How to Embed YouTube Shorts

Embedding a YouTube Short on your website or blog is a fantastic way to make your content more dynamic, but it isn't as straightforward as embedding a standard video. Don't worry, it's actually quite simple once you know the secret. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from finding the correct embed code to customizing the player for your page, so you can start adding engaging short-form videos to your content today.

Why Should You Embed YouTube Shorts on Your Website?

Before getting into the how-to, it’s worth understanding why this is such a powerful tactic for creators, marketers, and businesses. Vertical, short-form video is the dominant content format on social media, grabbing attention and driving engagement in a way that static text and images often can't. By bringing that energy to your website, you gain a few significant advantages.

• Increased Engagement and Dwell Time: Videos are attention-grabbers. Placing a relevant Short within a blog post can keep visitors on your page much longer. A higher dwell time signals to search engines like Google that your page provides value, which can positively impact your SEO.
• Richer User Experience: Instead of just reading about a topic, users can see it in action. A quick, compelling Short can demonstrate a product, offer a behind-the-scenes look at an event, or showcase a customer testimonial in a punchy, easily digestible format.
• Cross-Promote Your YouTube Channel: Every embed is an advertisement for your YouTube channel. A visitor who enjoys your embedded Short might click through to watch more of your content and even subscribe, helping you build your audience organically across platforms. It creates a powerful flywheel where your website and YouTube channel feed each other.
• Simplify Complex Information: Some concepts are just easier to understand when shown visually. A 30-second Short can explain a process more effectively than several paragraphs of text, making your educational content more accessible and memorable.

The Simple Trick to Embedding Any YouTube Short

Here’s the heart of the matter. The reason embedding a YouTube Short isn't straightforward is because its URL structure is different from a regular YouTube video. But the fix is incredibly simple.

A standard YouTube video has a URL like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

A YouTube Short has a URL like this:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID

YouTube’s native embed function is designed for the /watch?v= format. When you try to use the /shorts/ format, things don't work correctly. The secret is that every Short can also be accessed through the standard video URL format. All you have to do is manually change it.

To embed a Short, you simply need to take the Short's unique `VIDEO_ID` and place it into the standard video URL structure. From there, you can generate the embed code just like you would for any other YouTube video.

Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Embed a YouTube Short

Let's walk through the process step-by-step so you can see just how easy it is. In this example, we'll imagine our Short's URL is https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aBC1dEF2gHI.

1. Identify the Video ID: Look at your Short’s URL. The unique string of letters and numbers at the end is the Video ID. In our example - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aBC1dEF2gHI - the ID is aBC1dEF2gHI.
2. Construct the Standard Video URL: Take the Video ID and put it into the regular YouTube video URL format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOUR_VIDEO_ID. So, our example URL becomes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBC1dEF2gHI.
3. Generate the Embed Code: Now that you have a standard video URL, go to that page. Below the video player, click the "Share" button, and then select the "Embed" option.
4. Copy the iframe Code: YouTube will provide you with an `iframe` snippet of code.

<,iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBC1dEF2gHI" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer, autoplay, clipboard-write, encrypted-media, gyroscope, picture-in-picture, web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>,<,/iframe>,

That's it! You can now copy this code and paste it directly into your website’s HTML.

The "Manual" Method: An Even Faster Approach

Once you’re comfortable, you can skip generating the code on YouTube altogether. Most embed codes follow the same format. You can just grab the Video ID and stick it into this template:

<,iframe width="315" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID">,<,/iframe>,

Simply replace `VIDEO_ID` with the ID from your Short, and you're good to go. Notice the recommended width and height are adjusted to better fit the vertical 9:16 aspect ratio of Shorts.

Customizing Your Embedded YouTube Short for a Better User Experience

Just because you have the embed code doesn't mean your work is done. With a few simple modifications to the `iframe` code, you can create a much cleaner and more professional-looking experience for your visitors.

1. Set the Correct Aspect Ratio

By default, YouTube serves a 16:9 widescreen player. For a vertical Short, this results in huge black bars on the sides. You should adjust the width and height attributes to match a 9:16 aspect ratio.

Good starting dimensions are:

• width="315" height="560"
• width="360" height="640"

Here’s what your updated code would look like:

<,iframe width="315" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBC1dEF2gHI">,<,/iframe>,

This single adjustment dramatically improves how the Short appears on your page.

2. Control the Player's Features with Parameters

You can add parameters directly to the end of the `iframe`'s `src` URL within the embed code to change the player's behavior. To add a parameter, start with a ?. To add multiple parameters, separate them with an &,.

Remove the Video Controls

If you want a super clean look, you can hide the player's controls (the play/pause button, volume, etc.). This is great for Shorts that you set to autoplay. Add `?controls=0` to the URL.

src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBC1dEF2gHI?controls=0"

Remove Related Videos at the End

To keep visitors from clicking away to a competitor's video, you can disable related videos from appearing when your Short finishes. Add `?rel=0`.

src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBC1dEF2gHI?rel=0"

Start the Video at a Specific Time

Want to skip a slow intro? You can make the video start at a certain point. Use `?start=SECONDS`. For instance, to start 5 seconds in, you would add `?start=5`.

src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBC1dEF2gHI?start=5"

An Example with Multiple Customizations

This code example combines a vertical aspect ratio, no related videos, and no controls for a seamless look.

<,iframe width="315" height="560" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aBC1dEF2gHI?rel=0&,controls=0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer, autoplay, clipboard-write, encrypted-media, gyroscope, picture-in-picture, web-share" allowfullscreen>,<,/iframe>,

With these simple changes, your embedded Short feels more like a native part of your website and less like a slapped-on YouTube video.

Adding Embedded Shorts to Your Specific Platform

Most modern website builders and content management systems (CMS) make adding `iframe` codes very simple. Here’s a quick overview for the most popular platforms:

• WordPress: In the Gutenberg block editor, add a "Custom HTML" block to your post or page. Paste your final `iframe` code directly into this block. The editor will render a preview so you can see how it looks.
• Squarespace: Use a "Code Block." Click to add a new block, select "Code," and paste your embed code into the text field. Make sure the mode is set to "HTML."
• Wix: Open your editor, click the "+" (Add) icon, go to "Embed," and select "Embed a Widget" or "HTML iframe." Paste your code in the provided box.
• Shopify: On a product page, blog post, or page, find the "Source code" button in the rich text editor (it usually looks like <,>,). Click it to open the HTML view and paste your `iframe` code where you want it to appear.

The process is nearly identical for every platform - just find the dedicated option for adding raw HTML or embeddable code, and you're all set.

Keeping your website content fresh with videos is a smart move, but managing your multi-platform social media strategy - especially short-form videos on YouTube Shorts, Reels, and TikTok - can be a huge time-sink. At Postbase, we built our platform from the ground up for today's video-first reality. Our visual content calendar and reliable scheduling help you plan and publish your Shorts and other social content without the usual headaches, so you can spend less time juggling tabs and more time creating.