To embed a video means to display a video player within a webpage while the video is hosted elsewhere. Embed code connects the webpage to the hosted video, allowing visitors to watch without leaving the page. This guide explains how video embedding works, where embedded videos are stored, and what happens when someone loads or plays one.
What does it mean to embed a video?
When you embed a video, visitors can watch it directly within a webpage, application, learning environment, or other digital experience. The video is typically delivered by a video hosting platform through a video player placed on the page.
Businesses commonly embed product demonstrations on landing pages, training videos within learning environments, and support content in knowledge bases. This keeps the viewing experience within the content where the video is relevant.
Does embedding a video upload it to your website?
Embedding a video does not usually upload or copy the underlying video file to the website server. The webpage contains the code required to display content provided by the video hosting service.
For example, a business might upload a video to a hosting platform and receive embed code for it. Adding that code to a webpage creates the player visitors see, while the hosting platform continues to store and deliver the video. The same hosted video can therefore appear on different webpages without uploading another copy of the source video to each page.
What is video embed code?
Video embed code is a piece of HTML that tells a browser which video player to display and where to load it from.
A simplified example looks like this:
<iframe src="https://video-platform.example/player/video123"></iframe>
The src attribute identifies the location of the embedded content. Embed code can also contain attributes controlling dimensions, permissions, fullscreen behaviour, and other player functions.
Video hosting platforms like Cinema8 generally generate this code for each video, so businesses do not need to write it manually.
What is an iframe in video embedding?
An iframe, or inline frame, allows a webpage to display content supplied from another location within a defined area of the page.
In video embedding, the iframe can load a player supplied by the video hosting platform. The business website determines where the iframe appears, and the hosting service provides the player and hosted content inside it. The visitor's browser therefore loads the business webpage along with the external player referenced by the iframe.
An iframe is one common method for embedding video, although the exact implementation can vary between platforms and applications.
What happens when someone plays an embedded video?
When someone opens a page containing an embedded video, their browser loads the webpage and the resources required to display it. The video player is loaded from the source specified by the embed.
When playback begins, the player requests the video content from the hosting infrastructure. Video data is then delivered to the viewer during playback.
With adaptive streaming, the player can request different video renditions as viewing conditions change. A hosting platform may also use a content delivery network to distribute the video across different locations.
Where is an embedded video stored?
An embedded video remains stored on the infrastructure of the video hosting provider. The webpage contains the embed that connects to the hosted content, while the underlying video files stay with the provider. This means a business can display the same hosted video across a product page, knowledge base, and training portal without creating a separate video file for each location.
Does an embedded video use your website's storage?
An externally hosted and embedded video generally does not count towards the website server's storage because the video file remains with the hosting provider. The website only needs the page content and code required to display the embed.
Uploading video files directly to a website works differently. A 2 GB video uploaded to the website's server or media library could consume approximately 2 GB of its available storage. Embedding an externally hosted 2 GB video would not add that video file to the website's storage usage.
This distinction becomes more significant as a video library grows. Hosting dozens or hundreds of large video files directly can consume substantial server storage, while embedding allows those videos to appear throughout the website without adding each file to its storage allocation.
Does an embedded video use your website's bandwidth?
Video delivered through an external hosting platform generally uses the provider's delivery infrastructure when viewers watch the embedded content. The business website still delivers the webpage and its locally hosted resources.
Once the embedded player requests the video, delivery is handled through the infrastructure hosting that content. Repeated viewing can therefore contribute to the bandwidth allowance or delivery usage associated with the hosting service.
The amount of video hosting bandwidth used depends on factors such as viewing time, bitrate, and audience size.
Can the same video be embedded on multiple pages?
The same hosted video can generally be embedded on multiple webpages. Each page contains the code needed to load the player, while the underlying video remains in its original hosting location.
A business could therefore place the same product demonstration on a product page, support article, and customer onboarding resource. Visitors can watch it from each location without the business maintaining three separate copies of the video. This also allows one hosted video to support several parts of a website or digital experience.
Is an embedded video public?
Embedding does not determine whether a video is public. Access depends on the hosting platform and the settings applied to the video.
Public content can be made widely available through an embedded player. Protected content can use access controls provided by the hosting service to determine who can watch it or where playback is permitted.
Businesses publishing private or sensitive videos should therefore check the access settings applied to the hosted content before embedding it.
Is embedding the same as linking to a video?
Embedding and linking give viewers different ways to reach a video. An embedded video appears within the webpage the visitor is already viewing. A video link takes the visitor to another URL where the content can be accessed. For example, a training page could contain an embedded player so employees watch the video within the learning environment. A link would send them to a separate page containing the video.
The choice between embedded and linked video depends on whether viewers should watch within the current page or open the video at another location.
Understanding video embedding
Video embedding allows businesses to display hosted videos within their own webpages while the underlying content remains on the hosting infrastructure. Embed code connects the webpage to the player, which then requests the video when visitors load or watch it.
Understanding this setup helps businesses distinguish the webpage, player, and hosted video when planning how content will be published online.
Businesses that need to host and embed videos on their own websites can book a demo of Cinema8's video hosting platform or get started on a plan right away.