What it means to turn a video into a link
Turning a video into a link means creating a web address that points to your video file so other people can watch it without downloading anything to their computer. The video stays in one place — either on your own server, a video hosting site like YouTube or Vimeo, or cloud storage — and the link is just the address that takes someone there.
This is different from sending someone the video file itself, which can be huge and clog up email or messaging apps. A link is tiny — just text — and works the same way whether the video is 30 seconds or 30 minutes long.
The method you use depends on where your video lives right now and where you want people to watch it from. Uploading to a hosting site is the easiest path for most people because the site handles all the technical work. If you already have a website, you can host the video there instead. Either way, you end up with a link you can paste into an email, text message, social media post, or anywhere else.
Key Takeaways
- Video hosting sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and Loom generate a shareable link automatically when you upload a video, and this is the simplest method for most people.
- Each hosting site has different privacy settings — some videos are public by default, some are private, and some require a password — so check your settings before sharing the link.
- If you host a video on your own website, you need to upload the video file to your web server and then embed it or link to it in your page code.
- Cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox can host videos and generate shareable links, but they are not designed for streaming and may buffer or load slowly.
- The link itself is just text and never expires unless you delete the video or change the privacy settings.
Using a video hosting site — the easiest method
Video hosting sites are built specifically to store videos and generate links. YouTube, Vimeo, and Loom are the most common choices. You create a free account, upload your video, and the site gives you a link within minutes. The site handles storage, streaming, and playback on any device.
To upload to YouTube: go to youtube.com, sign in with a Google account (or create one), click the camera icon in the top right, select "Upload video", choose your video file from your computer, add a title and description, then click "Publish". YouTube will give you a link like youtube.com/watch?v=abc123. You can share this link when ready, though it may take a few minutes for the video to finish processing and be watchable.
To upload to Vimeo: go to vimeo.com, create a free account, click "Upload" at the top, select your video file, add a title, then click "Publish". Vimeo gives you a link like vimeo.com/123456789. Vimeo is often used for professional or artistic videos because it has fewer ads and looks cleaner than YouTube.
To use Loom: go to loom.com, create a free account, click "Start recording", record your screen or camera (or upload a video file), then click "Done". Loom generates a link automatically and shows it to you on the screen. Loom is designed for quick screen recordings and tutorials, and links expire after 30 days on the free plan unless you upgrade.
Checking privacy settings before you share
Every video hosting site has privacy controls that determine who can watch your video. By default, YouTube videos are public — anyone with the link can watch. Vimeo videos are private by default — only people you invite can watch. Loom videos are private by default on the free plan. You need to check these settings before sharing the link, or you might share a video that nobody can actually view.
On YouTube, after you publish, click "Share" under the video. You will see three options: "Public" (anyone can find and watch), "Unlisted" (only people with the link can watch), and "Private" (only you can watch). Choose the one that matches who you want to see it. Most people choose "Unlisted" when sharing a link, because it means only the people you send the link to can watch, but you do not have to manage a list of approved viewers.
On Vimeo, after you publish, click the gear icon next to your video title, then click "Privacy". You will see options for "Private" (only you), "Password protected" (people need a password you set), "Unlisted" (only people with the link), and "Public" (anyone can find it). Choose "Unlisted" unless you have a reason to restrict it further.
On Loom, click the three dots next to your video, then click "Settings". You will see a toggle for "Public link" — turn it on if you want the link to work, turn it off if you want to disable it. You can also set an expiration date so the link stops working after a certain number of days.
Hosting a video on your own website
If you have a website built with WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, or another website builder, you can upload a video directly to your site and embed it in a page. This means the video plays on your website itself, not on an external site. The link is the address of your webpage, not a separate video link.
On WordPress, go to the page or post where you want the video, click the "+" button to add a block, search for "Video", click it, then click "Upload" and choose your video file from your computer. WordPress will upload the video to your server and embed it in the page automatically. The link is your page URL — for example, yoursite.com/how-to-bake-bread.
