---
title: "Video Essay Page"
slug: "video-essays"
description: "Slate's video essays offer a way to assess applicants' personality and language skills, supporting WebRTC for easy recording across major browsers."
updated: 2026-04-16T21:39:00Z
published: 2026-04-16T21:39:00Z
canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/video-essays"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Video Essay Page

> [!NOTE]
> 📚 Part of the series **Application Building Phase II:** [**The Slate-hosted Application**](/v1/docs/introduction-to-the-slate-hosted-application)

You can conduct **video essays** **and interviews** in the Slate-hosted application to assess applicant personality, extemporaneous speaking ability, and language capabilities.

- Slate video essays can administered from a Slate-hosted application page or via a link on the [applicant status page](/v1/docs/status-page).
- Video essays can be captured for any applicant type, even if the applicant submitted an application via an external application (e.g., The Common Application).
- Slate provides standard integrations with [Duolingo](/v1/docs/duolingo-english-test-integration), [InitialView](/v1/docs/initialview-integration), and [Vericant](/v1/docs/vericant-integration) for English language skill scoring, proctored writing samples, and in-person, videotaped interviews.

## Browser support

Slate video essays are captured using [WebRTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebRTC), an open source framework for the web supported by Google, Mozilla, and Opera. The API and its underlying protocols are being developed jointly at the W3C and IETF. WebRTC removes the need for Adobe Flash, which is a technology that is incompatible with mobile devices. WebRTC is currently supported by the most commonly used browsers, such as:

- Google Chrome & Chrome OS
- Mozilla Firefox & Firefox OS
- Safari & IOS
- Opera (desktop & Android)
- Microsoft Edge

## Step 1: Creating a new material type

1. Go to **Database → Materials**.
2. Select **Insert**.
3. Enter the following Material configurations:
  - **Status**: Active
  - **Key**: Enter `video`
  - **Name**: Enter a name like *Video Essay*.
  - **Scope**: Person/Application
  - **Access**: Admin only
4. Select **Save**.

📖 [Materials](/v1/docs/materials-overview)

## Step 2: Creating questions

Video essays display randomly selected questions to applicants from a question bank. This question bank consists of the prompts in your database that have a a **key** of `video_prompt`. The question asked of the applicant is stored with the recording.

To create a video essay question prompt:

1. Go to **Database** → **Prompts**.
2. Select **Insert**.
3. Configure the following settings:
  - **Status**: Active
  - **Key**: `video_prompt`
  - **Value:** Enter the question as it should be displayed to the applicant.
  - **XML:** You can add XML content to the prompt, including embedded video. This content must use the PKV tag structure.
    - For example:

```xml
<p>
    <k>html</k>
    <v>
        <p style="font-size:1.5em;">What was your favorite session at Slate Summit and why?</p>
        <p>
            <iframe width="450" height="253" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EXAMPLE" frameborder="0" />
        </p>
    </v>
</p>
```
    - 📝 When you enter a value in the XML field, you override the *Value* field as it appears to applicants. This *Value* field still appears in the [Reader](/v1/docs/reader-overview); retain it so application readers know which question was asked.
    - 💡 Adjust the `iframe` width and height parameters if embedded video overlaps with the applicant's webcam display.
4. Select **Save**.

Repeat for each question to be included in the question bank.

📖 [Prompts](/v1/docs/fields-and-prompts-prompts)

## Step 3: Configuring the video essay application page

To add the video essay page to your application:

1. Go to **Database** → **Application Editor**.
2. Select an application configuration to modify. For example, `/apply/`.
3. Select **Edit Menu**.
4. Select **Add Link**.
5. Configure the following settings:
  - **Type**: Video Capture
  - **Label**: Enter a name for the application page menu item.
  - **Page, Round, and Period Keys (Optional)**: Select [page](/v1/docs/conditionally-displaying-application-pages#adding-page-keys-to-application-pages), [round](/v1/docs/creating-application-rounds#round-key), or [period keys](/v1/docs/creating-application-periods#period-key) to limit the display of the page to a specific applicant population.
6. Select **Save**.
7. Drag the Video Essay page to reorder its position in the menu.
8. On the the Video Essay page, select **Edit**.
9. Select **General Settings.**
10. Configure the following settings:
  - **Custom Title**: Enter a page title to be displayed on the browser tab and as the heading on the page. Defaults to menu label configured in step 5 if left blank.
  - **Instructions**: Add custom instructions to the page:
    - Typical instructions might include information about video essay process, explaining that a random question will be asked and reminding applicants to review their completed video essay to ensure successful upload.
    - Instructions are visible only if applicant has not yet completed the video essay.
  - **Attempts Limit:** Applicants can be given the opportunity to receive a new random question and start over:
    - The attempts limit dictates the number of times an applicant can record the video essay.
    - By default, an applicant is given one attempt, which does not permit starting over.
    - Administrative users can delete a recording to provide a specific applicant with additional attempts.
    - 📝 Each attempt provides a new question from your bank. Don’t allow more attempts than you have questions.
  - **Preparation Time:** Time in seconds in which applicant can review each question before recording begins.
    - Defaults to 90 seconds.
    - Applicant can start recording manually by selecting *Start Recording*.
  - **Recording Time:** Time in seconds applicant has to complete the recording.
    - Defaults to 90 seconds.
    - If applicant does not click the *Stop Recording* button prior to this time, recording automatically stops and is uploaded.
11. Select **Save.**

