Embedding videos from third-party services on your site

Use video URLs or embed codes to add YouTube or Vimeo videos to your site.

Last updated February 5, 2025

To showcase videos on your site, you'll choose where you want the video to display, such as in a video block, and add the video there. We recommend you upload videos directly to your site, but if your video is hosted on YouTube or Vimeo instead, you'll add it with its video URL or embed code.

  • Video URLs are more convenient, and you can use them anywhere you display videos on Squarespace. They're only supported for YouTube and Vimeo.
  • Embed codes offer more advanced display options, and can be used with other third-party hosts such as Wistia and Animoto.

This guide outlines the different ways to embed videos to your site and when to use each method. To learn about the different options for displaying videos on your site, visit Adding videos to your site.

Tip

Link to your YouTube or Vimeo profile page by displaying social icons.

Use a video URL

To embed a video using its URL, you'll go to the video's page and copy the URL from the browser bar. You can then paste it into the video URL field anywhere you add videos on your Squarespace site.

Squarespace supports video URLs from:

  • YouTube
  • Vimeo

For YouTube videos, ensure the URL includes one of the following:

  • youtube.com/watch
  • youtube.com/playlist
  • youtu.be

To use advanced playback options, or other types of YouTube videos like Shorts and Clips, add the video with embed code.

Here's an example of a YouTube video URL as it appears in your browser bar:

YouTube video URL in browser address bar.png

Use embed code

To use advanced playback options offered by YouTube and Vimeo, or to embed videos from other services like Animoto and Wistia, use embed code.

The following places on your site support adding videos with embed code:

Other video areas only support direct upload of videos or video URLs from YouTube and Vimeo.

To begin, make any customizations to your video in your video host, then copy its embed code. The steps to find the code vary by hosting service. If you can't find the code, contact your hosting service. You'll then paste the code into the embed code field of your video display option in Squarespace.

For troubleshooting, visit Adding videos to your site.

Note

Your video host needs to use the oEmbed standard for the embed code to work on Squarespace. If your embed code doesn't work and there's no typo or other problem with the embed code, it's likely the video host doesn't support the oEmbed standard. If you can't upload your video to a service that supports oEmbed, try pasting the code into a code block. While custom code like this falls outside the scope of our support, you can get advice from our community in the Squarespace Forum or hire a Squarespace Expert.

Here's an example of YouTube's embed code:

youtube_embed_code.jpg

Choose the right video embed

While you can embed most YouTube and Vimeo videos with their URL, certain types of videos and options require using embed code.

If you want to use advanced playback options, any video that can be embedded with a URL can also be embedded with code, but you'll only be able to add it to areas that support embed code.

Review the table below to learn which embed option to use for your video and where you can add it on your site. 

Type of video Embed method Where you can embed it on your site
YouTube video Video URL
YouTube playlist
Vimeo video
Hidden or unlisted video from YouTube or Vimeo
Livestream video from YouTube or Vimeo
YouTube video set to premiere later
YouTube Shorts Embed code
(oEmbed standard only)
YouTube Clips
Advanced playback options
Videos hosted on other services
360-degree videos Video URL

Keep in mind:

  • YouTube video URLs, including livestream videos, need to include youtube.com/watch or youtu.be. Livestream YouTube URLs that include /live won't work.
  • YouTube playlist URLs need to include youtube.com/playlist.
  • Hidden or unlisted videos can be embedded with a URL if they're accessible by link.
  • After a livestream ends, its video may not work, depending on your settings. For help with livestream embed code, visit YouTube or Vimeo's help documentation.
  • YouTube videos set to premiere later won't display until after they premiere. For more on premiering videos, visit YouTube's help documentation.
  • 360-degree videos may cause issues with your site's speed and display.
  • It's not possible to embed YouTube videos with restricted embedding. If you're not sure if a YouTube video is restricted, check the embed code on YouTube. A warning will display if the embedding is restricted.
Footer Image
  • Get help from our community

  • Get help from our community on advanced customizations.

  • Hire a Squarespace Expert

  • Stand out online with the help of an experienced designer or developer.

Embedding videos from third-party services on your site