How do I pause a video automatically?

Q: How do I pause a video automatically?

To pause at a set time, click More in the interaction bar, choose Pause, and set the Action Time and Pause Length. To pause while a button or hotspot is on screen, open it and set Pause under Timing to At show time or At hide time (Require Click).

Pause an Interactive Video Automatically

Short answer

To pause at a set time, click More in the interaction bar, choose Pause, and set the Action Time and Pause Length. To pause while a button or hotspot is on screen, open it and set Pause under Timing to At show time or At hide time (Require Click).

How to do it

Select Interactions and move the playhead to the moment the video should stop.
Click More in the interaction bar and choose Pause under Playback & Navigation.
Check the Action Time.
Choose a Pause Length: Until Viewer Resumes, or a time from 5 to 60 seconds. A new pause starts at 10 seconds.
Save, then play from a few seconds before the pause to test it.

More menu in the Mindstamp editor with Pause highlighted in the Playback & Navigation group — Add an automatic pause from More > Pause.

Pause navigation editor in Mindstamp with the Pause Length list open, from Until Viewer Resumes to 60 seconds — Choose the Pause Length: a number of seconds, or Until Viewer Resumes.

Two ways to pause

A Pause navigation stops the video at a time you choose, with nothing on screen. Use it for emphasis or a short break to read a slide.
A pause on an interaction stops the video while a button, hotspot, text or image is on screen. Use it when the viewer must choose or acknowledge something.

Pause options on an interaction

At show time with Pause Length set to Until Interaction: the video pauses when the interaction appears and continues when the viewer clicks any interaction on screen.
At show time with a time from 5 to 60 seconds: the video pauses for that time, then continues.
At hide time (Require Click): the video pauses at the hide time only if the viewer has not clicked this interaction. See require a click.

Questions pause by themselves

A question always pauses the video while it is open. You do not need to add a pause for it.

Stop viewers from pausing

To do the opposite and stop viewers from pausing the video, turn on Prevent pausing in the video’s Settings, under Playback. It is on Core and higher plans.

Avoid dead ends

If the video waits for a click, make the target easy to see. Do not make a hotspot with no ring the only way forward. Test on a phone and with the keyboard before you share.