Where to find the link to a Vimeo video

The link to a Vimeo video lives in your browser's address bar when you are watching the video. Open the video in Vimeo, look at the top of your browser window, and you will see a web address that starts with vimeo.com followed by a forward slash and a number. That entire address is the video link — copy it directly from the address bar rather than looking for a separate "share" button.

If you are logged into Vimeo and own the video, you can also find the link in your account settings. Go to your library, click on the video thumbnail, and the link appears in the video details panel on the right side of the screen. This method is useful if you want to confirm the correct link without opening the video itself.

The link format is always straightforward: vimeo.com/[number]. The number is unique to that video. If you see a longer address with extra words or parameters after the number, you can usually trim it back to just the basic format and it will still work.

Key Takeaways

  • The video link is the web address shown in your browser's address bar when the video is open, starting with vimeo.com.
  • You can copy the link directly from the address bar by clicking on it, selecting all, and copying, or by right-clicking and choosing "copy link address".
  • If you own the video, your Vimeo account library shows the link in the video details panel without needing to open the video.
  • Vimeo links always follow the pattern vimeo.com/[number], and you can remove extra parameters at the end if the link is longer.
  • A video link works the same way whether you are logged into Vimeo or not, as long as the video owner has not set it to private.

Copying the link from your browser

The fastest way to get a Vimeo video link is to copy it from the address bar. Open the video, click once on the address bar at the top of your browser, and the entire web address will highlight. Press Ctrl+C on Windows or Command+C on Mac to copy it. You can now paste it anywhere — into an email, a document, a chat message, or another website.

If clicking the address bar does not highlight the whole address, select all the text manually by pressing Ctrl+A or Command+A, then copy. Some browsers show only the domain name (vimeo.com) in the address bar until you click it, so do not assume you are seeing the full link until you click.

Another method is to right-click on the address bar and choose "copy" or "copy link address" from the menu that appears. This varies slightly by browser — Chrome says "copy", Firefox says "copy link", Safari says "copy address" — but the result is the same.

Finding the link if the video is embedded

If you are watching a Vimeo video that is embedded on another website (not on vimeo.com itself), you need to open the video on Vimeo directly to get its link. Look for a "Watch on Vimeo" button or link, usually in the bottom right corner of the video player or near the video title. Click it, and you will be taken to the video's page on Vimeo itself, where you can copy the link from the address bar.

Some embedded videos have a small Vimeo logo you can click to open the video on Vimeo. If you cannot find a button, right-click on the video player and look for an option like "open video on vimeo.com" or "go to vimeo.com". If that option does not appear, the video owner may have disabled it, and you will need to ask them for the link directly.

Understanding private and password-protected links

Vimeo allows video owners to set videos as private or password-protected. A private video link will not work for anyone except the people the owner has given permission to watch it. If you try to share a private video link with someone who does not have permission, they will see an error message instead of the video.

If you own a private video and want to share it, you can change the privacy settings in your Vimeo account. Go to the video, click "Privacy", and choose who can watch it. You can make it viewable by anyone with the link, viewable only to people you invite, or keep it private to yourself. The link itself does not change — only who can access it changes.

Password-protected videos require anyone watching to enter a password, even if they have the correct link. The video owner sets this password in the privacy settings. If you have the link but not the password, ask the person who shared it with you.

Sharing a Vimeo link safely

Once you have copied the link, you can share it through email, messaging apps, social media, or any other platform. The link works the same way everywhere — anyone who clicks it will be taken to the video on Vimeo, as long as the video is not private or password-protected.

If you are sharing a link to a video you do not own, check the video's privacy settings first. Some creators ask people not to share their videos publicly. You can usually see the privacy level by looking at the video page — it will say "Anyone can watch" or "Only people invited can watch" near the title.

Vimeo links are permanent. If you save a link today, it will work the same way a year from now, unless the video owner deletes the video or changes its privacy settings. This makes Vimeo links reliable for long-term sharing and archiving.

What to do if the link does not work

If someone sends you a Vimeo link and it does not work, the most common reason is that the video is private and you do not have permission to watch it. You will see a message saying "This video is private" or "You do not have permission to view this video". Ask the person who sent you the link to check their privacy settings or to invite you to watch it.

Another possibility is that the video has been deleted. If the video no longer exists, you will see a message like "Video not found" or "This video has been removed". There is no way to recover a deleted video, but you can ask the creator if they have a backup or a newer version.

If the link looks wrong — for example, if it has extra characters or does not start with vimeo.com — try copying it again or asking the person who sent it to resend it. Sometimes links get cut off or corrupted when pasted into certain programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a Vimeo link if I do not have a Vimeo account?

Yes. You do not need an account to watch a public Vimeo video or to copy its link from the address bar. You only need an account if you want to upload videos, create playlists, or manage privacy settings for your own videos.

Is a Vimeo link the same as a video ID?

No. The video ID is just the number at the end of the link — for example, in vimeo.com/123456789, the ID is 123456789. The full link includes vimeo.com plus the ID. Both can be useful, but the full link is what you paste into a browser or share with someone.

Can I shorten a Vimeo link?

Yes, you can use a URL shortener like bit.ly or tinyurl.com to create a shorter version of a Vimeo link. Paste the full Vimeo link into the shortener, and it will give you a much shorter address that redirects to the video. This is useful for sharing in places where space is limited, like social media posts.

What if the video owner changed the link?

Vimeo links do not change unless the video is deleted. If a video owner deletes a video and uploads a new one, the new video will have a different link. The old link will no longer work. If you need the new link, ask the creator for it directly.

Can I read a video using its link?

That depends on the video owner's settings. Some creators allow downloads, and you will see a read button on the video page. Others disable downloads, and no button will appear. If you want to read a video, check the video page first, or ask the creator for permission.