How can I add a custom thumbnail over the Vimeo player in Webflow, similar to how it is done on Squarespace?

To add a custom thumbnail over a Vimeo player in Webflow, you’ll need to overlay a static image (your thumbnail) that hides the actual video, then trigger the Vimeo player on click.

1. Prepare Your Thumbnail and Video Embed

• Upload your custom thumbnail image to your Webflow project or use an external image URL.
• Locate your Vimeo video URL and convert it to an embed link format (e.g., https://player.vimeo.com/video/VIDEO_ID).

2. Add Embed Element with Vimeo Video

• In Webflow, drag an Embed element into your layout.
• Insert the Vimeo iframe embed, and add ?autoplay=1&muted=1 to the URL to enable autoplay once triggered.
• Optionally, add loading="lazy" for performance.

3. Create a Wrapper and Overlay Structure

• Create a div block as a wrapper (e.g., video-wrapper).
• Inside this wrapper:
• Add your thumbnail image as an Image element, with absolute positioning over the video.
• Add the Vimeo Embed element beneath it.
• Use relative positioning on the wrapper so the absolute thumbnail overlays the iframe.

4. Add Click Interaction to Replace Thumbnail

• Select the thumbnail image and add a Webflow interaction (click trigger).
• On click:
• Hide the thumbnail (e.g., display: none or move opacity to 0).
• Optionally, you can show the Vimeo iframe if it was hidden initially.
• If using autoplay=1, the video will start playing automatically once the iframe becomes visible.

5. Optimize for Responsive Design

• Ensure your thumbnail, wrapper, and iframe are all set to 100% width and height.
• Use object-fit: cover (via custom CSS or embed styling) to maintain proper thumbnail scaling.

Summary

To replicate a Squarespace-style custom thumbnail overlay for Vimeo in Webflow, use a wrapper div with an absolutely-positioned custom image that hides the iframe. Add a Webflow click interaction to remove the thumbnail and autoplay the Vimeo video behind it.