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Updated August 6, 2024Microsoft Word for desktop allows you to insert videos from Vimeo, YouTube, and SlideShare. Here are the steps to follow.
Step 1: Open your preferred web browser and go to the site, like YouTube, that hosts the video.
Step 2: Copy the video URL from the address bar at the top.
Step 3: Open your Word document > go to the Insert tab > click the Online Videos option from the toolbar.
Step 4: Paste the video URL in the text box and click Insert.
After that, you’ll see the video thumbnail with the play button. You can click the play button to watch the video. Since the video plays directly from the website, you must have an active internet connection to view it.
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You can also insert the offline videos or the ones that are on your computer. However, the only catch is that the video will only play when the document is viewed on your computer. Other people won’t see the video if you share the Word document with them.
To insert offline videos in Microsoft Word, you first need to enable the Developer tab in Microsoft Word.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and go to File > Options.
Step 2: Switch to the Customize Ribbon tab. Under Main Tabs, tick the Developer checkbox. Then, click OK to save changes.
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After you’ve enabled the Developer tab, you can add offline videos to your Word documents by following the steps below.
Step 3: Open the Word document where you want to insert the video. Click the Developer tab at the top.
Step 4: Click the Legacy Tools icon.
Step 5: Under ActiveX Controls, click the More Controls icon.
Step 6: In the More Controls window, scroll down to select Windows Media Player from the list > click OK.
Step 7: A Windows Media Player window should appear in your Word document. Right-click on it and select Properties.
Step 8: In the Properties window, click the three-dot icon next to the Custom field.
Step 9: Under the General tab, click the Browse button and locate the video file on your PC. Then, click OK.
Step 10: Head to the Developer tab again and click Design Mode to disable it. Your video will start playing immediately. You can then use the media player controls to play, pause, and skip forward or backward as you see fit.
Using Word for the Web, you can insert online videos. Word for the Web currently supports embedding content from many popular platforms, including YouTube, Microsoft Stream, Vimeo, and TED Talks.
To insert an online video in Word for the web:
Step 1: In your web browser, navigate to the video you want to insert and copy its URL from the address bar.
Step 2: Visit Microsoft Word for the web and sign in to your account.
Step 3: Open the document where you wish to add the video. Click the Insert menu at the top and then click Online Video.
Step 4: Paste the video URL copied earlier and click the Insert button.
After inserting the video, you can play it or resize and move the video thumbnail as needed.
