Why Aren't Standards Practice Videos Loading?

If videos in the Standards Practice section are not playing, use the steps below. Most issues are caused by network filtering, iframe restrictions, or browser extensions—not by the lesson content itself.

Step 1: Verify firewall and allowlist settings

• Ensure the following domain is whitelisted in your firewall and content-filter settings:

  • https://videos.nextgenmath.com

  We use this host as a video delivery path when the in-app player cannot use YouTube directly. This domain must be whitelisted for that path to work.

  How our player chooses a source (for IT): When a student opens a video, the app checks whether YouTube is reachable, then picks the first option that applies:

  1. YouTube embed — used when our reachability check succeeds (see Step 3).
  2. Mux — used when YouTube is not selected and a Mux copy exists for that lesson.
  3. videos.nextgenmath.com — used when YouTube is not selected and no Mux copy is available.

  Important: Allow-listing YouTube for general browsing does not guarantee embedded videos will work. If YouTube appears allowed but embeds are restricted, the app may still try YouTube and the video may never start (often with a long “waiting” state and no clear error). Fixing embedded content or applying a consistent block (see Steps 2–3) changes which path the app uses.

Step 2: Check for iframe blocking

• Our videos are embedded in iframes. Confirm with your IT team that iframe embedding is not blocked for:

  • videos.nextgenmath.com
  • YouTube embed hosts (for example www.youtube.com and www.youtube-nocookie.com) when your policy allows instructional embeds

  If iframes are blocked, the video cannot load even when the domain is allow-listed for normal browsing.

• Use an iframe tester on an affected student device. If the test page does not load the embedded frame, iframes are likely blocked:

  https://iframetester.com/?url=https://videos.nextgenmath.com/?v=xekwYRL1SGs

  
  

Step 3: Test the video link directly

• On the same device and network where the problem occurs, open:

  https://videos.nextgenmath.com/?v=xekwYRL1SGs

  • If the link works in the browser tab but the video still fails inside NextGenMath, suspect iframe embedding or a browser extension affecting only embedded content (Step 4).
  • If the link does not work in the tab, suspect firewall or filter blocking of videos.nextgenmath.com (Step 1).

Step 4: Third-party software (for district IT)

Student devices often use monitoring, classroom-management, or filtering tools in addition to the network firewall. These can break embedded video even when allow lists look correct.

• Extension overlay or “on-page” features: Some products inject an overlay or modify the page while students work. That can block or interfere with embedded players without blocking the main site. If videos fail only on managed Chromebooks, ask your vendor whether overlay or similar features can be disabled for instructional sites—or for your NextGenMath allow list.
• Embedded vs. browsing policy: “YouTube allowed” for browsing is not the same as “embedded YouTube allowed.” Work with your filter vendor on embedded content or iframe rules, not only site categories.
• Isolate the layer: When possible, test the same student account on:
  • The district network vs. off-network (helps separate firewall from extension).
  • A device in a test organizational unit (OU) with relaxed policy vs. the production student OU.
  • A profile or device where monitoring extensions are not installed, if policy allows—only to confirm the extension as the cause.
• Fallback expectations: The app only skips YouTube when our reachability check fails. A partial block (small requests succeed, embeds fail) does not automatically switch to Mux or videos.nextgenmath.com. Lessons that only have a YouTube source will not play until embeds work or a non-YouTube copy exists.

Step 5: Clear browser cache and settings

• If you've recently updated firewall, filter, or extension policy, clear the browser cache and reload. In Chrome:
  1. Click the three dots in the upper right corner.
  2. Go to "More tools" > "Clear browsing data".
  3. Select "Cached images and files" and click "Clear data".

Step 6: Contact support

• If the problem persists, contact our support team and include:
  • A screenshot of the error or stuck “waiting” state.
  • Firewall, content filter, and any browser extensions or monitoring tools in use.
  • Confirmation that videos.nextgenmath.com is whitelisted.
  • Results of the direct link test (Step 3) and iframe tester (Step 2), and whether the issue is limited to certain OUs or Chromebooks.