filter_fastpix - embed FastPix videos anywhere in Moodle with a short code

A Moodle text filter that turns a short code into a playable FastPix-hosted video anywhere Moodle shows rich text - forum posts, Pages, Book chapters, labels, course and section summaries, quiz question text and feedback, and more. No activity required. It builds on local_fastpix, the foundation plugin that provides the FastPix credentials, HTTP gateway, and playback-token signing.

Use this plugin if you run a Moodle site with local_fastpix already connected and you want authors to embed FastPix videos directly inside their content. filter_fastpix also requires mod_fastpix, the FastPix Video activity plugin, because the filter reuses its view capability and player; install all three. filter_fastpix never contacts FastPix directly; every video operation goes through local_fastpix. It stores nothing, tracks nothing, and grades nothing - it's a pure display layer for casual viewing. For graded, completion-tracked videos, use the FastPix Video activity (mod_fastpix) instead.

Works with: Moodle 4.5 LTS or later · PHP 8.1+ · requires local_fastpix + mod_fastpix · public FastPix videos (embedded by playback ID)

📖 Filter guide: https://fastpix.com/docs/moodle/filter-plugin  ·  🚀 Free FastPix account: https://dashboard.fastpix.com/signup

Part of the FastPix Moodle suite. Install local_fastpix and mod_fastpix first, then enable this filter (see Enable the filter). This filter is for casual embedding; for graded, completion-tracked videos use the FastPix Video activity (mod_fastpix). See The FastPix Moodle suite.

Features

Embedding

• Drop a short code into any rich-text field and it becomes a video player when the page is viewed.
• Works no matter how the short code got there: inserted by the FastPix editor button (tiny_fastpix), typed by hand, or carried in from migrated content.
• Put as many short codes as you like on one page; each becomes its own player, and the surrounding text is left untouched.

Playback experience

• Plays public FastPix videos in the same modern adaptive player the FastPix activity uses - across browsers, mobile, and slow networks.
• Embed any public video by its playback id, from any FastPix org or workspace - it needn't be in this site's library.
• Library videos also show your accent color and the video title.
• Fast: no short code means no work, and rendering makes no FastPix network calls.
• Private/DRM videos show a "watch it in the activity" note; an unplayable id just fails to load, leaking nothing.

Security and privacy

• Every embed is checked against the mod/fastpix:view capability in the place the text appears. Viewers without it never see the video - they just see the harmless short-code text, so videos can't leak.
• No watch tracking, no grades, no completion, and no personal data stored.

Requirements

• Moodle 4.5 LTS or later.
• PHP 8.1 or later (tested through PHP 8.3).
• local_fastpix 1.0.0 or later, installed and connected to a FastPix account. Set up the foundation plugin first if you haven't.
• mod_fastpix installed - this filter reuses its mod/fastpix:view capability and mirrors its player.

This filter adds no database tables, has no FastPix credentials of its own, and has no Composer dependencies.

Install

Choose one of the following methods.

Install from the Moodle Marketplace

1. Sign in to your Moodle site as an administrator.
2. Go to Site administration > Plugins > Install plugins.
3. Search for FastPix video embeds and follow the prompts.

Install from a ZIP file

1. Download the latest release from the Moodle Marketplace page, or from the GitHub Releases page.
2. Sign in to your Moodle site as an administrator.
3. Go to Site administration > Plugins > Install plugins and upload the ZIP file. Don't unzip it first; Moodle installs the package directly from the ZIP.
4. Select Install plugin from the ZIP file, then continue through the validation screen.
5. On the Plugins requiring attention screen, select Upgrade Moodle database now, then Continue when it finishes.

Note: You can't install filter_fastpix standalone. Moodle blocks the install with a dependency error until local_fastpix and mod_fastpix are present. If you haven't set up the foundation plugin yet, see Set up local plugin first.

Enable the filter

After installing, go to Site administration > Plugins > Filters > Manage filters and switch FastPix video embeds to On. Place it above the Multimedia plugins filter so FastPix handles its own short codes first.

Usage

Authors add videos directly from any rich-text editor. No admin action is needed once the filter is enabled.

The short code

{fastpix:pb_YOUR_PLAYBACK_ID}

Part	Meaning
{fastpix: … }	Tells the filter "this is a FastPix video."
pb_	Marks what follows as a playback id.
YOUR_PLAYBACK_ID	The video's playback id (letters, numbers, - and _).

Example: {fastpix:pb_a1c229cb-fb6f-41b1-b4cd-d676585077d5}

Add a video

You have two ways to add a video:

• Editor button (recommended). If tiny_fastpix is installed, select Insert FastPix video in the editor toolbar, pick a video from the list (shown by name), and the correct short code is inserted for you.
• Paste the short code. Type or paste {fastpix:pb_YOUR_PLAYBACK_ID} into any rich-text field and save. On view, readers see the player.

