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YouTube Block – A better way to embed YouTube videos, shorts, playlists

YouTube Block – A better way to embed YouTube videos, shorts, playlists

Description

The default embed block for Youtube videos sucks. It slows down your site. The more videos on the page the more it slow. This single-block plugin fixes that.

Why this block is better than the default one:

  • Instead of loading the entire iframe, only the video thumbnail is loaded, resulting in significant performance improvements
  • Ability to play multiple different videos as a custom playlist or input a playlist ID to play the whole playlist
  • Ability to use a custom image as the video thumbnail
  • Ability to set a custom aspect ratio value for displaying any kind of YouTube videos
  • Ability to loop continuously once it finishes playing
  • Ability to show related videos from the same channel as the initial video
  • Automatically load the video title as the caption
  • The same UI as the default core/embed, and you can use the video title as the caption of the block with one click
  • It can be transformed from/to the core embed block.
  • Automatically convert all default core embed YouTube blocks to this block with one line of code.

This plugin also provides a PHP API for developers to render a YouTube video URL as this block; or to automatically transform core/embed YouTube videos into this block.

The simplest example is:

    better_youtube_embed_block_render_block( ['url' => 'https://youtu.be/paSXmpHU9K4'] );

The example with all the parameters is:

    better_youtube_embed_block_render_block(
      [
        'url'               => 'https://youtu.be/paSXmpHU9K4',
        'aspectRatio'       => '16/9',
        'isMaxResThumbnail' => false,
        'caption'           => 'My awesome video',
        'customThumbnail'   => 'https://example.com/bg.jpg',
        'settings'          => ['loop' => 1, 'rel' => 0],
        'echo'              => false,
      ]
    );

To automatically transform all core/embed YouTube videos on your site to this block, you need to put the following code to the wp-config.php file or your theme/plugin:

    define('BYEB_SPEED_UP_YOUTUBE_VIDEOS', true);

or

    add_filter( 'byeb_speed_up_youtube_videos', '__return_true' );

On iOS, browsers like Safari and Chrome require two clicks to play videos. If you want to allow users to play videos with a single click, you need to add the following code to the wp-config.php file or your theme/plugin:

    define('BYEB_FORCE_IFRAME_ON_UNSUPPORTED_BROWSERS', true);

Please check out this page to see how fast it helps. The page contains around 30 embedded Youtube videos but they don’t slow down the page.

If this plugin is useful for you, please do a quick review and rate it on WordPress.org to help us spread the word. I would very much appreciate it.

Please check out my other plugins if you’re interested:

  • Content Blocks Builder – This plugin turns the Block Editor into a powerful page builder by allowing you to create blocks, variations, and patterns directly in the Block Editor without needing a code editor.
  • Meta Field Block – A block to display custom fields as blocks on the front end. It supports custom fields for posts, terms, users, and setting fields. It can also be used in the Query Loop block.
  • SVG Block – A block to display SVG images as blocks. Useful for images, icons, dividers, and buttons. It allows you to upload SVG images and load them into the icon library.
  • Icon separator – A tiny block just like the core/separator block but with the ability to add an icon.
  • Breadcrumb Block – A simple breadcrumb trail block that supports JSON-LD structured data and is compatible with WooCommerce.
  • Block Enhancements – Adds practical features to blocks like icons, box shadows, transforms, etc.
  • Counting Number Block – A block to display numbers with a counting effect

The plugin is developed using @wordpress/create-block.

Screenshots

  • Block edit screen

  • Block settings

Blocks

This plugin provides 1 block.

  • YouTube Block – A better way to embed YouTube video, short, playlist Embed YouTube videos without slowing down your site.

Installation

  1. Upload the plugin files to the /wp-content/plugins/better-youtube-embed-block directory, or install the plugin through the WordPress plugins screen directly.
  2. Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress

FAQ

What problem does this plugin solve?

It provides a better solution to embed YouTube videos than the default one.

Who needs this plugin?

Anyone can use this plugin.

