03. Preload Strategies

Understanding when to preload video data

preload="none"
0
No data downloaded
Best for: Below-fold videos, galleries
<video preload="none" controls>
preload="metadata"
~
~100-500KB downloaded
Best for: Most scenarios
<video preload="metadata" controls>
preload="auto"
∞
Entire video (browser discretion)
Best for: Critical above-fold content
<video preload="auto" controls>

When to Use Each Strategy

Strategy Data Downloaded Use Case
none Nothing Below-fold videos, galleries with many videos
metadata ~100KB-500KB Most scenarios, hero videos
auto Entire video (at browser's discretion) Above-fold critical content, short videos