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Embedded video

What is an embedded video?

An embedded video refers to a video that plays directly on your website, rather than sending visitors to another website to watch it. When a video is embedded, it usually involves adding a snippet of code (often HTML or iframe) to the host page or application. This code fetches and displays the video content from its source, allowing users to view the video directly on the page or within the application.

For example, many websites embed YouTube videos. Instead of sending visitors to YouTube to watch the video, the video plays directly on the webpage, providing a more seamless user experience.

The benefits of embedding videos

Embedding videos on your website has several advantages, including:

  • Keeping users on your site or platform rather than sending them elsewhere to watch the video, which can lead to longer engagement.
  • Offering additional context or supplementary content without requiring users to navigate elsewhere.
  • Ensuring a cohesive presentation or branding experience, as the video is integrated within the larger design of the site or application.

What do you need to embed a video?

You usually need a video’s embed code if you want to have it play on your website. You copy this embed code and paste it into your website’s HTML. This method is only useful if your video is already published on a platform like YouTube or Vimeo, however. If you want to embed a video without having to post it on a video sharing platform first, you'll have to use a media player plug-in or upload the video file to your website’s media library, if you’re using WordPress.

How to embed a live video

If you want to embed a live stream on your website, the process is almost exactly the same as embedding a regular video. Usually, you just have to copy the embed copy and paste it into your website’s HTML. You can do this with video platforms that support live streams, like YouTube, but you can also use streaming software like Restream to embed the video on your website without having YouTube’s branding on the video player.

You can read our full guide to embedding a live stream on your website to see how to do it using Restream.