Reviews

16 de septiembre de 2024 1 reply
THIS IS THE BEST YOUTUBE PLUGIN AVAILABLE!!! IT ACTUALLY DOES WHAT IT SAYS!!! Sorry for the all CAPS there but I wanted to make a point. This is literally my first plugin review because this is the first plugin I have used that I felt deserved it. I have tried every Youtube plug there is and I just wanted a simple block that could be inserted to embed a Youtube video like the basic Youtube block but I wanted a plugin that would do like the tube.rvere code does and just load the featured image until clicked on. This plugin does that with no fuss and is completely free!!!!I had been using the generated code from tube.rvere.com and they provide excellent code that works great and I have zero issues with their service. However, it was adding extra steps to my work-flow and also one of my core principles is to use as much core WordPress as possible and if needed use plugins built into my editor. With this plugin, the block is built-in and you use it just like the core Youtube block but you can load the HD featured image and even have a caption if you choose. I have been searching for a plugin to make my YouTube videos work and this one does it! I went from page speed loads of 3.5 seconds all the way down to 1.4 seconds just from using this plugin. I am very good at page speed loading time optimization and it is something I likely worry over more than I have to but when I saw that this plugin cut my page load time virtually in half just by helping with my YouTube videos I was sold. I will be singing the praises of this plugin as loudly as I can!
10 de junio de 2024 4 replies
Improves our rating with google pagespeed.web.devThat embed link on a homepage is the kiss of death for mobile speed rating. This plugin fixes thatThe only improvement might be if you could select what thumbnail to use so it doesn’t have to retrieve it outside the site (or if I could figure out why it isn’t caching it)
14 de marzo de 2024 1 reply
I have been trying for weeks now with different plugins and different settings to speed up my website where I have added videos to the post. Sometimes I get the odd few points on Page Speed Insights on mobile performance but sitting around 65 was terrible. I installed  Better Youtube Embed Block and my page speed performance went immediately to 99! Hope you add yourself a donation button or something on the plug in. The only thing I would suggest is creating a video for those not too savy with locating the config.php file and just demonstrating how to install. Turned out to be super simple really though.
16 de febrero de 2024 1 reply
This was very easy to use and does a great job.. exactly as promised. Two bonus things i found1) When upgrading existing YouTube blocks in posts, when you click the YouTube link you’ll see the option for this «Better Youtube Embeded Block» plugin. Simply click the menu and it converts it. Then click save the page! 2) It adds a caption field capability underneath that I dont think we had with the standard WP youtube block? well maybe I never noticed before ha
12 de febrero de 2024 2 replies
Could you add support for max res thumbnail? I need it for shorts.And could you add support for custom thumbnail from wp media? img.youtube .com/vi/uN81SlongUw/maxresdefault.jpg
Read all 8 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“YouTube Block – A better way to embed YouTube videos, shorts, playlists” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

“YouTube Block – A better way to embed YouTube videos, shorts, playlists” has been translated into 1 locale. Thank you to the translators for their contributions.

Translate “YouTube Block – A better way to embed YouTube videos, shorts, playlists” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.1.0

Release Date – 23 August 2024

  • Added – Play multiple videos or the whole playlist
  • Added – Loop continuously once it finishes playing
  • Added – Show related videos from the same channel
  • Added – Allow rendering embeded frame when browsers require click two times to play videos
  • Updated – Requires at least WordPress version 6.3

1.0.5

Release Date – 15 June 2024

  • Added – Support custom thumbnail for videos
  • Added – Allow editing media settings in the contentOnly mode
  • Updated – Change the ‘Requires at least’ to 6.0
  • Added – Support clientNavigation interactivity

1.0.4

Release Date – 23 February 2024

  • Added – Add a PHP API for developers to render a YouTube video URL as this block
  • Added – A new option to load high-resolution image
  • Added – Add the ability to render all core/embed for YouTube videos as this block

1.0.3

Release Date – 05 January 2024

  • Added – Custom aspect ratio
  • Added – Margin support feature

1.0.2

Release Date – 11 August 2023

  • DEV – Update to apiVersion 3
  • DEV – Change i18 texts for translation

1.0.1

Release Date – 21 April 2023

  • DEV – Add keywords to the block

1.0.0

  • Release Date – 23 November 2022*