sphinxcontrib-video

What it is and what it does

sphinxcontrib-video is a Sphinx extension that lets you embed HTML5 videos directly into Sphinx-generated documentation. You write a simple reStructuredText directive (e.g., `.. video:: movie.mp4`) and it renders as an HTML5 `<video>` tag with support for .mp4, .webm, and .ogg formats. The extension exposes the full parameter set from the HTML5 video standard, so you can control playback behavior, dimensions, autoplay, and other video properties through directive options.

The package is a thin wrapper around HTML5 video semantics, designed for documentation authors who want to include video content without writing raw HTML. It depends only on Sphinx, so installation is straightforward. The project is classified as Alpha and has been aging since its last release, but the repository remains maintained and carries no known security vulnerabilities.

Use it for:

• Embed tutorial or demo videos directly in API or user documentation
• Include video walkthroughs in software project README or guide pages
• Add product demo or feature showcase videos to technical documentation builds
• Embed screen recordings as HTML5 video in Sphinx docs
• Create multimedia-rich documentation for tools or frameworks with visual components

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

A Sphinx extension that embeds HTML5 videos (.mp4, .webm, .ogg) in documentation using a simple reStructuredText directive.

Yes, if you are building Sphinx documentation and want to embed HTML5 videos without writing custom HTML. The extension is simple, has low install friction, and carries no security vulnerabilities. The aging maintenance status means you should verify compatibility with your Sphinx version and expect slower response to new issues, but the core functionality is stable and the repository is not abandoned.

Install

sphinxcontrib-video on PyPI

pip install sphinxcontrib-video

uv add sphinxcontrib-video

poetry add sphinxcontrib-video

Installing sphinxcontrib-video

Before you install

Low friction installation with a single dependency on Sphinx. Maintenance status is aging—last commit was 2026-01-14 and the project has not released since then, though the repository remains active and not archived.

License in practice

Licensed under Apache Software License (permissive), so you can use and modify it freely in most contexts without significant legal restrictions.

Quickstart

pip install sphinxcontrib-video

In conf.py:
extensions = ['sphinxcontrib_video']

In your .rst file:
.. video:: movie.mp4

Requires Sphinx to be installed and configured; requires Python 3.9.0 or later.

Verify before relying

• Whether the extension works with all current Sphinx versions or only specific releases
• Browser compatibility for the HTML5 video tag output across different target environments
• Performance or limitations when embedding many videos in a single documentation build

Package facts

Evidence: sphinxcontrib_video-0.4.2-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

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