How to Embed a YouTube Video

Different platforms and tools have their own requirements for how to embed YouTube videos. We’ll walk you through some of the most common places to embed video.

Embedding Using HTML

skillshare youtube video with embed coding — Source: youtubeCopy the YouTube embed code to paste into the HTML section of a webpage.

If you’re trying to add videos to a website or blog, the easiest way to do so is to embed YouTube videos in HTML.

YouTube’s embed feature can generate the code for you. Go to the YouTube video you want to embed, click on the Share button, then click Embed. Copy the embed code, and then paste it into the relevant place in the HTML of your webpage.

This quick copy/paste will work in most cases, but if you want to make any adjustments to how the video will appear on your site, you can build out the code yourself using this basic embed structure:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="VIDEO URL"> </iframe>

From here, you can adjust the display size by changing the numbers that appear after "width" and "height". You can also incorporate additional functionality—for instance, to enable autoplay and mute when the webpage loads, you’ll need to add an extra piece of code after the video URL.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO ID?autoplay=1&mute=1"> </iframe>

Embed YouTube Video in PowerPoint

To embed a video in PowerPoint, go to YouTube and copy the URL of the video you want to embed. Once you have the URL, go back to PowerPoint and, on the slide that you want the video to appear, click the Insert dropdown, then Video, and select Online Video. A popup box will allow you to paste the video URL of the content you want to embed—and PowerPoint will take it from there. Easy!

Google Slides Embedding

Learning how to embed YouTube videos in Google Slides is easy and similar to the process for PowerPoint. Open your presentation and hit Insert, then click Video. This will open up a YouTube search bar.

Since Slides is also a Google product, you can search for videos directly using this tool, or you can paste in the URL of a specific video. When you find the video you’re after, simply hit Select, and your embed will be complete.

Embed YouTube Videos in Email

embedding a video in email — Source: microsoftMany email providers allow you to embed by pasting the YouTube URL into an email.

For frequently updated commercial email platforms like Outlook, the URL of a video is often enough to embed your content. Simply copy and paste the URL into the body of your email.

However, many providers like Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, AOL, and Windows 10 Mail don’t allow direct playable video, so you won’t be able to embed the content.

Here’s a workaround: Grab a screenshot of the video. Add this static image into your email and link it to the URL of the YouTube video. The video won’t play in your recipient’s inbox itself, but this is one of the best ways to share videos if their email provider doesn’t support in-inbox playback.

Adding YouTube Videos in Gmail

adding video in gmail — Source: youtubeYou’ll need to use an external plugin or extension if you want to embed playable videos into Gmail.

Wondering how to embed YouTube video in Gmail? You’ll need to install an embed plugin or browser extension if you want direct playback in a message. Embed YouTube Videos by cloudHQ and BombBomb Video are highly rated options.

If you’d prefer not to use a third-party app, you can screenshot a section of the video, include this image in your message, and link the image to the YouTube video URL. This isn’t a true embed, but it does allow users to click on the image and watch the video on YouTube.

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Embed YouTube Videos on Twitter

If you want to embed a YouTube video in a tweet, both YouTube and Twitter make the process simple.

First, make sure you’re logged in to your Twitter account. Then, head to YouTube, find the video you’d like to embed, and select the Share icon. Next to the embed code option, you’ll see several social media icons. Click on the Twitter icon, add any text that you’d like in the popup ahead of the video URL, and hit Tweet.

Alternatively, you can paste the YouTube video URL directly into a new tweet. This will generate a preview, and you can add in any text you’d like before posting.

Embed YouTube Videos in Canva

Canva is a great tool for creating all kinds of marketing materials or custom projects. Social media posts, school presentations, or even introductory videos for a job interview are all possible with video embeds within the Canva templates.

When you want to embed YouTube videos in Canva, open an existing or new project template and click More on the left-hand menu. From here, choose YouTube under “Discover content from.” You can then paste your video URL in the search bar and drag this across into your project template once it loads.

Canvas YouTube Embedding

Learning how to embed Youtube video in Canvas is important if you’re using the platform for school or college classes.

If you’re in a discussion post, page, or assignment, navigate to the place in your text box where you’d like the video to appear. In the toolbar, click on the plug icon and select YouTube from the dropdown. Use the search field to find the video you’re looking for and click Embed.

If you have the embed code directly from YouTube, you can click on the cloud icon in the dashboard, instead of the plug, and paste the code there.

Google Doc YouTube Videos

google docs video — Source: Google DocsUse Google Slides to add a YouTube video into a Google Doc.

Currently, there’s no direct way to embed a video into a Google Doc, but there is a workaround using Google Slides if you need to include a video in your document.

Open a new Google Slides presentation, click on Insert, then select Video and paste in your YouTube URL. Insert it into your slide, then right click on the video and select Copy.

Go back to your Google Doc and select Insert, then Drawing, and select New. Paste into the drawing area, then click Save and Close. A still of your video will appear as an image in your Doc, but click on the image and select the Edit button, and you’ll go back to the Drawing, where you can hit Play.

Anyone who you’ve shared the document with will need edit access in order to play the video, so if this isn’t possible, you’ll want to include the video URL underneath the image in the document so it becomes a clickable link.

Now that you know how to embed YouTube videos into all kinds of platforms, there’s nothing stopping you from sharing your favorite videos with everyone you know!

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