist, and variable tag, the same as the other Mindstamp reports.
Make a hotspot follow a moving object
A hotspot works best when it stays on the thing it describes. If the product turns, the presenter walks, or the camera pans, a fixed hotspot ends up over the wrong part of the frame. Motion tracking fixes that with a few clicks.
Track an object
- Edit a hotspot, open Styling, and select Track motion.
- Use Every to choose how far the video moves after each click: 0.25, 0.5, 1, or 2 seconds.
- Click the object. The video steps ahead, and you click it again in its new position.
- Drag any point to adjust it, or use + Point to add one at the playhead.
- Press Space to play the path in a loop and check it.
- Select Done, then save the hotspot.
Choose a shorter step when the object changes direction quickly, and a longer one when it moves at an even pace. The Motion menu adds Smooth and Hold paths, and Simplify removes points that do not change the path. Motion tracking is not available for YouTube videos.
Insert variables from a list, with fallback text
Personalization in Mindstamp uses variables such as the viewer's name, email, or a value you pass in the link. Before, you had to remember each variable name and type it inside double curly braces. Now a picker lists them for you.
Add a variable
- Click into a text field, such as interaction text, a caption, an answer, a link, card text, or an end screen message.
- Select + Insert variable or type
{{. - Search the list. It shows viewer fields, your own variables, and built-in scores such as Correct Answer Count. You can also create a new variable here.
- Type the fallback text and select Insert.
The picker writes the variable with its fallback, for example {{NAME|there}}. Mindstamp uses the viewer's value first, then the fallback, then any default you set for the account or video. Values placed inside links are encoded, so a name with a space or an ampersand does not break the URL. Variables are available on Core plans and higher, and during a trial.
Open pop-outs and style each item
A pop-out is a panel of items that opens when a viewer clicks. It can be a menu, a product detail panel, a set of quiz answers, or extra information that should not sit on the timeline. Viewers close it and continue watching.
Build a pop-out
- Open Pop-outs in the video menu and create a pop-out.
- Add buttons, text, images, or hotspots, and place them on the frame.
- Give an item inside the pop-out the Close pop-out action, or use Continue to close it and play.
- On the timeline, give a button, hotspot, image, or text the Open pop-out click action and choose the pop-out.
- Use the Pause video switch to decide whether the video stops while the pop-out is open.
Pop-outs copy with the video when you duplicate it or import its interactions. You can also create them through CSV import and the API.
Styling for each item
Every button and text item now has its own styling settings, so one video can mix a display font for titles with a plain font for buttons:
- Choose a font: the video font, a font you uploaded, or one of the 200 most popular Google Fonts.
- Set the weight, from Light to Extra bold. A custom font offers only the weights you uploaded.
- Align text to the top, middle, or bottom of its box.
- Turn off the shadow on a button for a flat design.
- Set a button's border width, from 0 to 20 pixels.
Which feature fits the job
| Feature | What it does | Good use |
|---|---|---|
| Decisions report | Groups options that appear together and reports the choices like a question | Role selection, product picks, branching paths |
| Motion tracking | Moves a hotspot with an object across the frame | Product videos, walkthroughs, moving equipment |
| Variable picker | Inserts personalization from a list, with fallback text | Sales outreach, onboarding, personalized training |
| Pop-outs and item styling | Opens a styled panel of items on a click | Menus, product details, extra information |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to set up decisions before I can see them?
No. Mindstamp finds them in your existing videos. A decision is two or more clickable items with the same show time and the same hide time.
Does a viewer who changes their mind count twice?
No. The first click in a view is the choice. Later clicks on other options appear as repeat clicks.
Can I track a hotspot on a YouTube video?
Not at this time. The Track motion button is turned off for YouTube videos. Upload the video to Mindstamp to track objects in it.
What does a viewer see if a variable has no value?
They see the fallback text you set in the picker. If there is no fallback, Mindstamp uses the account or video default, and then leaves the space blank.
Does the video pause when a pop-out opens?
By default, yes. Turn off Pause video on the button or hotspot that opens it, and the video keeps playing behind the pop-out.
Try the new features
Open Mindstamp to use these features in your account. For the previous update, read about Cards, hotspot effects, and timeline editing. New to Mindstamp? Read how to make an interactive video or book a demo.
