The fastest way to embed a YouTube video

Open the Google Slides presentation where you want the video. Click on the slide where you want it to appear. Go to the menu at the top and select Insert, then click Video. A search box will open. Paste the YouTube video URL or search by title. Click the video you want from the results, then click Select. The video will appear on your slide as a clickable thumbnail.

The video is now embedded in your presentation. When you play the slideshow, clicking the thumbnail will start the video. The video plays inside Google Slides without opening YouTube in a new tab.

Key Takeaways

  • Use Insert > Video to search for and add YouTube videos directly to your slides without leaving Google Slides.
  • You can paste a YouTube URL or search by the video's title to find the exact video you want.
  • The video appears as a thumbnail on your slide and plays within the presentation during slideshow mode.
  • You can resize the video thumbnail by dragging its corners, and delete it by clicking it and pressing Delete.
  • Videos embedded this way require an internet connection to play during your presentation.

Resizing and positioning the video on your slide

Once the video is on your slide, you can move and resize it like any other object. Click the video thumbnail to select it. Small squares will appear at the corners and edges. Drag any corner square to resize the video while keeping its proportions. Drag the video itself to move it to a different spot on the slide.

If you want the video to fill most of your slide, drag a corner square outward. If you want it smaller so you can add text or other images around it, drag inward. The video will stay in whatever size and position you set it to.

Playing the video during your presentation

When you start a slideshow by pressing the spacebar or clicking the play button, the video appears as a thumbnail with a play icon in the center. Click the thumbnail during the slideshow to start playing the video. The video will play at full volume unless you have adjusted your device's volume.

The video will play in full screen if you click the expand icon in the bottom right corner of the video player. Press Escape to exit full screen and return to your slide. When the video ends, you can click the slide to move to the next one, or click the video again to replay it.

What happens if the video is removed or made private

If the person who uploaded the video to YouTube deletes it or changes it to private, the video will no longer play in your presentation. The thumbnail will still appear on your slide, but clicking it will show an error message instead of playing the video.

If this happens, you will need to find a different version of the video or a replacement video. Delete the broken video from your slide and insert a new one using the same Insert > Video method.

Using a YouTube link instead of searching

If you already have the YouTube URL copied, you can paste it directly into the search box instead of typing the video title. Open Insert > Video, paste the full URL (it will look like youtube.com/watch?v=...), and press Enter. Google Slides will find the video and show it in the results. Click it and select it to add it to your slide.

This method is faster if you know exactly which video you want and have the link ready. You can copy a YouTube link by going to the video on YouTube, right-clicking the URL in your browser's address bar, and selecting Copy.

Sharing presentations with embedded videos

When you share your Google Slides presentation with others, the embedded video will appear for them too. They can watch it during a slideshow if they have internet access. If you share the presentation as a view-only link, they can watch the videos but cannot edit the slides.

If you download your presentation as a PowerPoint file (.pptx), the video will not travel with it. The thumbnail will appear in PowerPoint, but the video file itself will not be included. To share a presentation with embedded videos, keep it in Google Slides format or share the Google Slides link directly.

Troubleshooting videos that won't play

If a video won't play during your slideshow, check that you have an active internet connection. Embedded YouTube videos require internet to stream. If your connection is working, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the presentation.

If the video still will not play, the video may have been deleted from YouTube, changed to private, or restricted by the uploader. Try searching for the video on YouTube directly to see if it still exists. If it does not, you will need to find a replacement video and insert it into your slide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I upload my own video file instead of using YouTube?

Google Slides does not support uploading video files directly from your computer. You must use a video that is already on YouTube or another supported platform. If you have a video file you want to use, you can upload it to YouTube as an unlisted video first, then embed it in your slides.

Will the video play automatically when I reach that slide?

No. The video appears as a thumbnail and only plays when you click it during the slideshow. If you want a video to start automatically, you would need to use a different tool or manually click it at the right moment in your presentation.

Can I trim or edit the video before adding it to my slides?

Google Slides does not have built-in video editing. You can only add the full video as it appears on YouTube. If you want to use only part of a video, you can create a shorter clip on YouTube or use a video editor to make a new file, then upload that to YouTube and embed it in your slides.

What if the video is age-restricted on YouTube?

Age-restricted videos cannot be embedded in Google Slides. If you try to add one, Google Slides will show an error. You will need to find an unrestricted version of the video or a different video that covers the same topic.

Do I need special permission to embed a YouTube video?

You do not need permission from the video creator to embed their YouTube video in your slides. YouTube's terms allow embedding. However, if you plan to share your presentation publicly or use it commercially, check the video's license to make sure that use is permitted.