diff --git a/docs/guides/export-and-share.mdx b/docs/guides/export-and-share.mdx
index c6426e42705..c81875b373b 100644
--- a/docs/guides/export-and-share.mdx
+++ b/docs/guides/export-and-share.mdx
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ The command uploads the project and returns a stable URL. An anonymous first
 publish creates a claimable link. Sign in when the CLI should own the project
 immediately, update an existing link, or publish into a shared space.
 
+A local video poster referenced with a relative path, such as
+`../shared/poster.png`, is copied into the published project even when it lives
+outside the project directory.
+
 Before sharing source, remove secrets and confirm that every included media file
 can be shared. Tell a reviewer whether you need feedback on story, visuals,
 timing, facts, or final approval.
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.test.ts
index f9ed4172787..22b0290edfe 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,15 @@
 import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
-import { mkdtempSync, mkdirSync, renameSync, rmSync, utimesSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import {
+  mkdtempSync,
+  mkdirSync,
+  readFileSync,
+  renameSync,
+  rmSync,
+  utimesSync,
+  writeFileSync,
+} from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
-import { join, relative } from "node:path";
+import { dirname, join, posix, relative } from "node:path";
 import AdmZip from "adm-zip";
 
 const authMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -216,6 +224,69 @@ async function runAuthenticatedPublish(
 }
 
 describe("createPublishArchive", () => {
+  it.each(["index.html", "compositions/scene.html"])(
+    "includes external video posters referenced from %s",
+    (entryPath) => {
+      const projectDir = makeProjectDir();
+      const extDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "hf-ext-"));
+      try {
+        const htmlDir = join(projectDir, dirname(entryPath));
+        mkdirSync(htmlDir, { recursive: true });
+        if (entryPath !== "index.html") {
+          writeFileSync(join(projectDir, "index.html"), "<html></html>");
+        }
+        const posterPath = stageExternalAsset(extDir, htmlDir, "poster.png", "PNG_DATA");
+        const videoPath = posix.relative(posix.dirname(entryPath), "clip.mp4");
+        const html = `<html><body><video src="${videoPath}" poster="${posterPath}"></video></body></html>`;
+        writeFileSync(join(projectDir, entryPath), html);
+        writeFileSync(join(projectDir, "clip.mp4"), "MP4_DATA");
+
+        const archive = createPublishArchive(projectDir);
+        const zip = new AdmZip(archive.buffer);
+        const posterEntries = zip
+          .getEntries()
+          .filter((entry) => entry.entryName.startsWith("_ext/") && entry.name === "poster.png");
+
+        expect(posterEntries).toHaveLength(1);
+        const archivedPoster = posterEntries[0]!;
+        expect(archivedPoster.getData()).toEqual(Buffer.from("PNG_DATA"));
+        expect(zip.readAsText(entryPath)).toContain(
+          `poster="${posix.relative(posix.dirname(entryPath), archivedPoster.entryName)}"`,
+        );
+        expect(zip.readAsText(entryPath)).toContain(`src="${videoPath}"`);
+        expect(archive.fileCount).toBe(entryPath === "index.html" ? 3 : 4);
+        expect(readFileSync(join(projectDir, entryPath), "utf-8")).toBe(html);
+      } finally {
+        rmSync(projectDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+        rmSync(extDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      }
+    },
+  );
+
+  it("preserves internal, remote, and inline video posters", () => {
+    const projectDir = makeProjectDir();
+    try {
+      const posters = [
+        "poster.png",
+        "https://cdn.example.com/poster.png",
+        "data:image/png;base64,AA==",
+      ];
+      const html = `<html><body>${posters.map((poster) => `<video src="clip.mp4" poster="${poster}"></video>`).join("")}</body></html>`;
+      writeFileSync(join(projectDir, "index.html"), html);
+      writeFileSync(join(projectDir, "poster.png"), "PNG_DATA");
+      writeFileSync(join(projectDir, "clip.mp4"), "MP4_DATA");
+
+      const archive = createPublishArchive(projectDir);
+      const zip = new AdmZip(archive.buffer);
+
+      expect(archive.fileCount).toBe(3);
+      expect(zip.readAsText("index.html")).toBe(html);
+      expect(zip.getEntries().some((entry) => entry.entryName.startsWith("_ext/"))).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      rmSync(projectDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it("packages the project and skips hidden files and node_modules", () => {
     const dir = makeProjectDir();
     try {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.ts
index ac39bcfb53c..9c05f5c809c 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/publishProject.ts
@@ -542,7 +542,9 @@ function localizeHtmlEntry(ctx: ExternalAssetContext, entryPath: string, content
   const referrerAbsDir = resolve(ctx.absProjectDir, dirname(entryPath));
   const { document } = parseHTML(content.toString("utf-8"));
   const resolveTarget: HtmlAttributeResolver = (val, dir) => tryResolveExternal(ctx, val, dir);
-  const attrsChanged = rewriteHtmlAttributes(document, referrerAbsDir, entryPath, resolveTarget);
+  const attrsChanged = rewriteHtmlAttributes(document, referrerAbsDir, entryPath, resolveTarget, {
+    attrs: ["src", "href", "poster"],
+  });
   const stylesChanged = rewriteStyleBlocks(document, referrerAbsDir, entryPath, resolveTarget);
   if (attrsChanged || stylesChanged) {
     ctx.fileContents.set(entryPath, Buffer.from(document.toString(), "utf-8"));