Generate Placeholder Images for Product Videos
The Product Video module reserves a thumbnail slot for the video player on every product page. When a product has no video assigned, that slot can appear blank or broken. The placeholder image generator creates a default image for those products automatically, so every product displays cleanly regardless of whether a video has been added.
🖼️ What Placeholder Images Do
When a customer views a product that has no video configured, the module displays a placeholder image in the video thumbnail area instead of an empty or broken slot. This keeps your product pages looking polished while you gradually add videos to your catalog.
Placeholder images are generated once and stored as regular image files alongside your product photos. They are static — they do not change automatically if you later add a video to the product. Once a video is assigned to a product, the module uses the video thumbnail instead.
Run the placeholder generator after initial module setup, after importing a large batch of products, or any time you have products without videos that appear in your store's image galleries.
⚙️ How to Generate Placeholder Images
Step 1 — Open the module configuration
- Go to Back Office → Modules → Module Manager
- Search for Product Video and click Configure
Step 2 — Locate the placeholder generator
Navigate to the Utilities tab (or scroll to the Tools section, depending on your module version). You will find the Generate Placeholder Images tool.
Step 3 — Run the generator
- Click Generate Placeholder Images
- The module scans your product catalog for products without a video assignment
- A placeholder image is created and assigned to each qualifying product
- A confirmation message shows how many placeholder images were generated
For stores with thousands of products, the generation process may take a moment. Do not close the page or navigate away until the confirmation message appears.
🔍 What the Output Looks Like
Each generated placeholder image:
- Uses the module's default placeholder template (a neutral background with a play-button icon)
- Is sized to match your store's standard product image dimensions
- Appears in the video thumbnail slot on the product page
- Is visible in the product's image gallery if the module is configured to show video thumbnails there
The placeholder does not display a video — it is a static image. Customers who click on it will not be taken to a video player unless a video has been assigned.
🔄 Re-running the Generator
You can run the generator multiple times safely. On each run:
- Products without a placeholder image and without a video get a new placeholder
- Products that already have a placeholder image are skipped
- Products that already have a video assigned are skipped
To force regeneration for all products (for example, after changing the placeholder template), use the Clear & Regenerate option if available, or remove the existing placeholder images first via the Remove Placeholder Images tool before re-running.
If you click Remove Placeholder Images, all generated placeholders are deleted immediately. Products will show no image in the video slot until you regenerate or manually assign a video.
💡 Usage Examples
Example: New store setup You've recently installed the module and have 500 products, none of which have videos yet. Run the generator once to populate all video thumbnail slots with a clean placeholder. Your product pages look complete from day one while you build out your video content.
Example: Post-import cleanup You imported 200 new products from a CSV file. None of the imports included video data. Run the generator to cover the new products without affecting existing products that already have videos or manually assigned placeholders.
Example: Seasonal catalog refresh You replaced your product catalog for a new season. Old products were removed and new ones added. Run the generator to create placeholders for the new arrivals in one step.
✅ Final Checklist
- Module is installed and configured
- Navigated to the Utilities / Tools section in the module configuration
- Clicked Generate Placeholder Images and waited for the confirmation message
- Verified a product page on the front office — the video thumbnail slot shows the placeholder image instead of a blank area
- For large catalogs: confirmed the count in the confirmation message matches the number of products without videos
Does the placeholder generator affect products that already have a video?
No. Products that already have a video assigned are automatically skipped. The generator only creates placeholders for products with no video at all.
Can I run the placeholder generator multiple times safely?
Yes. On each run the module skips products that already have a placeholder or an assigned video, so re-running it is safe and will only process newly added products.
How do I remove all placeholder images if I no longer need them?
Use the Remove Placeholder Images tool in the same Utilities or Tools section of the module configuration. All generated placeholders will be deleted immediately.
Will the placeholder image disappear automatically when I add a real video to a product?
Once you assign a real video to a product, the module uses the video thumbnail instead of the placeholder on the front end. The placeholder file is not deleted automatically but it is no longer displayed.
Where do I find the placeholder generator in the back office?
Go to Back Office, then Modules, then Module Manager, find Product Video and click Configure. Navigate to the Utilities or Tools tab and you will find the Generate Placeholder Images button.