WordPress.com publishes exactly one recommended video spec table, and it comes with two qualifiers that almost every copy of it leaves out. This guide walks you through each row of that table, tells you what to set in your encoder, and — just as important — tells you when the table does not apply to you.
The two qualifiers, quoted from the page itself: the table exists "For best results, and highest compatibility with other WordPress editor blocks (other than the Video or VideoPress block) such as the Cover or Story blocks," and the bit rate row is annotated "recommended, but other values are OK." Those are WordPress.com's own words, not a caveat we are adding.
Before you start
You need three things: a source video, an encoder that can set resolution, codec, bitrate and audio (WordPress.com's own docs point at HandBrake), and a site that can actually accept video uploads.
That last point is worth checking first, because the official pages set different bars depending on how you upload:
- The Video block: "The Video block uploads a video file and plays it in a standard player. The Video block is available on the Premium plan and above."
- The Accepted file types page says its video section "applies to sites with our WordPress.com Premium, Business, and Commerce plans. For free sites and sites on the Personal plan, upgrade your plan to access this feature."
- VideoPress: "This feature is available on sites with the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans. For free sites and sites on the Personal and Premium plans, upgrade your plan to access this feature."
So "which block" and "which plan" are the same question. Sort that out before you spend an hour encoding.
Step 1: Match the settings to the block you are actually using
Read the scope sentence again — the recommended table is aimed at compatibility with blocks other than the Video or VideoPress block, "such as the Cover or Story blocks." The Cover block is the one that "lets you add a background color, image or video with a text overlay," so a hero video behind a headline is the classic case this table was written for.
If your video will only live in the Video block or be shared through VideoPress links, the same page gives you more room: "If you are uploading a video that will only be played in the Video block or shared via VideoPress links, videos encoded with the h.265 or VP9 codecs can be uploaded if desired."
Keep that clause attached. It is not a general statement that WordPress accepts H.265 — it is scoped to those two playback paths.
Step 2: Set resolution to 1920×1080
The table's resolution row reads 1920×1080 (1080p).
There is a second row, Max Resolution 3840×2160 (4k), with this note: "larger is OK, but this is the largest size currently available in the player."
That wording matters. It is not a rejection threshold — you can upload something bigger; 4K is simply the ceiling the player will hand back.
Step 3: Encode video as h.264
The Format row says h.264, written exactly that way. Nothing on the page specifies a profile, level or frame-rate cap, so do not go hunting for official values that are not there — check the official documentation if you need them.
There is a related fact worth knowing from the VideoPress side: "When you upload a video, VideoPress automatically converts it to MP4 format using H.264 video and AAC audio compression." So the h.264 recommendation lines up with what VideoPress produces on the other end — but the published output parameters stop at container and codec. Bitrate ladders and resolution tiers for VideoPress output are not documented.
Step 4: Use 8 mbps at 30fps, 12 mbps at 60fps
The Bit Rate row, verbatim: "8mbps for 1080p30, 12mbps for 1080p60, recommended, but other values are OK."
This is the row people misquote most. The frame rate is baked into the number — 8 is for 1080p30, 12 is for 1080p60. And the trailing clause is the page's own wording: other values are OK.
If you are trying to keep the file small as well as compliant, bitrate is the dial that does most of the work. WordPress.com's own advice when a large file will not upload begins with "Compress the file to reduce its size, then upload it again."
Step 5: Set audio to AAC, 160kbps or higher
The Audio row reads "AAC minimum 160kbps." It is written as a minimum, so anything at or above 160 kbps meets the row. No channel count or sample rate is published.
Step 6: Turn on Fast Start / Web Optimized
The last row is the one most people skip, and it is the one that changes what a visitor experiences. Verbatim: "Fast Start / Web Optimized / progressive download (so the whole file doesn't need to be downloaded before playback can begin)."
Without it, the player may have to pull the entire file before it can start. VideoPress describes the payoff on its side too: "All videos are optimized for progressive loading, so viewers can start watching while the video continues to download. Videos that are smaller or compressed will load faster for your viewers."
Step 7: Convert the file if your source does not match
WordPress.com states the remedy directly: "If your source video doesn't meet the above specifications, a tool like HandBrake can be used to convert it before you upload it to the Media Library." Its instructions are short and specific — "Ensure "MP4" is selected in the "Format" dropdown, and "Web Optimized" is checked," then "Select a "Preset" (e.g., Fast 1080p30 or HQ 1080p30: HQ presets will be slower but will produce better results)."
Note that Fast 1080p30 and HQ 1080p30 map onto the same 1080p30 case the 8 mbps figure is written for — and that the "Web Optimized" checkbox is the Fast Start row from Step 6.
If you would rather not install an encoder for one file, you can do the same pass in your browser. The compressor below outputs MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, runs entirely on your machine, and lets you trade size against quality before you ever touch the Media Library:
Try it right here
Runs in your browser. Your file is not uploaded anywhere.
Nothing is uploaded to a server. If your source is a QuickTime file off a Mac or iPhone, MOV to MP4 handles the container swap on its own, and the full set is at all Clapr tools.
Common mistakes
Treating the table as an upload requirement. It is scoped to "best results, and highest compatibility with other WordPress editor blocks (other than the Video or VideoPress block)," and the bitrate row says other values are OK. Two separate hedges in one short table.
Dropping the frame rate from the bitrate. "8mbps" alone is meaningless here; the official pairing is 8 for 1080p30 and 12 for 1080p60.
Reading 4K as a hard cap. The page says larger is OK — the 4K figure describes the player, not the uploader.
Assuming h.265 or VP9 is broadly supported. The permission is limited to video that "will only be played in the Video block or shared via VideoPress links."
Encoding perfectly, then hitting a size wall. The Accepted file types page says "You can reliably upload files up to 2 GB to your WordPress.com site," while VideoPress states "The maximum upload size is 6 GB." How those two relate is not spelled out in the documentation, so leave headroom.
FAQ
What video settings does WordPress recommend for upload? 1920×1080 resolution, h.264 format, 8mbps for 1080p30 or 12mbps for 1080p60, AAC audio at minimum 160kbps, and Fast Start / Web Optimized so playback can begin before the whole file downloads. Max resolution is listed as 3840×2160 (4k), with the note that larger is OK.
Are these settings mandatory? No. The bit rate row says "recommended, but other values are OK," and the whole table is framed as being for best results and highest compatibility with blocks other than the Video or VideoPress block, such as Cover or Story.
Can I upload H.265 or VP9 to WordPress? Only under a stated condition: the docs say videos encoded with h.265 or VP9 can be uploaded if desired when the video "will only be played in the Video block or shared via VideoPress links." Outside those two paths the recommendation is h.264.
What format should the file be in? The accepted video list includes ".mp4, .m4v (MPEG-4)", ".mov (QuickTime)", ".mpg", ".avi", ".ogv (Ogg)", ".wmv (Windows Media Video)", ".3gp (3GPP)" and ".3g2 (3GPP2)". For anything outside the accepted types, the official guidance is to "convert them to a valid file type before uploading."
Does WordPress re-encode my upload anyway? VideoPress does — it "automatically converts it to MP4 format using H.264 video and AAC audio compression." What a plain Video block upload does is not documented, which is a good reason to encode to spec yourself rather than hope.
Working through platform specs for other sites too? The same pattern shows up next door in YouTube's recommended upload settings, and the rest of the step-by-steps live in how-to guides. Need to get a file under a size cap first? Start with compress video.
Settings cited from WordPress.com's Recommended video settings, VideoPress and Accepted file types support pages, checked 16 September 2026. Verify against the official documentation before relying on them.
