A Call to action (CTA) is a clickable message, image, or HTML script that can appear at any point in your video and lets your viewers know what you want them to do next.
Wistia offers three types of Calls to action:
Text: Add a quick, customizable message to direct your viewers to a link.
Image: Use an image instead of a text link to direct viewers.
HTML: Write your own custom Call to action.
Note
Calls to action cannot be added to audio files.
Add a Call to action to your video
To add a Call to action to your video, open Customize on the media page and under Viewer Engagement, click the "Call to action" tab. Enter a timestamp for which you'd like the CTA to appear and select a CTA type. When you're ready, click "Save" to apply your changes.
Tip
You can also configure the timestamp by dragging the CTA icon along the timeline to any point in the video. Changes will be reflected in the timestamp field as well.
Depending on the CTA type you select, you can enter text, use custom HTML, or upload an image.
Tip
When you use an image CTA, add Alt Text describing the image so viewers using screen readers know what it says.
You'll be required to add a link for text or image CTAs.
Note
Be sure to include http:// or https:// at the beginning of your Call to action link.
You can also choose to show a Rewatch button. The Rewatch button only appears when your CTA is set to show at the end of your video. CTAs placed earlier in the video show a Skip button instead.
Custom HTML Call to action
If you're comfortable working with basic HTML, you can build a custom Call to action using the HTML option in the Type dropdown menu.
If you’d like to add custom CSS styling to your CTA, we highly recommend using on-page CSS (e.g., adding a block of <style> tags in the head of your webpage). If CSS is added directly to the HTML CTA in Wistia, it may be ignored or stripped due to security precautions. Including the CSS on your website will grant you more flexibility.
It’s possible to use a limited amount of CSS directly within the CTA code, as long as you apply it inline. If you notice some of those styles are not working in your CTA, you may need to embed the video outside of your Wistia account to see them render.
Wistia will strip out JavaScript from your custom CTA in Customize as well, so make sure to stick to HTML (and some basic CSS) when editing the CTA in Wistia. Similar to CSS, you can implement JavaScript on your webpage instead of inside the CTA code. Looking for some inspiration or sample code? Have a look at our HTML CTA examples page.
Call to action troubleshooting and FAQ
Why can’t I remove the skip button on a CTA?
Since a Call to action is intended to take the viewer away from the video, we don't provide an option to prevent users from skipping a CTA. Since CTAs may block the entirety of a video, viewers will always have the option to skip for the best viewing experience. Otherwise, there is no way for viewers to watch the rest of the video. You can also select to add a rewatch button to your CTA.
Can I add more than one CTA to a video?
Each video can have one Call to action. If you'd like to share several links, you can include them all in a single custom HTML CTA.
If I download my video, will the CTA be included?
The Call to action is part of the Wistia player, so it isn't included when you download your video file.
Can I change the rewatch button text?
The Rewatch button can be turned on or off, but its text can't be changed.
What's the difference between a CTA and annotation link?
A Call to action pauses your video at a single moment to prompt the viewer. If you'd like a clickable link to show over part of your video while it keeps playing, use an annotation link instead.
My image CTA has gray borders or doesn't fill the player
Upload an image with the same aspect ratio as your video (for example, 16:9). Images that match the video's size fill the whole player with no borders.
I added the Rewatch button but don't see it
The Rewatch button only shows when your CTA is set to appear at the end of the video.
I can't edit, turn off, or save my CTA
Try logging out, clearing your browser's cache, and logging back in. You can also try a different browser or an incognito window.