How to Embed Video in Email

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: May 9, 2020 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to insert a video in the desktop versions of Gmail and Outlook. While you can't truly "embed" a YouTube box or similar video player in any email provider, Gmail and Outlook support built-in video players that will allow you to view the attached video without having to leave the email page.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Gmail on Desktop

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1
Go to the Gmail website. To do so, enter https://mail.google.com/mail/ into your browser's URL box. If you're already logged into Gmail, doing so will open your Gmail inbox.
- If you aren't logged in, enter your email address (or phone number) and password before continuing.
This red button is in the upper-left side of the page. Doing so will open a new email template on the right side of the page.

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3
Type in a person's email address. You'll do so in the "To" field at the top of the email template. Your recipient's email address must be either a Gmail address or an Outlook address.
- Outlook extensions include "hotmail", "live", and "outlook".
4
Attach a video to your email. To do so, click the paperclip icon at the bottom of the email window, select a video, and click Open.
- Gmail has an size limit of 25 megabytes for attachments. To bypass this, click the Google Drive icon instead of the paperclip icon, select your video, and click Insert.
- If you would rather attach a YouTube video, copy the YouTube video's URL and paste it into the email. Your email will display a video player for the video in question once it is opened.
It's in the bottom-left corner of the email window. Doing so will send the email to your recipient; when they open the email, they can click the small box previewing the video at the bottom or in the middle of the email to play the video.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Outlook on Desktop

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1
Copy a YouTube video's link. To do so, open a YouTube video you wish to embed, click the URL to select it, right-click (or use two fingers to click) the selected URL, and then click Copy.
- You must do this on a computer since mobile links won't invoke the video player box in Outlook.
- You cannot use a video from your computer to trigger the video player box on Outlook.
2
Go to the Outlook site. To do so, enter https://www.outlook.com/ into your browser's URL box. If you're logged into Outlook on this computer, doing so will open your Outlook inbox.
- If you aren't logged in, enter your Outlook email address (or phone number) and password before continuing.
It's in the upper-left side of the Outlook page, just above your inbox's contents. This will open a new email window on the right side of the page.
You'll do so in the "To" field at the top of the email template. Your recipient must have a Gmail address.
To do this, simply right-click (or use two fingers to click) the email template's body, then click Paste in the resulting drop-down menu.
It's in the bottom-left corner of the email window. Doing so will send the email to your recipient. When they open it, they'll be able to click the video box at the bottom of the email to open the video player.

Community Q&A

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Question

On gmail the image isn't linking to the website, only the text on the address does. What should I do?

Community Answer

Embed it with HTML embedding, but you'll have to set up the email as an HTML document, and the program used to view must support HTML coding in email messages.

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Tips

There are several paid services that will allow you to embed videos directly into your emails. Be careful about using such services, since embedding videos as a marketing strategy can be hit-or-miss since it typically doesn't reach mobile users.

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Warnings

If your Gmail or Outlook recipient doesn't allow pictures to load automatically in their inbox, they won't be able to view the video box.

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The Gmail and Outlook email providers don't support mobile links, meaning you'll have to obtain the desktop version of a link when pasting it into an email.

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