How to embed in a specific CMS
If you're looking for guidance on getting Wistia embeds working with a specific site builder or CMS platform, we have a dedicated article here.
Fallback embed code
The Standard (inline) embed code is the default and works on most sites, but it relies on JavaScript, and some platforms won't support this. Certain site builders and course platforms (i.e. GoHighLevel, Skilljar, Rise, SharePoint, Drupal) may only accept a plain iframe or strip out the Wistia player script, so the Standard embed code won’t work. If that sounds like your setup, or if your embed is acting funky for any reason, try the Fallback (iframe) embed instead.
To get your Fallback embed code, click "Embed" from your media's page. In the Embed Media modal, scroll down, select "Advanced Options," and then select the "Fallback" option. From here, copy your new code.
Then, give us a holler, so we can improve the Standard embed! We're always trying to make sure our embeds work on as many platforms as possible.
Black bars on the top and bottom or sides of the video
Does your video look sort of like this image?
Those lines on the top and bottom (or left and right) are the worst! That can happen if the dimensions of your embed code don’t match the dimensions of your video.
You’ll want to make sure your videos are embedded responsively in this case. Otherwise, be sure that you’re not manually adjusting the size of the video in the embed code outside of the Wistia environment.
Black bars can also appear when your thumbnail image does not share the same aspect ratio as your video.
This video is not authorized to be embedded here
Do you see this big white box when you embed your video?
This means you have Domain Restrictions turned on. This is a security feature you can use to ensure your videos are only embedded on the sites you permit. To change the domains where your video can be embedded, you’ll need to be the Account Owner. This can be done from the Account Settings menu.
Tip
When adding domains, separate each one with a comma and don’t worry about adding the "https://" or any specific page paths. Allowlisting a domain covers every page on it. For subdomains, entering a parent domain like "example.com" automatically allows its subdomains too (like "app.example.com"). Entering a single subdomain like "support.example.com" allows only that one.
Note
When Domain Restrictions are enabled, fast.wistia.com links and direct Channel links won’t play. Channels must be embedded on a page on the account’s allowlist to play as expected.
Video not resizing correctly
There are generally two ways in which a video might not display at the size you’d expect.
The first situation is embedding in WordPress using oEmbed, but the video is displaying at smaller dimensions than what you set when you copied the embed code. If that’s happening, it’s possible that your WordPress theme specifies a maximum width for content embedded with oEmbed.
The second situation is when you’d like your video to be responsive, but it’s not changing size when it should.
First things first, make sure you’re using the Responsive option. If that option is set, but your embed is still not responding correctly, check to make sure that the parent container (that’s the HTML element surrounding your video, like a set of <div> tags) is set to the width you’d like. That’s what the embed code will use to determine how wide the video should be.
If you’re having a problem with the size of your video and the tips above don’t do the trick, send us a link to the video, and we’ll help you get it looking great!
Video looks broken on page
If your video plays and looks good in Wistia, but doesn’t load, looks blurry, or player controls are missing on your site, it’s usually caused by the page’s styling. The quickest way to check this is to paste a fresh, unedited embed code directly from Wistia onto a blank webpage. If the video works here, something on your original page (a theme, plugin, or page editor) may be getting in the way. If you get stuck, just send us the live page and we’re happy to take a look!
What to send us if you still need a hand
The best way to get a speedy solution is to send us the live page where your video is embedded (including a login if the page is gated), the embed code you're using, and a quick screenshot of what you're seeing. The more information we have, the quicker we can help!