You can mix short codes freely with normal text and place several on one page.

What each viewer sees

Situation	What they see
Has mod/fastpix:view and the video is public	The video player.
Public video from another org or workspace (not in this site's library)	The video player, rendered tokenless straight from the playback id.
No permission	The plain short-code text - no video, no error.
Video is private (non-DRM), in this site's library	A note to watch it in its FastPix activity.
Video is DRM-protected, in this site's library	A note to open it in its FastPix activity to watch.
A known public video still processing	"This video is unavailable."
A wrong, deleted, or private id not in this site's library	The player mounts but can't play (the stream won't authorise). No token is minted, so nothing leaks.

Limitations

• Public videos only - but from any workspace. You can embed any public video by its playback id, regardless of which FastPix org or workspace it lives in. Private and DRM videos aren't embedded; a known one points the viewer to the FastPix activity, which owns the per-play token-refresh machinery they need.
• No tracking, grades, or completion. Watching an embedded video records nothing. Use the FastPix activity (mod_fastpix) when you need those.
• No uploading. This plugin only displays videos that already exist in FastPix; uploading is done through the activity or the editor button.

Capabilities

This filter doesn't define its own capabilities. It reuses the activity's view capability so that embed access matches activity access.

Capability	Description	Defined by
mod/fastpix:view	View and play a FastPix video. Checked per short code, in the context where the text appears.	mod_fastpix

The FastPix Moodle suite

filter_fastpix renders the short code into a player. It needs the foundation and activity plugins installed first, and pairs with the editor button. All are GPL-3.0; install in this order:

Plugin	Role	Install order
local_fastpix	Foundation: FastPix credentials, secure gateway, playback-token signing. Required first.	1
mod_fastpix	The FastPix Video activity - upload, graded, completion-tracked videos; defines the mod/fastpix:view capability this filter reuses.	2
filter_fastpix (this repo)	Turns a {fastpix:pb_...} short code into a player anywhere Moodle renders rich text. Enable it after installing.	3
tiny_fastpix	A TinyMCE editor button that inserts the short code for authors.	4

Browse everything in the FastPix organization.

FAQ

What is filter_fastpix, and what do I need first? It is a Moodle text filter that turns a short code into a playable FastPix video anywhere Moodle renders rich text. It needs local_fastpix and mod_fastpix installed, and this filter enabled. See Requirements and The FastPix Moodle suite.

How do I embed a FastPix video in a page, forum post, or label? Put a {fastpix:pb_YOUR_PLAYBACK_ID} short code into any rich-text field and save; on view it becomes a player. Or insert it with the tiny_fastpix editor button. See The short code and Add a video.

Where do I get a playback ID for the short code? It is the playback ID of a FastPix video (visible in the FastPix dashboard media details, or on the video's FastPix activity). If you have the tiny_fastpix editor button installed, it inserts the correct short code for you so you never handle the ID directly. See Add a video.

Why does my short code show as plain text instead of a video? The filter is not enabled, or it sits below the Multimedia plugins filter. Enable FastPix video embeds and place it above Multimedia plugins. See Enable the filter and Troubleshooting.

Which videos can I embed? Public FastPix videos, by playback ID, from any FastPix org or workspace. Private and DRM videos are not embedded; a known one points the viewer to its FastPix activity. See Limitations.

Does it track watching, grade, or store data? No. It is a display-only layer - no tracking, grades, completion, or personal data. For graded, completion-tracked videos, use the FastPix Video activity (mod_fastpix). See Limitations.

Who can see an embedded video? Viewers with the mod/fastpix:view capability in the place the text appears; everyone else just sees the harmless short-code text, so videos cannot leak. See Capabilities.

Which Moodle and PHP versions are supported? Moodle 4.5 LTS or later, and PHP 8.1 or later (tested through PHP 8.3). See Requirements.

Troubleshooting

• Short code renders as plain {fastpix:...} text. Enable the FastPix video embeds filter under Site administration > Plugins > Filters > Manage filters, and place it above the Multimedia plugins filter.
• A private or DRM video shows a note instead of playing. The filter embeds public videos only; open private or DRM videos in their FastPix activity.
• The player mounts but the video will not play. Check that the playback ID is a real, public, ready FastPix video.
• Moodle refuses to install the plugin. local_fastpix and mod_fastpix must be present first.

Privacy

This plugin stores no personal data of its own. It declares a null_provider and delegates everything to local_fastpix. See classes/privacy/provider.php.

Support

• File an issue on the issue tracker.
• Read the integration guide for installation and usage walkthroughs.
• Set up the foundation plugin if you haven't already.
• Read the changelog for release notes.

License

Copyright © 2026 FastPix Inc. Released under the GNU GPL v3.0 or later. For the full license text, see LICENSE.