How to Embed a YouTube Video Directly Into Google Docs

Unlike Google Slides, which has a dedicated “Insert Video” button right in the main toolbar, Google Docs notoriously lacks native video embedding support. If you paste a YouTube URL into a document, it just stays as boring, clickable blue text. However, if you are creating an interactive study guide or a multimedia report, there is a brilliant workaround that lets you force a playable YouTube video directly onto the page using the Google Drawings tool.

The Drawing Tool Workaround

Since Google Docs cannot embed videos natively, we are going to use Google Slides as a temporary middleman.

1. Open a new, blank presentation in Google Slides in a new browser tab.
2. In the Slides toolbar, click Insert, select Video, and search for your desired YouTube video. Click Insert.
3. Once the video appears on your slide, click it once to select it, then press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac) to copy it.
4. Now, switch back to your Google Docs tab.
5. Click exactly where you want the video to appear.
6. In the top toolbar, click Insert, hover over Drawing, and select New.
7. When the large drawing canvas appears, press Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac) to paste the video.
8. Click the blue Save and Close button in the top right corner.

Your video is now successfully embedded into your Google Doc as a thumbnail image. While readers cannot click “play” directly on the document page, if they double-click the thumbnail, the Drawing canvas will instantly open, allowing them to hit the play button and watch the video right there without ever leaving Google Docs.