How to Customize an Embedded YouTube Video

Alter the video size, color, and other features

by
Gretchen Siegchrist
Writer
Gretchen Siegchrist is a professional videographer who enjoys helping amateurs master the basics of desktop video.
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Gretchen Siegchrist
Updated on February 08, 2021
reviewed by
Kayla Dube headshot
Kayla Dube
Lifewire Tech Review Board Member
Kayla Dube has 4+ years' experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.
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Article reviewed on Sep 07, 2021
Kayla Dube

When you embed a YouTube video, you display the original video as it's seen on YouTube. However, you can change how the video appears when embedded on a web page.

You might want to customize an embedded YouTube video to make it fit better on your website. Or to stop your viewers from making the video full screen so that they see more of your website.

How to Change the Embed Options

There are a couple of ways to copy the embed code for a YouTube video. The method used here displays the visual options selector.

  1. On YouTube, select Share below the video.

    The Share button on a YouTube video

  2. Select Embed.

    The Embed option in the YouTube Share menu

  3. Below the embed code, under Embed options, select Show player controls.

    The "Show player controls" option

  4. Select Copy to copy the embed code. You can then put the YouTube video on a website.

More Customization Options

As you select the Embed options, the embed code changes. With each setting you enable or disable, the code updates to reflect how the video behaves.

YouTube allows for other alterations if you want to change the code manually. For example, setting the fs parameter to 0 prevents viewers from making the YouTube video full screen. Adding the start parameter to the code lets you choose at which point in the video to start the stream.

If you don't want to update the code, use this custom video embed generator. Paste the video ID into the box on that page and enable any of the settings to change the embed code. Some of the options let you customize the width and height of the video player, force 1080p resolution, change the progress bar to white instead of red, and make the video play automatically.

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