How to Embed YouTube Shorts on a WordPress Website: A Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube Shorts has rapidly become one of the most popular formats for creating and sharing short, engaging videos. If you’re a WordPress user, embedding YouTube Shorts on your website can be a fantastic way to captivate your audience, increase dwell time, and enhance the overall user experience. This guide will walk you through the process of embedding YouTube Shorts on your WordPress site, ensuring that your content looks great and performs well.

Why Embed YouTube Shorts on Your WordPress Website?

Before we dive into the steps, let’s quickly cover why you might want to embed YouTube Shorts on your WordPress website:

1. Enhanced Engagement: YouTube Shorts are designed to be quick and engaging, making them ideal for capturing visitors’ attention.
2. SEO Benefits: Embedding videos can help improve the time users spend on your page, which is a positive signal to search engines.
3. Content Diversity: Short videos offer a creative way to present content, whether you’re showcasing products, sharing tips, or entertaining your audience.

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Step 1: Locate the YouTube Short You Want to Embed

Start by finding the YouTube Short you wish to embed on your WordPress site. You can do this by searching for the video on YouTube or selecting it from your own YouTube channel if you’ve uploaded it yourself.

Step 2: Copy the YouTube Short Link

Since YouTube Shorts don’t have a specific embed option like regular videos, you’ll need to follow these steps to get the link:

1. Open the YouTube Short: Navigate to the Short you want to embed.
2. Copy the URL: Copy the URL from the browser’s address bar. It should look something like this: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID.

Step 3: Embed the YouTube Short on Your WordPress Website

WordPress makes it easy to embed videos, including YouTube Shorts, directly into your posts or pages.

Method 1: Using the Block Editor (Gutenberg)

1. Open the Post or Page Editor:
   • Go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to the post or page where you want to embed the YouTube Short.
2. Add a YouTube Block:
   • In the WordPress block editor, click the “+” button to add a new block.
   • Search for the “YouTube” block and select it.
3. Paste the YouTube Short URL:
   • In the YouTube block, paste the URL of the YouTube Short that you copied earlier.
   • WordPress will automatically embed the video into the block.
4. Preview and Publish:
   • Preview your post or page to ensure the Short is embedded correctly.
   • Once satisfied, click “Publish” or “Update” to make the post live.

Method 2: Using the Classic Editor

If you’re still using the Classic Editor, you can embed YouTube Shorts as follows:

1. Open the Post or Page Editor:
   • Navigate to the post or page where you want to embed the video.
2. Paste the YouTube Short URL:
   • Simply paste the URL of the YouTube Short directly into the editor. WordPress automatically converts the link into an embedded video.
3. Preview and Publish:
   • Click “Preview” to check how the video looks on your site.
   • When everything is in place, click “Publish” or “Update.”

Step 4: Customize the Embedded Video (Optional)

While WordPress handles the basics of embedding, you might want to customize how the YouTube Short appears on your site:

• Adjust Size: If you need to change the size of the embedded video, you can do so by adjusting the width and height in the embed code.
• Autoplay: To enable autoplay, you’ll need to add ?autoplay=1 at the end of the video URL in the embed code. However, use autoplay cautiously as it can affect user experience.
• Remove Related Videos: To prevent related videos from appearing after the Short ends, add ?rel=0 to the end of the URL.

Step 5: Test the Embedded YouTube Short

Before wrapping up, it’s essential to test the embedded YouTube Short to ensure it functions correctly across different devices and browsers.

1. Preview Your Page:
   • Preview the post or page to see how the embedded Short looks.
2. Check Responsiveness:
   • Ensure the video is responsive and displays well on mobile devices, tablets, and desktops.
3. Play the Video:
   • Test the video to ensure it plays smoothly without any issues.

Using Tagembed for Enhanced YouTube Short Embedding

For those looking for a more advanced and customizable way to embed YouTube Shorts on a WordPress site, the Tagembed widget offers a powerful solution. Here’s how to use it:

1. Sign Up or Log In to Tagembed

• Visit the Tagembed website and create an account or log in if you already have one.

2. Create a YouTube Widget

• After logging in, click “Create Widget” and select “YouTube” as the source.
• Connect your YouTube account or enter the URL of the YouTube Short.

3. Customize the Widget

• Customize the widget’s layout, colors, and size to match your website’s design.
• Add multiple Shorts or YouTube videos if desired.

4. Generate and Embed the Code

• Click “Get Code” to generate the embed code.
• Copy the code and paste it into the WordPress editor using the HTML block or directly into the Classic Editor.

Conclusion

Embedding YouTube Shorts on your WordPress website is a simple yet effective way to enhance your content and engage your audience. Whether you’re using WordPress’s built-in tools or leveraging advanced widgets like Tagembed, you can seamlessly integrate dynamic, short-form videos into your site. Follow the steps outlined in this guide to start embedding YouTube Shorts today, and watch as your site’s interactivity and appeal grow exponentially.