Missing video files
Silktide finds video files that your pages ask for but that fail to load, usually because the file was moved or deleted, or its web address was mistyped. Visitors see a player that won't play, or an empty space where the video should be.
<!-- This video file no longer exists, so the player has nothing to play -->
<video src="\/media\/product-demo.mp4" controls></video>
Why this matters
Video is usually the centrepiece of the page it is on - a product demo, a recorded talk, a hero background. When the file fails to load, the visitor is left with a dead player and no way to get the content, and the page's main purpose fails with it.
Video files are also large and often hosted separately from the rest of the site, which makes them more likely than most files to be moved, expired, or deleted without the pages referencing them being updated.
How to fix it
- Find the reference to the missing file - Silktide highlights where each one is used.
- If the file moved, update the reference to its new address. If the video was removed deliberately, remove the player and reference from the page.
- If the file should exist, re-upload it or check why the server rejects the request. For self-hosted video, also consider whether a video platform would host it more reliably.
- Test the page afterwards and confirm the video plays.
How Silktide tests this
- Load each page in a real browser and record every file the page requests.
- Keep the requests for video files.
- Report each one that fails to download - an error response from the server, such as 404, or a connection failure. Momentary timeouts and requests the browser itself abandoned are not reported, to avoid false alarms.
- Highlight where on the page each missing file is referenced.
Videos embedded from platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo load inside their own player and are not tested by this check.
Troubleshooting
The video plays when I try it
The file may be behind a log-in, blocked for automated visitors, or served inconsistently. Also check for mixed content: a video requested over plain HTTP from a page served over is blocked by the browser even though the file exists. If it is genuinely fine, the finding.
The player shows a poster image but won't play
The poster image and the video are separate files - the poster loading proves nothing about the video itself. Check the video file's address directly.