We all have struggled with adding videos to the Google docs at some point in our lives. Google Docs allows its users to add different content including texts, links, images, emojis, charts and much more. Including a video to your document can make your content more engaging and powerful at the same time. But, how to embed the YouTube video in Google Docs?
Different ways can be used to embed the YouTube video in Google Docs easily. Google Docs does not come with any in-built functionality to insert YouTube videos. But with the workarounds, you can embed YouTube videos in Google Docs.
Below mentioned are some of the ways that you can take a look at. To make it easier for you, you will also find step by step guide for your convenience.
How to embed the YouTube video in Google Docs
Search and embed the video
Step 1: Open Google slides and creates a new blank presentation.
Step 2: Click on the insert option and from the drop-down menu select Video option.
Step 3: Once clicked on the video option, a pop up will appear where you will be provided with the option to either insert a URL of the YouTube video or search for the YouTube video.
Step 4: Search for the YouTube video and then select the video. Then, click on the submit option.
Step 5: Once you are finished submitting the video, the video will show up on a slide. You need to right-click on the video frame and select the copy option.
Step 6: Paste the video copied to the document within Google Docs where you want to embed the YouTube video.
Step 7: Once you are done with pasting the video, you will be required to paste a drawing of the video where you embedded the YouTube video.
For this, click on the Insert menu and from the drop-down menu select the Drawing option and then click on new.
Step 8: A drawing panel will pop open. Paste the video you copied earlier. Then click on the Save and close button to embed the YouTube video.
Step 9: The video will show up within the document. You can resize the frame of the video as per your liking.
Step 10: Once the video is embedded you will notice that it lags the playback icon. To get that, go back to the drawing panel. Over there, double-click on the image and then click on the playback icon to start playing the video.
You are required to do so because the video you embedded appears as an image and people might not figure out that it is a video.
Once done with all the changes, click on the Save and Close button to exit the tab.
Adding URL of the YouTube video
It is one of the most basic attempts to embed a YouTube video in Google Docs. The video will not appear in the document, however, its link will appear. To watch the video, the user will have to click on the link and then he or she will be redirected to the YouTube page.
To add a link to the YouTube video in the document, follow the simple steps mentioned below.
Step 1: Open Google slides and creates a new blank presentation.
Step 2: Click on the insert option and from the drop-down menu select Video option.
Step 3: Once clicked on the video option, a pop up will appear where you will be provided with the option to either insert a URL of the YouTube video or search for the YouTube video.
Step 4: Insert the URL to the YouTube video. Then, click on the Apply button.
Once clicked on the Apply button, the user will be able to click on the link instead of copying and pasting it in the new tab.
To make it a bit more interesting, you can screenshot the YouTube video with the playback button and paste that image in the document. The image will create an illusion of a video. The user will click on the image thinking that it is a video but it is just an image. To make this work, you will be required to add a link to the YouTube video to the image so that whenever a user clicks on the image, he or she will be redirected to the YouTube video.
To add the link of the YouTube video to the image simply select the image. Once selected, you will be able to add a link to the image.
Converting the video into an Animated GIF
Google Docs does not provide the functionality of featuring a video into the document but it supports the feature of displaying the Animated GIFs.
Google Docs support Animated GIFs because Animated GIFs are just like an image but act like a video. But, acting as a video is not enough since the audio is also required that Animated GIFs do not support.
Another drawback of adding an Animated GIF is that they are just 1 minute long. Even with this drawback, you are interested in adding Animated GIFs to your document, read below to find out how you can embed GIFs in your documents.
Before getting started with recording a GIF, you need to install the Chrome Capture which is a Chrome web extension. Once you have it installed on your system, make some of the changes by going to its settings.
Step 1: Click on the Options button by right-clicking on the extension installed.
Step 2: Within it, click on the “Save recordings as” option and choose the GIF option.
Step 3: Choose the Max recording length to be 1000.
Step 4: For another option that is Frames per second, select 4 frames per second.
Step 5: When it comes to Recording Quality make the setting to something lower as 5.
After all the setting is done, you will be required to make a GIF of the video. To do so, follow the steps mentioned below.
Step 1: Open the video and record it as GIF.
Make sure to make the video smaller such that its width and height are reasonably small but large enough at the same time to see.
Step 2: Turn on the subtitles if your video has it. The subtitles will help the user to understand it better since the GIFs lack audio.
Step 3: To record the video, choose the portion of the video you want. Since Gifs are only 1 minute long it cannot support recording the whole video.
Click on the Chrome Capture extension and drag the box over the video to select the area you want to record.
Step 4: Once the area is selected, click on the record icon. To end the recording, click on the record icon once again.
The GIF will be saved on your computer.
Insert the Animated GIF into the document
Step 1: To insert the GIF you created, open Google Doc and select the Insert option. From the drop-down menu, select the Image option.
Step 2: Now, upload the GIF you created.
Step 3: Once you have uploaded the GIF, it will be inserted in the document.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
There are quite a few things that you need to remember while inserting a YouTube video in your documents.
You cannot insert just any video in Google Docs. Videos that are a part of YouTube can be embedded in the document. If you are looking forward to inserting a video that is recorded by you then you will have to upload it to the YouTube platform first, only then you will be able to embed it in your document.
There are a few YouTube videos that may not work when embedded in the document. It may happen because those videos are restricted from being played on any other platform than YouTube. You can embed such videos in your document, but you will have to download the video and upload it on your YouTube channel.
You will have to give editing permission because if you give permission to only view or comment on the document, people will not be able to watch or play the video. Giving editing permission may result in the vandalism of your document. In such cases, always remember to have a backup of your document.
To have these methods working, you will be required to have a PC. You cannot perform these methods on your cell phone. Neither can you nor someone else with the editing permission can play the video you embedded in the document.
WRAPPING UP
I hope that Google comes up with a functionality to embed the YouTube video in Google Docs since it’s surprising enough that both the services are a part of Google. You can try any of the methods mentioned above. They are good but do have their cons as well.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
