If you ever wanted to add a YouTube video to your WordPress content, chances are you’ve just copied the URL for the YouTube video in your editor and then… magic. Your video is automagically displayed. This is called an embed.
Embeds allow you to pull content from one source and display it somewhere else. They let you include videos, images, podcasts, or social media posts on your site without hosting them directly. You save bandwidth, speed up your loading times, and simplify content management. It’s a super neat functionality.
Embedded content relies on a URL from another platform’s resources. This specific kind of URL acts like a window into the external content. That URL isn’t storing the video or tweet on your server. Instead, it loads that content from the original source.
Are Embeds iframes?
You may be thinking, “Hey, an embed looks a lot like an iframe 🤔”. And that would be a valid observation. In fact, most, if not all, embeds operate through an underlying iframe, which stands for inline frame. An iframe is an HTML element that displays content from another web page inside your own.
In some cases, when WordPress retrieves embed code from a provider, that code includes an iframe. This mechanism allows external resources, for example a YouTube video, to appear seamlessly on your site.
However, you don’t have to insert iframes manually when using WordPress’s built-in embedding features. WordPress does all the heavy lifting. If you paste a direct URL from a supported provider, WordPress fetches the correct iframe code and places it in the page for you. Super seamless.
Why Use Embeds in WordPress?
You can still use iframe code manually. You’d need to grab the embed code from the provider’s site and paste it into the Custom HTML block. In short, iframes are the technical foundation behind many WordPress embeds, but WordPress’s oEmbed system automates the whole process for you. So, why would you take a complicated route, right?
WordPress embeds simplify the way you add third-party media. You just paste a URL or insert a block. WordPress then pulls the external content automatically. This process removes the hassle of copying special embed codes. It also reduces the chance of formatting errors.
As a result, you maintain a clean and organized post. Additionally, WordPress offers robust support for dozens of services. YouTube, Vimeo, X, and SoundCloud are only a few examples. Hence, you gain creative freedom in how you present multimedia. You also make sure that your site performance remains optimized because you’re not hosting huge (video) files.
How WordPress Embeds Work
WordPress has a built-in feature called oEmbed. This feature recognizes URLs from approved providers. After you paste a link in your editor, WordPress contacts the provider’s server. It fetches the necessary embed code. Then it displays the external content automatically.
For a lot of the common embed options, you can even use dedicated block to embed sources. These blocks include YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram blocks, among others. You only fill them with the URL and WordPress handles the rest. This method reduces manual coding. It also ensures that your content looks consistent.
Types of WordPress Embeds
WordPress supports a wide range of embeds. Below is a list of some popular categories:
Video Embeds
- YouTube: Paste your video link or use the YouTube block.
- Vimeo: Add your Vimeo URL into the Vimeo block.
- Dailymotion: Use the built-in embed block for a crisp video preview.
Audio Embeds
- SoundCloud: Insert the track or playlist URL. WordPress will display a sleek player.
- Spotify: Embed an album, playlist, or podcast episode by pasting its link.
- Mixcloud: Use the embed block to share entire mixes without heavy file uploads.
Social Media Embeds
- X (formerly Twitter): Paste a URL of a post on X, and WordPress automatically shows the embedded tweet.
- Facebook: Insert a Facebook post link to let your readers engage directly.
- Instagram: Share pictures or Reels with an Instagram embed block.
- TikTok: Display viral videos by adding the relevant TikTok link.
Documents and Presentations
- SlideShare: Use the SlideShare block to embed presentations.
- Google Docs/Sheets: Embed a published document or spreadsheet.
- PDFs: Use a third-party PDF embed plugin or upload through the block editor.
Miscellaneous Embeds
- WordPress Posts: Embed posts from another WordPress site.
- Giphy: Insert fun GIFs to amuse your audience.
- Other Providers: WordPress supports many more, like Meetup and Tumblr.
You can find the full list of WordPress Embeds here, and there are many ways to extend WordPress’ default embed behavior with plugins as well.
Embeds Going Stale
It’s not all roses and sunshine, though. Yes, embeds are convenient, but they rely on the continued availability of external resources, the embedded content itself.
You embed content that sits outside your server, right? So, if the original creator removes the video or post, your embed may break. It could also turn into a blank space or error message.
And it’s not always because of content being deleted. Providers sometimes change their sharing policies, for instance. Consequently, the embed might not display correctly anymore. In wild cases, a service could update its URL structure. If that happens, your site may not fetch the new embed code.
Great Site Health means you take care of your Content Health. That in turn means you do maintenance on your embedded content. As with any type of content, it’s also important to monitor your embedded content. Make sure you check it periodically and see if it still displays as intended and fix where needed.
The internet will thank you!
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