> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cloudinary.com/documentation/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Remove codec parameter from video Content-Type header


When Cloudinary delivers an MP4 video without transformations, the HTTP `Content-Type` response header includes a codec parameter, for example `video/mp4;codecs=avc1`. Some downstream services, such as Twilio WhatsApp templates, reject this extended format and require a plain `video/mp4` Content-Type.

You can fix this by applying a video codec transformation, which forces Cloudinary to re-encode the video and serve it with a plain `Content-Type`.

## Why this happens

For untransformed MP4 delivery, Cloudinary includes codec information in the `Content-Type` header as a hint to the client. You can verify this with `curl`:

```bash
curl -I https://res.cloudinary.com/demo/video/upload/dog.mp4
```

The response includes:

```
content-type: video/mp4;codecs=avc1
```

When you apply a `vc_*` (video codec) transformation, Cloudinary re-encodes the video and serves the result with a plain `Content-Type`:

```bash
curl -I https://res.cloudinary.com/demo/video/upload/vc_h264:high/dog.mp4
```

The response now includes:

```
content-type: video/mp4
```

## The fix

Add a `vc_h264:high` transformation to your delivery URL. This re-encodes the video using the H.264 High profile and produces a `Content-Type: video/mp4` response without the codec parameter:

```
https://res.cloudinary.com/<cloud_name>/video/upload/vc_h264:high/<public_id>.mp4
```

Other `vc_*` values that also strip the codec parameter include `vc_h264`, `vc_h264:baseline`, and `vc_auto`.

> **NOTE**: Re-encoding produces a new derived asset that counts toward your transformation and storage quotas. Cloudinary caches the re-encoded video after the first request, so subsequent requests don't trigger additional processing.

## Verify your URL

Some transformation combinations can cause the codec parameter to reappear. Before handing a URL to a downstream service, confirm the `Content-Type` with `curl -I`:

```bash
curl -I "https://res.cloudinary.com/<cloud_name>/video/upload/vc_h264:high/<public_id>.mp4"
```

Check that the `content-type` line reads `video/mp4` without a `;codecs=...` suffix.

> **READING**:
>
> * [Video codec settings](video_manipulation_and_delivery#video_codec_settings): Configure codec, profile, and level for video delivery.

> * [vc (video\_codec)](transformation_reference#vc_video_codec) in the Transformation Reference: Full parameter syntax and default codec settings per format.