How it works
On the Unlimited plan, any video you upload through the Video block is stored on Shopify's native file storage. Shopify enforces a hard cap of 1 GB and 10 minutes per file, so a longer lecture or a high-bitrate recording is rejected at upload. That cap belongs to Shopify, not to Alva Courses — so you work around it by choosing where the video is hosted.
Three ways around the limit
1. Know the Shopify limit
When you add a video with the Video block on the Unlimited plan, the file uploads to Shopify's native storage, capped at 1 GB and 10 minutes. Trim or compress short clips to fit, or pick one of the options below for full-length lessons.
2. Embed from an external host
Stay on the Unlimited plan and host the video elsewhere. In the Video block, paste a YouTube, Vimeo, VdoCipher or Loom link to embed full-length video — Shopify's size and length cap does not apply to embeds.
3. Upgrade to Unlimited Pro for Alva Video Hosting
To upload long videos directly inside Alva Courses, upgrade to Unlimited Pro. Alva Video Hosting gives you 50 GB of dedicated storage with no per-video size or length limit, bypassing Shopify's native file caps entirely.
What learners see
Whichever route you choose, the lesson plays inline in the storefront course player — there is no visible difference between a Shopify-hosted clip, an embedded video and an Alva-hosted upload. Learners simply press play and progress is tracked as usual.
See also
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Last updated 2026-05-12