Source: https://mindstamp.com/help/how-to-add-a-cta-to-the-start-of-your-video
Generated from the Help Center records: 2026-10-05

# How do I add a call to action at the start of a video?

Topic: [Interactions and logic](https://mindstamp.com/help/interactions) · Updated: 2026-09-25

## Short answer

Add a **Button**, **Hotspot**, **Image** or **Text** interaction and set its **Show** time to the start of the video. To ask for a name or email first, set **Lead Capture** to **At start**. Then decide whether the video keeps playing, pauses for a set time, or waits for a click.

## Steps

1. Select **Interactions** and click **Button** (or another interaction) in the interaction bar.
2. Under **Timing**, hover the **Show** field and click **Start** to set it to 0:00.
3. Set **Hide** to the moment the call to action should leave the screen.
4. Under **Content**, write the text and choose the **Click Action**.
5. Set **Pause** to **None**, **At show time**, or **At hide time (Require Click)**.
6. Save, then play the share link from the start in a private browser window, on a phone and on a desktop.

![Timing section of a Mindstamp button with the Show field quick controls open and Start highlighted](https://cdn.mindstamp.com/website2026/help/timing-show-start.webp)

_Hover the Show field and click Start to show the interaction from 0:00._

![Lead Capture page in Mindstamp with the timing options At start, First interaction, At time and On interaction, the Custom field button and the Required column highlighted](https://cdn.mindstamp.com/website2026/help/lead-capture-timing-fields.webp)

_Lead Capture: choose when to ask, pick the fields, add a custom field, and mark fields as required._

## Choose the right kind of opening ask

- Let viewers pick a path, such as “I’m a manager” or “I’m new here”. Give each button a **Change Time** or **Switch Video** action.
- Identify the viewer before the content, for training or gated content. Use Lead Capture.
- Ask for a sale or a meeting. This works better after the viewer gets some value, so consider placing it later.

## Make the video wait for a choice

Set **Pause** to **At show time** and **Pause Length** to **Until Interaction**. The video stops as the buttons appear and continues when the viewer clicks any interaction on screen. An interaction that pauses at show time cannot start before 0.1 seconds, so Mindstamp moves a show time of 0:00 to 0.1 seconds.

## Ask for details first

Open **Lead Capture** in the video menu to ask for a name, email, phone number or custom ID. Choose **At start** to show the form before the video plays. The other options are **First interaction**, **At time** and **On interaction**. See [how lead capture works](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-do-i-capture-name-email-or-phone-number-in-my-mindstamp-video).

## Keep the opening easy to watch

Do not cover the title, a face, or the first thing the viewer needs to see. If the layout does not fit on a phone, make two versions and set **Visibility** to **Desktop Only** on one and **Mobile Only** on the other.

## Go further

- [Calls to action](https://mindstamp.com/features/call-to-action)
- [Lead capture tutorial](https://mindstamp.com/tutorials/lead-capture)

## Related answers

- [How do I add a call to action at the end of a video?](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-to-add-a-cta-to-the-end-of-video)
- [How do I capture a viewer’s name, email, or phone number?](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-do-i-capture-name-email-or-phone-number-in-my-mindstamp-video)
- [How do I require a click before the video continues?](https://mindstamp.com/help/require-click-before-advancing)
- [How do I add a clickable button to my video?](https://mindstamp.com/help/how-to-use-clickable-video-buttons-on-mindstamp)

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