To add a YouTube video in PowerPoint Online, copy the video’s link from YouTube, select your slide, and choose Insert > Video > Online Video. Paste the link and select Insert, and the video appears on the slide as a player you can move and resize.
These steps are for PowerPoint for the web (the free browser version at office.com, which Microsoft used to call PowerPoint Online) in a current browser. Desktop PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021 and 2019 on Windows and Mac uses nearly the same steps, covered in their own section below.
What You Need First
- A Microsoft account (free personal, work or school) and a presentation open in PowerPoint for the web. Files you open there are saved to OneDrive automatically.
- The YouTube video’s link. A regular watch-page address (youtube.com/watch?v=…) or a short youtu.be share link both start from the same video page.
- A video that allows embedding. The video’s owner can turn embedding off. Age-restricted videos also generally won’t play outside YouTube.
- An internet connection when you present. PowerPoint doesn’t download the video. It plays it from YouTube each time, the same way a web page does.
How to Add a YouTube Video in PowerPoint for the Web
- Open the video on YouTube in your browser. Copy the address from the address bar, or select Share under the video and then Copy. The link is now on your clipboard.
- Open your presentation in PowerPoint for the web and select the slide where the video should go. That slide appears in the main editing area.
- Select the Insert tab on the ribbon, then select Video. A short menu opens with options such as This Device, Stock Videos and Online Video.
- Select Online Video. The Online Video box opens with a field for the address.
- Paste the YouTube link into the box. Check that the whole address pasted, with nothing extra before or after it.
- Select Insert. The video appears on the slide with its YouTube thumbnail.
- Drag the video to position it. Drag a corner handle to resize it without stretching the picture.
PowerPoint saves the change automatically. Because the video is a link to YouTube, adding it barely changes the size of your file.
How to Play the Video During Your Presentation
- Select the slide that holds the video.
- Open the Slide Show tab and select From Current Slide. The slide fills the screen.
- Select the play button on the video. It plays with YouTube’s own controls for pause, volume and full screen.
- Press Esc when you are done to return to editing.
Microsoft says YouTube and Vimeo videos play in “click sequence” by default. That means pressing the spacebar or your clicker’s advance button starts the video, so you don’t have to reach for the mouse.
Run through the slide once before you present. If the play button shows an error, check the troubleshooting section below.
Add a YouTube Video in Desktop PowerPoint
Microsoft’s article Insert a video from YouTube or another site covers the desktop apps. The steps on Windows match the web version:
- Copy the YouTube link.
- Select the slide, then select Insert > Video > Online Video.
- Paste the link in the Online Video box and select Insert.
In Normal view on Windows, a Play button appears on the video so you can preview it without starting the slide show. On a Mac, the command is labeled Online Movie in the Video menu. Very old versions, such as PowerPoint 2016, used a From a Video Embed Code box instead of a link field. If you have one of those, upgrading is the simpler fix, since the link method works in all current versions.
What Online Videos Can and Can’t Do
An inserted YouTube video behaves differently from a video file stored in your presentation. Here is how they compare:
| Feature | YouTube video (inserted link) | Video file from your computer |
|---|---|---|
| Needs internet to play | Yes | No |
| Adds to file size | Barely | Yes, by the size of the file |
| Trim, Fade and Bookmarks | Not available | Available |
| Start options (Automatically, When Clicked On) | Not available | Available on the Playback tab |
| Shows YouTube ads and branding | Can | No |
Playback features such as Fade, Bookmark and Trim don’t apply to online videos, and the Start options only work for videos inserted from your computer, network or OneDrive. If you need a video to start on its own as soon as the slide appears, use a video file you have permission to use.
PowerPoint for the web can insert videos from YouTube and Vimeo. With a work or school account, it can also insert Microsoft Stream videos from your organization.
When You Need Offline Playback or Editing
A YouTube link won’t play in a room without Wi-Fi, on a network that blocks YouTube, or on a laptop that loses its connection halfway through your talk. You have three ways around it.
