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Lazy Load for Videos

By kevinweber

Performance & Optimization / Caching Solutions

Lazy Load for Videos Review - In-Depth Analysis

Boost page speed by replacing embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos with a clickable preview image. Video scripts only load on click. This enhances user experience and improves Google PageSpeed scores.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.77/10

User Rating

4.4/5 (based on 105+ reviews)

Active Installations

9,000+

Update Frequency

Very Good It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

5 / 10 (Medium Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

This plugin improves page load time and increases your Google PageSpeed Score. It works with oEmbed and replaces embedded YouTube and Vimeo videos with a clickable preview image.

By loading videos only when the user clicks on the preview image, no unnecessary JavaScript is loaded. Especially on sites with many embedded videos, this will make your visitors happy. Additionally, all YouTube videos are loaded in a privacy-enhanced mode using the https://www.youtube-nocookie.com embed URL.

This plugin works for your existing YouTube and Vimeo blocks. No vendor lock-in and no custom shortcodes: Easily turn the plugin on and off anytime.

Some additional features include displaying video titles on preview images, privacy disclaimers for GDPR compliance, and the ability to convert all videos into a playlist with pre-roll and post-roll advertisements. You can also hide annotations, add custom CSS, choose custom colors for your Vimeo player, and more.

The plugin supports WordPress Multisite and works with many other plugins. Future features may include setting custom preview images per video and tracking video loads with Google Analytics.

Comparing to Alternatives

Lazy Load for Videos is a straightforward plugin focused solely on lazy loading videos to improve page load times. When compared to other lazy load plugins, it offers a niche solution but lacks some advanced features found in alternatives.

Top alternatives

Strengths

Simple and easy to use with minimal configuration.
Specifically targets video lazy loading, which can improve mobile load times.
Does not interfere with pages that do not contain videos.

Weaknesses

Does not adapt to different video aspect ratios, always using 16:9 thumbnails.
May cause database bloat when used with WooCommerce CSV exports.
Limited support and development activity, leading to unresolved issues.
Lacks advanced customization options found in other lazy load plugins.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback highlights ease of use and performance improvements but also points out significant limitations and issues.

Positive highlights

'Easy to understand, easy to use, and it does its job well.' - nealumphred
'Improved load times especially on mobile for pages with YouTube videos.' - consumerista
'Having the option to activate lazy load for videos only is very useful.' - consumerista

Common complaints

Does not handle videos with varying aspect ratios properly.
Causes excessive database columns when exporting WooCommerce products to CSV.
Does not work reliably with iframe video embeds on some sites.
Plugin appears unsupported and may not function as expected on some setups.

Weaknesses

Aspect ratio is fixed at 16:9 regardless of video.
Database overload issues with WooCommerce CSV exports.
Inconsistent functionality with iframe embeds.
Lack of active support and updates.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users who want a simple, no-frills plugin to lazy load videos on their WordPress site, particularly if they primarily embed standard 16:9 YouTube videos and want to improve mobile load times.

Not ideal for

Sites with diverse video aspect ratios, heavy WooCommerce product exports, or those needing reliable support and advanced customization should consider other more robust lazy load plugins.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides basic lazy loading functionality for videos, which can help improve page load speed without any cost.

Final Verdict

Lazy Load for Videos offers a simple and focused solution for lazy loading videos, improving load times especially on mobile devices. It is easy to use and effective for standard video embeds.

However, its limitations with aspect ratios, database issues with WooCommerce, and lack of active support make it less suitable for complex sites or users needing advanced features. Alternatives may provide better reliability and customization.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Lazy Load for Videos plugin.

Lazy Load

Performance

Privacy

Vimeo

YouTube

Screenshots

FAQ

For example, on www.kweber.com/lazy-load-videos/.

UPDATE: Since plugin version 2.1.2, every custom post type is supported automatically. So you can ignore the following instructions. They will be removed with one of the next updates.

You can use a filter to add support for a custom post type (since version 2.0.4).
Replace ‘post_type_label’ with the name/label of your custom post type.

/**  * Set post types that shall support Lazy Load for Videos  */ function lazyload_videos_set_post_types( $post_types ) {     $post_types[] = 'post_type_label';     return $post_types; } add_action( 'lazyload_videos_post_types', 'lazyload_videos_set_post_types' );

For now, you can choose the “Youtube button image” from the play button drop-down list, then add the following custom CSS that includes a link to your custom CSS play button image:

.preview-youtube .lazy-load-youtube-div, .lazy-load-vimeo-div {
background-image: url(INSERT-YOUR-URL-HERE…/images/play.png);
}
`

Feature versions might include an option to change the colour of your CSS-only buttons using a colour picker and might also include an option to directly upload the desired button image.