Embed a YouTube video in a PDF
You can put a YouTube video straight onto a page of your PDF with FeatPaper. Paste the link into the VIDEO tab of the motion editor, and the video plays inside the document when someone opens your shared link. This is the simplest way to embed YouTube in a PDF, a sales deck, or a proposal without sending a separate link.
When to use it
Section titled “When to use it”- Add a product demo to a sales deck so prospects watch it on the slide where you explain the feature.
- Put a customer interview next to the case study page of a proposal.
- Drop an onboarding walkthrough into a training or onboarding document.
- Show last year’s event recap on the first page of an event invitation.
Get the link ready
Section titled “Get the link ready”Use the normal link from YouTube’s Share button, or the address in your browser bar. FeatPaper accepts these shapes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_IDhttps://youtu.be/VIDEO_IDhttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_IDhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID- Open the video on YouTube.
- Click Share, then Copy.
- Check two settings on the video: it must be Public or Unlisted, and the uploader must allow embedding. A private video, or one with embedding turned off, won’t play inside the page.
See Official guides below for YouTube’s own steps.
Add it in FeatPaper
Section titled “Add it in FeatPaper”Open the Content tab
Open the document in FeatPaper and go to the Content tab. You need edit rights on the document to see the motion tools.
Open the motion editor
Click the Add video or link card. The full-screen motion editor opens.
Pick the page and the VIDEO tab
Select the page in the left sidebar, then click the VIDEO tab in the toolbar.
Paste the YouTube link
Paste the link into the Youtube or Vimeo field and click Add. Before you click Add, you can set the playback options: Autoplay (on by default), Loop (on), Mute (off), and Hide Controls (off). You can also toggle them with the icons after placing the video.
Position and resize
Drag the frame to move it and drag the handles to resize it. Arrow keys nudge it (hold Shift for bigger steps).
Save
Click SAVE & EXIT.
What viewers see
Section titled “What viewers see”- Desktop: YouTube plays inside the page, right where you placed it. Viewers don’t leave the document.
- Mobile: The video plays inside the page. Autoplay on mobile is always muted, because mobile browsers require it.
- Downloaded PDF: A PDF can’t run YouTube. FeatPaper replaces the frame with a thumbnail or the YouTube logo that links to the reading view at that page, and adds a QR code at the bottom right of the page. If you turned off the document’s QR setting, the QR code isn’t added.
Good to know
Section titled “Good to know”- Motion works on every plan, including Starter.
- YouTube and Vimeo links don’t count toward the video and GIF limit, and there is no size limit. Only uploaded video files and GIF-tab images count.
- YouTube goes in the VIDEO tab, not EMBED. The EMBED tab rejects YouTube links.
- The video frame keeps a 16:9 ratio by default. Use the ratio buttons on the selected frame to unlock it or restore the original ratio.
- Shorts links work too. The video still plays in the frame size you set.
- After a version update, motions don’t carry over on their own. When you open the editor after an update, FeatPaper asks whether to copy the previous version’s motion content to the same pages and positions.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”The editor says my link isn't supported. What is wrong?
The link isn’t in a format the VIDEO tab accepts. Check it against the link shape in Get the link ready above. The editor checks only the link format, so a valid link to content that isn’t shared publicly can still show an error inside the frame.
How does it look on a phone?
The video plays in the page. If autoplay is on, it starts muted, because mobile browsers require that.
What happens when someone downloads the PDF?
The frame becomes a thumbnail or logo that links back to that page in the reading view, and a QR code is added at the bottom right of the page (unless the document’s QR setting is off).
Can I paste YouTube into the EMBED tab instead?
No. YouTube links belong in the VIDEO tab, and the EMBED tab rejects them. The VIDEO tab also gives you autoplay, loop, mute, and hide-controls options.
Can I use an unlisted video?
Yes. Public and unlisted videos both work, as long as the uploader allows embedding. Private videos don’t play.
Does FeatPaper show how many people played the video?
No. Plays inside YouTube aren’t tracked in FeatPaper. You still see page reading time, and you can add a LINK area if you need click data.