Use a Video File You Have the Rights To
YouTube’s terms don’t allow downloading other people’s videos without permission, so only use a file you own or have been given. If it’s your own upload, YouTube Studio can give you a copy: sign in to YouTube Studio, select Content, open the video’s menu and choose Download. The file downloads as an MP4 in 720p or 360p.
In PowerPoint for the web, select Insert > Video > This Device, choose the file and select Open. Each file can be up to 256 MB, and MP4 is the recommended format.
In desktop PowerPoint, select Insert > Video > This Device (or Video on My PC in some versions), choose the file and select Insert. On a Mac, use Insert > Video > Movie from File. MP4 files with H.264 video and AAC audio work best, according to Microsoft’s guide to inserting video files. Choose plain Insert to store the video inside the presentation. Link to File keeps the file separate, and the video breaks if that file is moved or renamed.
Keep in mind that a browser presentation still needs internet to open, so for a truly offline talk, present from desktop PowerPoint and test it with Wi-Fi turned off.
To add your own spoken narration instead of a video, you can do a voiceover on PowerPoint.
Link to the Video Instead
If you only want to send viewers to YouTube, add a link rather than a player. Select some text, a shape or a picture on the slide, select Insert > Link, paste the YouTube address and confirm. During the show, clicking the link opens the video in a browser tab. This keeps the file small but takes the audience out of your slides.
Play Only Part of a Video
PowerPoint can’t trim an online video. The YouTube help page on embedding describes a start time option (adding a start value in seconds to the embed address), but Microsoft doesn’t document support for start times in the Online Video box, so don’t rely on it without testing. For a clean clip, trim a video file you have the rights to in desktop PowerPoint with Playback > Trim Video.
Troubleshooting
PowerPoint Says It Can’t Recognize the Link
Copy the address from the video’s own page, not from a search results page, a playlist or a channel page. Paste it again with nothing extra before or after it. If a short youtu.be link fails, open it in the browser and copy the full address it expands to.
The Video Shows a Black Box or an Error When It Plays
Open the same link in a new browser tab. If YouTube shows the video as private, removed or unavailable, PowerPoint can’t play it either. If it plays on YouTube but not in your slide, the owner may have turned off embedding, or the video may be age-restricted. Pick another video or use a link instead.
It Worked at Home but Not at the Venue
School, office and hotel networks sometimes block YouTube. Network administrators may need to allow youtube.com. Test on the network you’ll use, and bring a file-based backup when the talk matters.
The Online Video Option Is Missing or Grayed Out
Make sure you are in editing mode, not viewing mode. If the presentation opened for viewing only, switch the mode to Editing first. If the file was shared with you as view-only, ask the owner for edit access or save your own copy. If the ribbon looks cramped, widen the browser window so the full Insert tab shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a YouTube video play automatically in PowerPoint Online?
Not through PowerPoint’s settings. The Start options apply only to videos inserted from your computer, network or OneDrive. YouTube videos play in click sequence, so one press of the spacebar or your clicker starts them.
Will the video play if I share the presentation?
Yes, as long as the person viewing it has an internet connection and YouTube isn’t blocked on their network. The video still streams from YouTube, so it plays for anyone who opens the slide in Slide Show.
Can I trim a YouTube video in PowerPoint?
No. Trim doesn’t apply to online videos. Use a video file you’re allowed to use and trim it in desktop PowerPoint.
Does adding a YouTube video make my presentation larger?
Barely. Only the link and a thumbnail are stored, which is why the presentation needs internet to play it.
How is this different in Google Slides?
Google Slides has its own Insert > Video menu with YouTube search and start and end times. If you work in both apps, you can also insert a YouTube video into Google Slides.
Next Steps
If you want the whole deck to play as one file later, here is how to turn a PowerPoint into a video. For a cleaner screen while you present, hide the toolbar in a PowerPoint slide show.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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