How to Embed an Instagram Video in Google Slides

Adding a dynamic Instagram video to your Google Slides presentation can be a game-changer, but you've probably hit a wall trying to figure out how to do it. You’re not alone. This guide skips straight to the solutions, showing you a few reliable methods to get your favorite Instagram Reels and videos playing right inside your slides.

Why Can't You Just Copy and Paste the Link?

Before we get into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." Google Slides has a handy "Insert Video" feature that works beautifully with YouTube and Google Drive. You might think you could just paste an Instagram URL into it and be done. Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

Instagram is a very closed ecosystem. For security and content control reasons, its API doesn't allow external platforms like Google Slides to directly embed its video content. When you try to use an Instagram link, Google Slides won't recognize it as a valid video source, leaving you with an error message and a bit of frustration.

But don't worry. Just because there's no official "embed" button doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means we need a clever workaround. Here are the three best methods to get that video into your presentation.

Method 1: The Screen Record and Upload (The Most Reliable Way)

This is by far the most straightforward and reliable method. It works every time, gives you complete control over the video clip, and doesn't rely on any third-party websites that could be plastered with ads or pose security risks. You’re simply recording what’s on your screen and adding that video file to your presentation.

This approach is perfect for short clips, showcasing a part of a Instagram Reel, or capturing user-generated content you want to feature.

Step 1: Get Your Screen Recorder Ready

You probably already have a screen recorder on your computer. If not, there are tons of great free options.

• On a Mac: You can use the built-in screen recorder in QuickTime Player or the Screenshot toolbar (press Cmd + Shift + 5). Both are excellent and easy to use.
• On a Windows PC: The Xbox Game Bar (press Windows key + G) has a surprisingly good, built-in screen recorder you can use for any application.
• Third-party tools: Apps like Loom or Descript are fantastic if you do a lot of screen recording and want more editing options.

Step 2: Record the Instagram Video

Open the Instagram video on your computer's browser, not your phone. This gives you a cleaner, higher-quality canvas to work with.

1. Navigate to the Instagram video you want to use.
2. Click to expand the video to fill your browser window as much as possible for the best resolution.
3. Start your screen recorder and select the area of the screen where the video is playing. Pro-tip: try to draw the recording box tightly around the video itself to avoid capturing your browser tabs or desktop icons.
4. Play the Instagram video from the beginning. Let it play a few seconds past the part you want to make sure you capture everything.
5. Stop the recording. The video file will be saved to your computer.

Step 3: Trim and Tweak Your Recording

Your recording probably has a few extra seconds at the beginning and end from you starting and stopping the recorder. It’s best to trim this off for a professional look. Most built-in video editors (like QuickTime on Mac or the Photos app on Windows) let you easily trim clips.

How to Trim a Clip Simply:

• Open the video file.
• Look for an "Edit" or "Trim" option.
• Drag the handles at the beginning and end of the video timeline to select just the portion you want to keep.
• Save the trimmed video as a new file (e.g., "Instagram-ad-clip.mp4").

Step 4: Upload to Google Drive and Insert into Slides

Google Slides can’t insert video files from your computer directly, but it works seamlessly with Google Drive. This is the final step.

1. Open your Google Drive and upload the trimmed video file you just saved.
2. Go back to your Google Slides presentation and find the slide where you want the video.
3. Click Insert >, Video.
4. In the popup window, select the "Google Drive" tab.
5. Your most recent uploads should appear at the top. Find your video, select it, and click "Insert."

That's it! The video is now embedded in your slide. You can resize it, move it around, and configure its playback options in the "Format options" sidebar.

Method 2: Use a Third-Party Downloader (Quick, With a Caveat)

If you prefer to download the raw video file instead of screen recording it, you can use a third-party online tool. This method is often faster, as you don’t need to worry about recording quality or trimming. However, it comes with a big caveat: always respect copyright.

Disclaimer: Only download videos that you have permission to use or that belong to you. Fair use and copyright laws are important, and taking someone else's content without credit or permission is a big no-no, especially in a professional or public presentation.

Step 1: Copy the Instagram Video URL

Navigate to the Instagram post in your browser. Click the three dots (...) in the corner of the post and select "Copy Link."

Step 2: Use an Online Instagram Downloader

Search for an "Instagram video downloader" in your favorite search engine. You'll find plenty of free websites that do this. The general process is the same for most of them:

1. Go to the downloader website.
2. Paste the Instagram video URL you just copied into the input box.
3. Click the "Download" button.
4. The site will process the link and provide you with a download link for the MP4 video file. Save it to your computer.

Step 3: Upload to Google Drive and Insert

From here, the process is exactly the same as in Method 1.

1. Upload the downloaded MP4 file to your Google Drive.
2. In Google Slides, go to Insert >, Video.
3. Select the "Google Drive" tab.
4. Choose your video file and insert it into your slide.

This method works well, but be mindful of the websites you use. Some are filled with pop-up ads, so navigate carefully.

Method 3: The Screenshot Link Trick (Simple but Not a True Embed)

Maybe you don’t need the video to autoplay inside your presentation. Perhaps you just want to link out to it cleanly and professionally. This method creates the illusion of an embedded video. It's incredibly fast and foolproof, but it will take your audience out of the presentation to view the content.

Step 1: Take a Nice Screenshot of the Video

Go to the Instagram video on your desktop. Play the video and pause it on an engaging frame. Take a screenshot of the video player, making sure the play button is visible in the center. A clean, high-quality image of the video's thumbnail is what you’re looking for.

Step 2: Place and Link the Image in Google Slides

1. Drag and drop your screenshot onto the desired slide in your presentation. Resize it to look like an embedded video player.
2. Go back to the Instagram post and copy the URL.
3. In Google Slides, select the screenshot image you just inserted.
4. Click the "Insert link" icon in the toolbar (it looks like a chain link) or press Ctrl+K / Cmd+K.
5. Paste the Instagram video URL into the box and hit "Apply."

Now, when you're in presentation mode, your screenshot will look just like a video. When you click it, a new browser tab will open and play the actual Instagram video. It’s a simple and effective way to direct people to the content without worrying about video file issues.

Fine-Tuning Your Video in Google Slides

Once you’ve successfully embedded your video using either the screen record or downloader method, you can customize how it behaves.

Select the video, and the "Format options" sidebar will appear. Here, you have some powerful settings:

• Video playback: Choose whether the video plays on click (default), automatically, or manually. "Automatically" is great for videos that introduce a slide.
• Start at / End at: This is a lifesaver. You can trim the video directly inside Slides to show just the most impactful segment. For instance, you could set a 30-second Reel to only play from 0:05 to 0:15.
• Mute audio: Perfect for purely visual videos that are meant to be background material.

Final Thoughts

While there isn't a direct "embed Instagram video" button in Google Slides, getting that dynamic content into your presentation is perfectly achievable. By using a quick screen recording, a third-party downloader, or the simple screenshot link trick, you can level up your slides and engage your audience with compelling social proof, product demos, or user-generated content.

This whole process really shows how central video content has become to any online strategy, especially on social media. It was one of the big reasons when we built Postbase that we designed it to be video-first. We found that legacy tools often treated formats like Reels and TikToks as an afterthought, making them clumsy to schedule. So, we made sure you can plan, schedule, and analyze all your video content from one clean visual calendar, because your time is better spent creating impactful content, not fighting with your tools.