Tracking Videos with xAPI: Tools, Plugins, and Techniques

Video-based learning has become a cornerstone of modern eLearning. Whether it’s microlearning clips, interactive tutorials, or compliance training videos, developers need more than just “completed/not completed” data. That’s where xAPI (Experience API) steps in. By integrating xAPI tracking into video experiences, you can capture rich learner interactions—how much was watched, where learners paused, whether they skipped, and how they responded to in-video questions.

In this article, we’ll explore why video tracking matters, the tools and plugins available, and the techniques you can use to implement video tracking with xAPI.

Why Track Videos with xAPI?

Traditional LMS tracking (via SCORM) often falls short when it comes to videos. You might know a learner launched a course, but not how they engaged. With xAPI, developers can capture granular data, such as:

  • Play, pause, seek, replay events
  • Percentage watched (e.g., 75% of the video completed)
  • Drop-off points where learners disengage
  • Responses to embedded quiz questions
  • Completion criteria (e.g., must watch 90% of the video)

This data isn’t just technical—it helps instructional designers refine video content, improve learning experiences, and prove ROI with analytics in a LRS (Learning Record Store).

Tools and Plugins for Video xAPI Tracking

Fortunately, you don’t have to build everything from scratch. Several tools and plugins help developers implement video tracking with xAPI:

1. GrassBlade xAPI Companion (WordPress)

GrassBlade xAPI Companion is a very powerful WordPress plugin that allows you to host and track xAPI content made with Authoring tools, as well as videos. Let's see what it does:
  • Integrates with WordPress and popular LMSs like LearnDash.
  • Supports video tracking for YouTube, Vimeo, and HTML5 videos.
  • Provides advanced completion behaviors (e.g., “mark complete after 80% watched”).
  • Sends detailed video statements to your LRS.

2. H5P Interactive Video

  • Open-source content creation tool.
  • Lets you add interactions (MCQs, hotspots, summaries) inside videos.
  • Combined with an LRS plugin, H5P sends rich xAPI statements.

3. Video.js with xAPI Wrapper

  • Developer-friendly, open-source video player.
  • With the xAPI JavaScript wrapper, you can capture play/pause/seek events.
  • Highly customizable for advanced implementations.

4. Camtasia + xAPI Publishing

  • Camtasia projects can be exported with xAPI support.
  • Useful for tracking learner interactions in tutorial-style videos.

5. Custom xAPI Tracking with JavaScript

  • If you’re using HTML5 video players, you can write custom event listeners (e.g., onplay, onpause, ontimeupdate) and send xAPI statements directly to your LRS.
  • Provides the most flexibility but requires development effort.

Techniques for Implementing Video Tracking with xAPI

The best approach depends on your ecosystem, but here are some proven techniques:

1. Basic Event Tracking

Track standard interactions like play, pause, and stop. Example statement:

{
  "actor": { "mbox": "mailto:learner@example.com" },
  "verb": { "id": "https://w3id.org/xapi/video/verbs/played", "display": { "en-US": "played" }},
  "object": {
    "id": "https://example.com/video/123",
    "definition": { "name": { "en-US": "Safety Training Video" }}
  }
}

2. Progress Tracking

Send statements for percentage milestones (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%). This helps identify drop-off points.

3. Quiz Interaction Tracking

If your video includes in-video questions, capture responses with answered verbs and correct/incorrect results.

4. Completion Rules

Define what counts as “completion”—watched 90%, reached the end, or passed an in-video quiz—and send an experienced or completed statement accordingly.

5. Contextual Data

Include course context (e.g., module name, course ID) in statements so your LRS can group video interactions with the rest of the learning journey.

Best Practices for Developers

  • Use standard xAPI video profiles (such as the Video Profile by the xAPI community) for consistency.
  • Batch statements if sending large amounts of data to avoid performance issues.
  • Test with an LRS like GrassBlade LRS, Learning Locker, or Watershed to validate your implementation.
  • Align with instructional goals—don’t track everything, only what’s actionable.

Conclusion

Tracking videos with xAPI empowers developers and instructional designers to go far beyond basic completions. By choosing the right tools (like GrassBlade or H5P), leveraging plugins, or building custom solutions, you can capture rich learner behavior data and feed it into your LRS for deeper analytics.

The result? Smarter instructional design, better learner engagement, and data-driven decision-making.

Key Takeaway: xAPI makes video tracking actionable and flexible—whether you use ready-made plugins or build custom integrations, you can collect exactly the insights your organization needs.

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