## Step 4: Testing the application page

Thoroughly test every aspect of the applicant experience while testing the video essay process:

1. Create a [test record](/v1/docs/create-a-test-record).
2. Log in to the application in a private browsing window with the test account’s credentials.
3. Check the following items to make sure that the video essay page meets your expectations and provides a straightforward applicant experience.

#### The application menu link

Make sure that the *Video Essay* link:

- Appears in the application menu for a test applicant who is in the population configured to view the link.
- Does not appear in the application menu for test applicants not in the population configured to view the link.

> [!NOTE]
> 💡 Double-check your [page key configurations.](/v1/docs/video-essays#step-3-configuring-the-video-essay-application-page)

#### Submission requirements

Confirm that the [submission requirement](/v1/docs/submission-requirements-hard-and-soft-fails):

- Appears on the review page prior to recording the video essay.
- Appears on the review page when only the test recording is completed.
- Does not appear on the review page once the video essay is completed.
- Links to the correct page.
- Does not appear for applicants who do not have access to the video essay page, or for applicants for whom the video essay is not required nor recommended.

#### Status page links and checklist items

Confirm that the link to the video essay page directs applicants to the correct page.

Confirm that the checklist item or teaser:

1. Appears for the expected population.
2. Does not appear for applicants who do not need to complete the video essay.
3. Is fulfilled by a completed video essay.
4. Is not fulfilled by a test video essay.

Lastly, confirm the [rule configuration](/v1/docs/application-record-automations) that adds checklist items or marks checklist items as received.

#### Question bank

Check that each question in the question bank appears as expected, especially for prompts that are using HTML. Since the prompts are displayed randomly from the question bank, the easiest way to confirm this is by deactivating all but one prompt.

If the questions are not displaying as desired, revisit the [prompts](/v1/docs/video-essays#step-2-creating-questions) to make adjustments as needed.

#### Testing the applicant experience

1. Confirm that the amount of time needed to read some of the longer prompts or watch any embedded videos is accounted for in the **Preparation Time** configuration.
2. Confirm that enough time is allotted in the **Recording Time** configuration to answer the questions as thoroughly as desired.
3. Confirm that any custom instructions appear and are formatted as desired.

If any adjustments are needed, revisit the Application Editor to modify the settings for the video essay page.

Once you have completed testing and are ready for the page to appear for applicants, remember to remove the **Tag** filter that was configured to find only test records from the page key configuration.

## The video essay interface

When an applicant arrives at the video essay page, they’ll find the following:

### Test recordings

Applicants can perform any number of test recordings.

Applicants using an unsupported browser will receive an *Unsupported Browser* message. Applicants using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox will be prompted to grant the browser access to their camera and microphone.

With a webcam and microphone enabled, the applicant can select *Ready* to begin the test recording. The following instructions appear:

[![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/instructions.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/instructions.png)

After the test, they can review the recording.

### Start recording

When the applicant is ready, they can select **Ready**, which proceeds as follows:

- The applicant receives a random question from the [question bank](/v1/docs/video-essays#step-2-creating-questions).
- A timer whose duration is set by the [*Preparation Time* setting](/v1/docs/video-essays#step-3-configuring-the-video-essay-application-page) counts down. It can be overridden by selecting *Start Recording.*

[![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/recording.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/recording.png)
- The recording begins and proceeds for the duration set by the *Recording Time* setting. *Stop Recording* stops the recording early.

### Making another attempt

The applicant can select *Start Over* to delete their recording and retry the video essay as many times as is specified by the *Attempts Limit* setting.

Each *Start Over* provides a new question at random.

The applicant must confirm and provide a typed confirmation of intent to start over.

#### Resetting an applicant’s video essay attempts

If an applicant has used all available attempts, and you want to let them start over,

1. [Impersonate the applicant](/v1/docs/impersonate-an-applicant).
2. Go to the video essay page.
3. Select **Delete the video.**

[![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/attempts.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/attempts.png)

### Reviewing video essays in the Reader

Application reviewers can find Slate video essays in the [Reader](/v1/docs/reader-overview).

[![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/reader.png)](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/reader.png)