Most Wistia users are embedding their videos, and that process starts by choosing the right embed code and settings for your site builder or content management system (CMS). Our embed codes are designed with compatibility in mind, but the rules and supported methods for embedding vary from platform to platform.

Users regularly reach out to Wistia Support asking how to embed in specific CMS platforms, many of which we’ve never heard of before. Usually we can determine the right approach within a few minutes using a standard process.

Here are the steps we recommend to find the right embed for any platform:

Once the right embed method has been identified, you should wind up with an easily repeatable process going forward.

Read on for more a bit more detail on our embedding best practices, and why these tips are recommended for success.

Many site builders and themes default to link-based embedding, which involves pasting a video URL into a “video block” or plugin. This is particularly common with low-code/no-code platforms, visual builders, and block-based editors such as the Gutenberg editor for Wordpress.

While this can be a convenient option, link-based embedding only works if the platform specifically supports Wistia as a video host. If Wistia is not listed as an approved host in the platform’s documentation, embedding via URL may not be possible. Embedding via URL also lacks the flexibility and options that HTML embed codes provide, for example you typically can’t specify an embed type or use embed options.

oEmbed is a popular example of a link-based embedding protocol, which we support in Wistia. However Wistia oEmbeds will only work on platforms that support Wistia as an oEmbed provider.

Recommendation: For the reasons above, we recommend using HTML embed codes on your pages. For block-based or visual editors that have a “video block” or “video module”, look for an “embed” option instead of URL/Link. If the built-in video option only supports links, look for an “HTML block”, “custom HTML”, or "custom code" option as an alternative.

Wistia’s inline embeds come in two different embed types:

Functionally, these embed types are very similar - regardless of which type you choose, the video player will look identical on your page and all of the same basic features in terms of customizations, playback, and stats. The Standard embed is our more modern embed code which relies on on-page JavaScript, and provides certain benefits around speed and full feature compatibility.

Embedding via iframe is an older and widely-supported method for video embeds, so it tends to be more reliable on platforms with strict rules around custom code, which is especially useful on platforms that do not allow embedding of inline JavaScript.

Recommendation: If the Standard embed isn’t working or you’re noticing issues with the embedded video, try the Fallback (iframe) embed instead. If the Fallback embed doesn’t work, it is possible that this platform may not support Wistia embeds - reach out to Support and we can take a closer look for you.

If you still need help embedding in your specific platform after trying these tips, reach out to Wistia Support for more assistance. Include the following details so we can get right to solving the problem:

We’ll take a look at the documentation for that platform, examine the code of the webpage, and do our best to find you a solution.