
UPDATE: Facebook has temporarily stopped the autoplay of video previews on Instant Articles, but may revive the function later. Users can continue to add videos as a preview, and it is still a great tool to improve performance on your Instant Articles. Happy posting!
There's a new function for Facebook Instant Articles that shows a video preview on mobile. The option has been successful for some of our clients at RebelMouse, and we want you to give it a try too!
Facebook now has a video preview for Facebook Instant Articles. Here's what it looks like on the native mobile app:
How to Enable Video Preview for Facebook Instant Articles
On your Facebook Page, head over to "Publishing Tools" in the navigation menu at the top. Then, in the left-hand navigation toward the bottom, look for the Instant Articles header. Below it, click "Configuration." Once there, click "Settings" to open up the menu and make sure that the "Use video in News Feed link preview when available" box is clicked:
Next, grab the URL of a video on Facebook you want to use as a preview. You can also use a GIF and convert it to an MP4 file via a free site, such as this one.
Copy the link and add it to the "Video" field in the Social Copy tab in the right navigation:
Click "Save" and you should be all set. Remember, this is just for Facebook Instant Articles, so you will need to have Instant Articles turned on and working. You will only be able to see the preview video on mobile. Happy posting!