AUSTIN, Texas – May 15, 2019 – WP Engine, the WordPress Digital Experience Platform (DXP), today announced the launch of the Cloudflare Stream Video Plugin for WordPress. The plugin was built by WP Engine in partnership with Cloudflare to make it incredibly easy for WordPress users to publish and stream performance optimized videos on WordPress sites. Cloudflare Stream is an easy-to-use, affordable, on-demand video streaming platform that runs on Cloudflare’s secure global network. The end-to-end solution includes storage, encoding and a customizable video.js player.

Video pain points: overpriced and not scalable

Many of the video service options currently on the market are costly or require specific video domain expertise. Self-hosting native videos can often hinder page load times, and degrade the user experience. Digital developers and agencies have found that integrating video in the WordPress editor sometimes feels disjointed, forcing them to switch between WordPress and third-party platforms in order to manage their video publishing workflows. Some video discovery platforms are easier, but include paid advertisements or recommended videos after a video plays that inevitably impact brand identity and hurt the user experience. Brands have long needed a highly-scalable, affordable video solution that can be easily integrated into the WordPress experience.

With the new Cloudflare Stream Video Plugin for WordPress, developers now have a robust, enterprise-grade solution that allows them to easily insert and stream videos in the WordPress editor and have those videos served securely through Cloudflare’s lightning-fast global network.

This is how we do it

Powered by the Cloudflare Stream API, the Cloudflare Stream Video Plugin for WordPress integrates fully with the WordPress Admin console. Content editors can easily embed videos into article content within the WordPress dashboard. It uses a block editor-first approach, leaning into the future of WordPress via the WordPress block editor. It also leverages WordPress’s Media Library APIs so users can stay within the WordPress console to make edits or manage their video library.

Key benefits:

  • Content managers can add, edit metadata and delete videos all within the WP-Admin media library
  • Developers can easily and effortlessly embed videos into design elements, such as site headers and widgets
  • Videos are hosted securely and managed with Cloudflare Stream
  • Enables developers to free up storage and lower bandwidth usage enabling even more robust, beautiful WordPress experiences
  • End users are not exposed to ads, branded labels or competing videos
  • End users’ video experience is fast with almost no buffering, especially important for today’s mobile consumer

“We launched Cloudflare Stream to make video streaming easy and affordable for content owners and app developers alike,” said Chris Merritt, Chief Revenue Officer at Cloudflare. “The Cloudflare Stream Video Plugin for WordPress will further simplify video publishing for developers and website owners that build in WordPress.”

“By creating the Cloudflare Stream Video Plugin for WordPress, we are helping developers easily add, manage and optimize videos into all types of digital experiences, ultimately creating better, more robust user experiences,” said Lisa Box, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at WP Engine.”We are excited to offer this integration to the WordPress community, because continuing to scale WordPress performance is a priority at WP Engine.”

Learn more about the Cloudflare Stream Video Plugin for WordPress and download it here.