Adding videos to your Google Docs can make them more engaging and help explain complex topics. While you can’t directly insert a video file, there are a few workarounds to embed videos from YouTube, Google Drive, and other sources.
Insert YouTube Videos
The easiest way to add videos to Google Docs is to embed YouTube videos. Here’s how:
- Copy the URL of the YouTube video you want to embed.
- In your Google Doc, type the URL on a separate line.
- Press Enter. The video URL will become a clickable link that shows a preview image.
- Click the link to play the video in a pop-up player.
You can also use the additional DocuTube Viewer add-on to embed playable YouTube videos directly in your document.
Add Videos from Google Drive
If you have video files stored in Google Drive, you can embed them into a Google Doc as well:
- Open the video in Google Drive and get the shareable link.
- In your Google Doc, click Insert > Drawing > New.
- Paste the video link into the drawing canvas.
- Click Save and Close when finished.
The video will appear in the doc as a clickable image that opens the video file.
Use Google Slides to Insert Video
Another method is to leverage Google Slides:
- Open a new Google Slides presentation.
- On a blank slide, click Insert > Video and select your video source.
- Once inserted, click the video and copy it.
- In your Google Doc, click Insert > Drawing > New.
- Paste the copied video into the drawing.
- Click Save and Close when done.
Adjust Playback Options
When you embed videos in Google Docs, you have some playback options:
- Resize the video by dragging the corners
- Loop the video playback
- Adjust video speed
- Show video controls
Right-click the video and select Video playback to access these options.
Video File Types Supported
Google Docs supports various video file formats, including:
- MP4
- AVI
- MOV
- WMV
- FLV
Video files must be under 1GB in size to be embedded.
Use Cases for Embedded Videos
Adding videos to Google Docs unlocks new possibilities:
- Training manuals – Demonstrate concepts more clearly
- Proposals – Show previous work or testimonials
- Lesson plans – Engage students with multimedia
- Newsletters – Highlight important announcements
Tips for Using Videos
Follow these best practices when embedding videos in Google Docs:
- Keep videos short, under 5 minutes when possible
- Put the most important visuals near the beginning
- Add captions or subtitles for accessibility
- Include a transcript for searchability
- Link to the original video source
- Ensure you have rights to share the video content
Limitations to Be Aware Of
There are a few limitations with embedding videos in Google Docs:
- Can’t insert videos natively, only via workarounds
- Videos over 1GB in size won’t embed
- Some video formats not supported
- No way to store videos within Google Docs itself
- Might not play well on mobile devices
- Could slow down doc loading time
But despite these restrictions, the various methods outlined here should cover most basic video embedding needs.
I hope this comprehensive guide gives you all the steps and tips you need to start inserting videos into your Google Docs! Let me know if you have any other questions.
