Use the YouTube block to embed YouTube videos onto any area of your website. This guide will show you how to add a YouTube video to your site.
First, copy the YouTube video’s URL from your web browser’s address bar while viewing the video. Videos on YouTube typically use the URL format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1b2c3d4e5
To quickly add the video to any page of your site, paste the URL on a new line in the WordPress editor. The link will automatically turn into an embedded YouTube video player:
Support is included for standard YouTube videos, YouTube playlists, and live streams. Public and unlisted YouTube videos can be embedded; private YouTube videos cannot be embedded.
If you wish to add a YouTube link without it turning into an embedded player, type some text before the URL like we’re doing in this very sentence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAT4e8vP6pk. The link will only turn into an embedded player if it is on its own line with nothing else. Alternatively, you can add the link between two backtick symbols ` and it will appear like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAT4e8vP6pk
YouTube also provides an iframe embed option, which you can insert via a Custom HTML block.
Alternatively, you can first add a YouTube block. To add the YouTube block, click on the + Block Inserter icon and search for “youtube”. Click it to add the block to the post or page. Paste the YouTube URL in the box provided and click Embed.
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Using your keyboard, you can also type /youtube on a new line and press enter to quickly add a new YouTube block.
For more information, visit our detailed instructions on adding blocks.
When you click on the block, a toolbar of options will appear above it:
The YouTube block offers the following options in its toolbar:
- Change the block type
- Drag and drop the block
- Move the block up or down on your page or post
- Change the block’s horizontal alignment or width
- Edit URL (change the YouTube link you embedded)
- More options
When you select a block, you will find additional block settings in the right sidebar. If you do not see the sidebar, you may need to click the Settings icon in the top-right corner to bring up the settings. This icon looks like a square with two uneven columns:
Keep the option Resize for smaller devices enabled if you’d like to preserve the aspect ratio on different browser sizes.
The YouTube block also includes:
