Self-hosted videos don’t come with a ready-made thumbnail the way YouTube or Vimeo videos do. The Capture Frame tool (added in Reel 3.1.5) solves this: scrub through your MP4 right inside the editor, pause on the perfect moment, and set that exact frame as the post’s Featured Image — no video editor needed.
How to use it
In any Video Settings metabox, select Self-Hosted Video and add your MP4 (upload it or paste a direct link).
A player preview loads below the field. Play or scrub the video and pause at the frame you want.
Click Capture frame as Featured Image.
The frame is saved to your Media Library and set as the post’s Featured Image immediately.
The Featured Image is what appears in portfolio galleries, the slideshow, and archives — so pick a frame that works as a poster.
Where it’s available
The tool appears wherever Reel accepts a self-hosted video:
Portfolio posts — the Video Lightbox, Video Background on Hover, and Video Background on Single Post tabs.
Slideshow posts — the Video Lightbox and Video Background tabs.
Posts and pages — the Video Background in Header option.
Good to know
The tool works with self-hosted MP4s — for YouTube and Vimeo, use the video’s own thumbnail or set a Featured Image manually.
You can re-capture a different frame anytime; each capture is saved as a new image in the Media Library.
Prefer a custom-designed cover? Just set a Featured Image the usual way — the capture tool is optional.
