Is there a bug in Webflow causing background videos to only display the first frame as a still image, even though no changes have been made to the projects?

Yes, Webflow is currently experiencing a known issue where background videos only display the first frame as a static image. This issue has been affecting some live sites, even if no changes were made to the project.

1. Understand the Issue

• A Webflow bug is causing background videos to play only the first frame and then freeze.
• This seems to impact projects unexpectedly, even if you haven't updated, published, or modified them recently.
• It affects sites using Webflow’s built-in background video component. Embed-based or custom video solutions (e.g., using Vimeo/YouTube) are not affected.

2. Webflow's Acknowledgement

• Webflow has acknowledged this as a bug through customer reports and forum discussions as of June 2024.
• The issue may be related to an update on Webflow’s video processing pipeline or hosting/CDN distribution.

3. Temporary Workarounds

Until Webflow rolls out a fix, you can try one of the following:

• Use a custom video embed with a standard HTML video element via an embed block.
• Host the video on a 3rd-party platform (e.g., Vimeo Pro, Cloudflare Stream) and embed it using their player.
• Convert the video to an animated GIF or Lottie file, if low resolution and no audio are acceptable.

4. Report to Webflow

• If affected, contact Webflow Support and mention the issue with background video freezing on the first frame.
• Provide your site URL and project name to help them replicate and trace the problem in your case.

Summary

Webflow is experiencing a bug that freezes background videos on their first frame, affecting some projects without recent changes. Use embeds or alternative media as a temporary workaround, and report the bug to Webflow Support for updates and resolution.