How to Share, Embed, and Link YouTube Videos

All your YouTube video-sharing options

By
Marziah Karch
Marziah Karch
Marziah Karch
Writer
  • Michigan State University
  • Emporia State University
Marziah Karch is a former writer for Lifewire who also excels at Serious Game Design and develops online help systems, manuals, and interactive training modules.
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Updated on September 11, 2020
Reviewed by
Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher headshot
Reviewed by Jon Fisher
  • Wichita Technical Institute
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
lifewire's editorial guidelines

With more than a billion users around the world who watch untold hours of content on a daily basis, there are many videos to share on YouTube. To share clips with friends and family directly or over social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, use the YouTube sharing options.

The instructions in this article apply to YouTube desktop users.

Where to Find the Share Option in YouTube

To share a YouTube video, look below the video player to find the Share link. When you select Share, a menu opens with a number of options. This option works on both desktop and in mobile. In the app, the Share button will also appear in fullscreen mode.

A screenshot of a YouTube video and its Share option

Share a YouTube Video Over Social Media or in an Email

Share YouTube videos on social media platforms directly from the website via the SHARE link; select a social network icon to share the video there. Supported platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest, Blogger, and more.

You must be logged in to the social media site where you want to share the video; this can be done either before or after you select SHARE. When you select a platform, YouTube creates the link and adds the title of the video automatically for quick and easy sharing.

A screenshot of a video being shared to Twitter

Selecting one of the social media icons in YouTube does not immediately post the video. There's at least one more button to press before sharing it on each platform.

Listed among the social media sites are the options to Embed the video or Email it. Choosing the email option opens the default email client and begins a new message with the YouTube link inside.

How to Embed a YouTube Video

The option to embed a YouTube video is found to the left of all the social media options presented after you select SHARE. To embed the clip on your blog or website:

  1. Select SHARE.

  2. Select Embed.

  3. Copy the HTML code.

    Screenshot of the YouTube embed options

  4. Paste the code into your blog or website.

There are more embed options if you want to further customize your video. Select the Start at checkbox to begin playing the video at a certain point. Either type the start time into the field or scroll through the video to reach it. The embed code automatically adds a new line denoting when the video should begin. Choose whether or not you want to show player controls or enable a privacy-enhanced mode.

YouTube allows you to embed a whole playlist and make an embedded video start automatically.

How to Copy the YouTube Video Link

If you want only the hyperlink for a YouTube video, you'll find it at the bottom of the SHARE menu, along with the option to copy the link to the clipboard. This is a great way to capture the video's address to share it over a non-supported social media website, post it in a comments section, or compose your own message. Choose a specific start time by selecting the Start at checkbox.

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