Truce Label Video Player with VAST Ads

Description

Truce Label Video Player with VAST Ads is a lightweight WordPress video player that plays your own video and shows a single post-roll video ad — a VAST ad that runs when the video finishes. Add it to any post or page with a Gutenberg block or a shortcode.

It is built to stay out of your server’s way: there is no server-side fetching, no custom database tables, and no cron jobs. Your ad tag and settings live in a single WordPress option, the player uses the browser’s native <video> element (no heavy third-party libraries are loaded), and the ad is rendered entirely in the visitor’s browser by Google’s IMA SDK. The player script and the ad code load only on pages that actually contain a player, so the rest of your site is untouched.

What the free version does

  • Native MP4 playback in every modern browser, plus HLS (.m3u8) in browsers that support it natively (Safari and iOS).
  • One post-roll video ad when the video ends, using a single VAST tag URL from your own ad network.
  • Native skip handling — the ad’s own skipoffset controls whether it can be skipped; the IMA SDK draws the skip button automatically.
  • Graceful ad failure — if the ad errors or does not load within 8 seconds, playback ends cleanly with no black screen.
  • Gutenberg block + shortcode — add the VAST Video Player block, or use [vastvp_player] in classic content.
  • Optional poster image for the pre-play thumbnail (no scraping, no network calls).
  • Responsive and touch-friendly.

Shortcode example

[vastvp_player video="https://example.com/video.mp4" poster="https://example.com/thumb.jpg" postroll="https://your-ad-network.example/vast.xml"]

If you set a global post-roll tag under Settings, you can omit the postroll attribute and it will be used automatically.

Upgrade to Pro

VAST Pro Player Ultimate (a separate add-on from Truce Label) builds on this free player and adds:

  • Pre-roll ads (before the video starts) and mid-roll ads (at timed intervals during playback), with a configurable interval.
  • A four-slot VAST rotation with automatic fallback between tags.
  • Iframe-embed support — wrap a video embedded from another host in the player.
  • A second, banner / social-bar ad engine — closeable, non-blocking overlays that don’t pause the video, as an A/B alternative to VAST.

Get Pro for $5/month: Upgrade now — or start a 3-day trial.

The free version is fully functional on its own; Pro is optional. Learn more at trucelabel.com.

External services

This plugin relies on the following third-party services, which run only on pages where the player is present:

  • Google IMA SDK — loaded from Google to render your VAST video ad in the visitor’s browser. See Google’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
  • Your configured VAST ad endpoint — the VAST tag URL you paste in the settings is requested by the visitor’s browser when the video ends, to fetch the ad. This is the ad network you choose; please review that network’s terms and privacy policy.

The plugin sends no data to Truce Label and contacts no other services.

Blocks

This plugin provides 1 block.

  • VAST Video Player Play an MP4 or HLS video with a built-in post-roll ad.

Installation

  1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins Add New, search for Truce Label Video Player with VAST Ads, and click Install Now, then Activate. (Or upload the truce-label-video-player-with-vast-ads folder to /wp-content/plugins/ and activate it.)
  2. Go to Settings VAST Video Player and paste your post-roll VAST tag URL from your ad network. (Optional — leave it blank to play videos with no ad.)
  3. Add the VAST Video Player block to a post or page, or use the [vastvp_player] shortcode, and set your video URL.

FAQ

What ad format does the free version show?

A single post-roll VAST video ad that plays when the video finishes. You supply a VAST tag URL from your own ad network. Pre-roll, mid-roll, the four-slot rotation, iframe-embed support, and the banner/social-bar engine are part of the Pro add-on.

Where do I get a VAST tag?

From whichever video ad network you use. The plugin does not provide ads or an ad account — it simply renders the VAST tag you paste into the settings.

Does HLS work in every browser?

The free player uses the browser’s built-in video support, so HLS (.m3u8) plays in browsers with native HLS support (Safari and iOS). MP4 plays everywhere. Universal HLS playback and iframe embeds are part of the Pro add-on.

Will it slow down my site or hit my database?

No. The plugin makes no server-side HTTP requests when rendering, creates no custom tables, and schedules no cron jobs. The player script and ad code load only on pages where a player is present.

Is this GPL?

Yes — GPLv2 or later. The Pro add-on is sold separately from trucelabel.com.

Reviews

There are no reviews for this plugin.

Contributors & Developers

“Truce Label Video Player with VAST Ads” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

1.0.0

  • Initial WordPress.org release: native MP4/HLS player with a post-roll VAST ad, Gutenberg block, and shortcode.