Image  

SEO-friendly image file naming

1. Use hyphens, not underscores or spaces 

✅ port-stephens-nelson-bay-sunset.jpg

VS

❌ Port_Stephens_Sunset.jpg or IMG_4821.jpg. 

Google treats hyphens as word separators; underscores get read as one string.

2. Be descriptive, not generic

3. Name the file for what's actually in it

Subject, location, context. swan-valley-vineyard-tasting.jpg beats photo1.jpg or header-image.jpg.

4. All lowercase

Avoids case-sensitivity issues across servers and keeps URLs consistent.

5. Keep it concise 

3–5 meaningful words. Long strings dilute keyword weight and look spammy.

6. Include location/destination keywords where natural

Working in a region, town, or product name earns valuable search real estate e.g. visit-echuca-moama-paddle-steamer.jpg.

7. Drop filler words and special characters

Skip "the," "and," "image-of," and avoid &, %, #, and apostrophes, which can break URLs.

Common questions

Does this matter if Roam optimises and delivers images through its CDN? Yes. Roam's CDN handles resizing, compression, and fast delivery — but the source file name is what gets indexed by search engines and carries through into the rendered image URL. Optimisation doesn't rename the file for you.

How is this different from alt text? The file name is a search signal read by search engines and image crawlers. Alt text is the accessibility description read by screen readers and used for context — it should complement the file name, not just repeat it.

What if I've already uploaded images with generic names? You can re-upload with an SEO-friendly name at any time. For high-value images (hero images, product galleries), it's worth doing — but there's no need to rename your entire back catalogue in one go.

Video  

Here are our recommendations for homepage video specifications:

• Maximum file size of 10MB
• Use mp4 video file
• No sound
• For header videos, we recommend using short, high-quality videos with no text. Because of various screen sizes, it is very likely that any text that's embedded in the videos will be cut off, affecting user experience.
• In-page videos - you can host longer videos on YouTube or Vimeo and place a link within the page's body using the Video component
• The minimum resolution we recommend is 720p or higher:
  3840x2160 (2160p) 
  2560x1440 (1440p) 
  1920x1080 (1080p) 
  1280x720 (720p)

Optimising your header video

A video Hero brings a lot of energy to a homepage — but because it loads automatically and plays the moment a visitor lands, an unoptimised file is one of the fastest ways to slow your site down. A few habits before you upload keep your header fast without sacrificing quality.

How it works

Header video uploads directly to your Asset Manager as an MP4 file and plays as soon as the page loads. Unlike embedded video (YouTube, Vimeo), there's no external platform handling compression or adaptive streaming for you — the file you upload is the file that loads, so getting it right before upload matters.

Key features

• Use MP4 with H.264 encoding — this is the most widely supported format across browsers and devices, and gives the best balance of quality and file size for autoplaying background video.
• Keep it short and looping — 10–20 seconds is ideal. A header video is atmosphere, not a story; it should loop seamlessly rather than run long.
• Strip the audio — header videos autoplay muted by default, so audio only adds file size with no benefit.
• Compress before uploading — run footage through a compression tool (like Handbrake) before uploading. A 4K source file doesn't need to stay 4K for a header — 1080p is usually visually identical to visitors and loads significantly faster. Aim for well under 10MB where possible.
• Match resolution to display, not source — footage shot in 4K or higher should be downscaled to 1080p for web use. Uploading the full-resolution master forces every visitor's browser to do work it doesn't need to.
• Name the file descriptively — lowercase, hyphenated, and specific: nelson-bay-aerial-hero.mp4, not final-video-v3.mp4. This keeps your Asset Manager organised and easy to search.

Common questions

What if my footage is already high resolution and large? Compress it before uploading rather than relying on the platform to fix it after the fact. Roam's CDN optimises delivery, but starting with a leaner file always outperforms compressing a bloated one at the edge.

Does a longer header video look better? Not usually — a short, well-shot loop reads as more polished than a long clip, and it protects your load time. If you have longer-form footage you want to showcase, that's better suited to an embedded video block further down the page.

Can I use a video I already have from a shoot? Yes, but check the resolution and length first. Most raw footage from a professional shoot will need trimming and compressing before it's ready for a header.

Pro tip: if you're briefing a videographer, ask for a web-optimised cut of any header footage (short, 1080p, no audio) in addition to the full-resolution master — it saves a compression step later.

➤ Related: How to embed a video on a page