If you want an easy and free way to embed videos into your website, we normally recommend using YouTube. If you need more control over how your videos are displayed, you may want to consider a paid Vimeo account (see below).
Why YouTube?
YouTube do some very clever things, such as automatically creating many different versions of your video file. This means they can load the best video format for your visitor, depending on their screen size and connection speed. Loading your videos via YouTube also helps your webpages load faster.
YouTube do not charge for publishing videos, so simply signup for a YouTube account and then upload your video files.
Or if you’re creating your own videos, you might want to use the YouTube app on your smartphone or tablet. This allows you to record and edit simple videos.
How do I add a YouTube video to my website?
(If you’re using the Beaver Builder page building system to edit your pages, please skip this section and see the separate guide underneath!).
In the traditional editing screens, simply paste the URL of your YouTube video into the website editor, within it’s own paragraph, and without making it a clickable link (so it displays as plain text).
Your YouTube video URL will look something like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXX
Your website will automatically convert it into a video player box:
How do I add a YouTube video to my website using Beaver Builder?
If you’re editing a page that runs the “Beaver Builder” page building system (typically installed on websites built by Primary Image since 2021), then simply drag-and-drop the video block into your page design. (See our guide on using blocks). And then update the video box settings with your YouTube URL.
Help, my video is not displaying!
- Make sure the URL is not hyperlinked (clickable when viewing your page).
- Ensure the URL contains no formatting (use plain text).
- Your YouTube URL must be pasted onto its own line. Click the return key on your keyboard and paste the URL into a new paragraph. Or alternatively, click on the “Text” tab:
Then double-check the video URL is in its own paragraph:
- Is your YouTube URL correct?
- Does your YouTube video have any privacy settings restricting viewing? Only “public” and “unlisted” videos and playlists will load. “Private” videos will not display in your website.
Can I use Vimeo instead?
Yes! The same benefits apply as YouTube and you can use the same steps as above to embed a Vimeo video URL into your website.
What if I don’t want adverts and watermarks appearing on my videos?
You can signup to Vimeo Plus or Vimeo Pro, which is a premium (paid) service, and this allows your videos to display without adverts and watermarks (see Vimeo’s help guide on customising the video box). They also offer other advanced features on their paid plans. Therefore, this may be more appropriate for business use.
Can I host video files directly from my hosting account?
This isn’t typically recommended and we may restrict this, especially if they’re very large files. Please get in touch so we can explore options for you.