File Preview and Streaming
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Creative Hub includes a built-in preview system that lets you view images at full resolution, stream videos with playback controls, and inspect documents — all without leaving Wevion. Click any asset to preview it directly inside the platform instead of downloading files or switching to Google Drive.
Prerequisites
- An active Wevion account with a valid subscription
- At least Media Buyer role or higher in your team
- Files already uploaded to Creative Hub (Uploading Files -- Images, Videos, and Documents)
- A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari)
No plugins or additional software are required. All preview and streaming runs natively in your browser.
Image Preview
To preview an image, click its thumbnail in grid view or list view. A full-screen overlay opens immediately, displaying the image at its original resolution against a dark backdrop.
The image scales to fit your screen while preserving its original aspect ratio — no cropping, no distortion. Below the image, an info bar shows the file name and file size so you can confirm you are looking at the right asset.
Close the preview by clicking the X button in the top-right corner, pressing Escape, or clicking the dark background outside the image.
Supported Image Formats
| Format | Preview Support |
|---|---|
| JPG / JPEG | Full resolution |
| PNG | Full resolution, transparency preserved |
| WebP | Full resolution |
| GIF | Animated playback |
HEIC/HEIF images from iOS devices may not render in the preview modal, depending on Google Drive's support for the format. If preview is unavailable, download the file to view it locally.
Video Streaming
In-App Playback
When you click a video file, it opens in the same full-screen overlay used for images, but with a full video player. The video begins playing automatically.
The player includes standard controls:
- Play / Pause — Click the video or use the play button
- Seeking — Drag the progress bar to jump to any point. This works smoothly even for long videos because content is streamed in chunks
- Volume — Adjust or mute directly from the player controls
- Fullscreen — Expand using the browser's native fullscreen toggle
How Streaming Works
Wevion uses range-based streaming to deliver video content, the same technology behind major video platforms:
- Instant start — Playback begins as soon as the first seconds of data arrive. No waiting for the full file to download.
- Efficient seeking — Jumping to a different point fetches only that section's data, not everything in between.
- Chunk delivery — Content arrives in segments of up to 5 MB, keeping memory usage low even for large files.
You can comfortably preview a 200 MB campaign video without noticeable delay.
Supported Video Formats
| Format | Streaming Support |
|---|---|
| MP4 (H.264) | Full streaming with seeking |
| MOV | Full streaming with seeking |
| WebM | Full streaming with seeking |
| AVI | Full streaming with seeking |
Tip: MP4 with H.264 encoding offers the most reliable playback across all browsers. If you encounter playback issues with other formats, consider converting your video to MP4 before uploading. This is also the format Meta recommends for ad creatives.
AVI files have limited browser-native support. In some browsers, AVI files may download instead of streaming inline. For the most reliable playback, use MP4 format.
Document Preview
Files that are neither images nor videos -- such as PDFs or PSD files -- are opened using the browser's built-in content viewer. For PDFs, most browsers display the file inline with scroll, zoom, and page navigation.
For design files (PSD, AI) and other specialized formats, the browser may show a download prompt instead. You can always use the "Open in Drive" button (external link icon on hover) to view any file in Google Drive's web viewer, which supports a wider range of formats.
In list view, documents are identified by a generic file icon (as opposed to the green image icon or purple video icon).
Thumbnail Generation
Thumbnails are the small preview images shown in grid and list views. They let you visually identify files without opening each one -- essential when managing hundreds of creatives.
How Thumbnails Are Created
For images, thumbnails are generated automatically by Google Drive at upload time. Wevion serves them through its own proxy at enhanced resolution (up to 800 pixels wide), so they appear sharp on high-DPI displays. Thumbnails are cached for one hour.
For videos, the process is more involved:
- At upload, Wevion extracts a frame from the first half-second of the video
- That frame is saved as a 400-pixel-wide JPEG in a dedicated cloud cache
- On subsequent views, the cached thumbnail loads instantly
If a video thumbnail is unavailable (for example, for videos uploaded before this feature existed), Wevion falls back to fetching a frame directly from the video stream. You may notice a brief delay, but the thumbnail will be generated and cached for future visits.
The Play Icon Overlay
Video thumbnails include a centered play icon overlaid on the preview frame, making it immediately obvious which files are videos and which are static images.
When Thumbnails Fail to Load
Occasionally a thumbnail may not load. When this happens:
- Images show a green image icon placeholder
- Videos show a purple video icon, or fall back to loading a single frame directly from the video stream
You can always click the file to open the full preview regardless of thumbnail status.
FAQ
Q: Is there a file size limit for preview and streaming? A: No separate limit. Any file you can upload (up to 500 MB) can be previewed. Video streaming works efficiently for large files because content is delivered in chunks.
Q: Can I preview files uploaded by my team members? A: Yes, if your role grants access to their folders (Owner and Super Admin). Preview permissions follow the same rules as file browsing. Creative Hub Overview -- Your Media Library
Q: Why does my video take a moment before playing? A: A brief delay is normal while the first chunk of data is fetched. This is typically under two seconds. If consistently longer, check your internet connection.
Q: The preview says "Preview not available." What do I do? A: This appears when the browser cannot render the format. Use the "Open in Drive" button to view it in Google Drive, or download and open locally.
Q: Do previewed videos count against any quota? A: No. Previewing does not consume credits or quota beyond the file's storage.
Q: Can I share a link to a file preview? A: Use the Copy URL button (clipboard icon on hover) to get a direct URL for campaign builders or colleagues. For sharing folders externally, see [See: ART-406].
Q: Are previewed files visible outside my team? A: No. The preview system uses secure internal proxying. Files are never exposed to the public internet.