On Wix, go to the page where you want the video, click "Add", select "Video", then click "Upload Video" and choose your file. Wix uploads it and embeds it on the page. The link is your page URL.
On Squarespace, go to the page, click the "+" icon, select "Video", then click "Upload" and choose your file. Squarespace uploads and embeds it. The link is your page URL.
Hosting on your own website works well if the video is part of a larger page — like a tutorial page with text and a video together. It does not work well if you just want to share a video link with no other content, because you would have to create a whole page just for that video. In that case, a video hosting site is simpler.
Using cloud storage to share a video link
Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive can store video files and generate shareable links. This method works if you already use one of these services and the video is small enough to fit in your storage limit. The downside is that these services are not optimized for video playback — the video may buffer or load slowly, especially if many people try to watch at once.
To share a video from Google Drive: upload your video file to Drive, right-click it, click "Share", change the permission to "Anyone with the link" or "Restricted" (depending on who you want to see it), then copy the link and send it. When someone clicks the link, they see a preview and a play button, and the video plays in their browser.
To share from Dropbox: upload your video file to Dropbox, right-click it, click "Share", then click "Create link". Dropbox generates a link you can copy and send. When someone clicks it, they can preview and play the video in their browser, or read the file.
To share from OneDrive: upload your video to OneDrive, right-click it, click "Share", then choose "Anyone with the link" or "Specific people". Copy the link and send it. The video plays in the browser when someone clicks the link.
Cloud storage works in a pinch, but if you plan to share videos regularly or expect many people to watch, a dedicated video hosting site is faster and more reliable.
Getting the link and testing it before you share
After you upload a video to any hosting site, the site will show you the link. On YouTube, it is in the "Share" section. On Vimeo, it is under the video title. On Loom, it appears on the screen after you finish recording. Copy this link by clicking it or right-clicking and selecting "Copy link address".
Before you send the link to anyone, open it in a new browser window or tab and watch a few seconds of the video to make sure it plays. This catches problems like videos that did not finish uploading, privacy settings that are too restrictive, or links that are broken. It takes 30 seconds and saves you from sending a link that does not work.
If the video does not play, check that the upload finished completely — most hosting sites show a progress bar while uploading. If the upload is done but the video still will not play, check the privacy settings. If privacy is set to "Private" or "Password protected", the link will not work for other people. Change it to "Public" or "Unlisted" and test again.
Embedding a video link in a webpage or document
If you want the video to play directly on a webpage instead of opening in a separate window, you can embed it. This means putting code in your webpage that tells the browser to display the video player right there on the page.
On YouTube, click "Share" under the video, then click "Embed". YouTube shows you a block of code that looks like <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/abc123"></iframe>. Copy this code and paste it into your website's page editor. The video will appear on the page when someone visits.
On Vimeo, click the three dots next to the video, click "Embed", then copy the code and paste it into your website. The process is the same as YouTube.
On WordPress, you do not need to copy code — just paste the YouTube or Vimeo link into the page editor and WordPress will embed it automatically. On Wix and Squarespace, use the "Add" menu to insert a video block, then paste the link into it.
Embedding is different from linking. A link is just text that takes someone to the video. Embedding puts the video player on your page so people can watch without leaving. Use embedding when the video is the main focus of the page. Use linking when you just want to point people to a video hosted elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn a video into a link without uploading it anywhere?
No. A link is just an address that points to a video file stored somewhere. The file has to live on a server — either a video hosting site, your own website, or cloud storage — before you can create a link to it. You cannot create a link to a video that only exists on your computer.
What happens to the link if I delete the video?
The link stops working. If someone clicks it after you delete the video, they will see an error message like "Video not found" or "This video has been removed". If you want to keep the link working, do not delete the video. If you want to stop people from watching, delete the video and the link becomes useless.
Can I change the link after I share it?
No. The link itself does not change. But you can change what the link points to — for example, you can replace the video file with a different video, and the same link will now play the new video. You can also change privacy settings so the link stops working or starts working, without changing the link text itself.
Do video links expire?
Most do not, unless you set an expiration date. YouTube, Vimeo, and website-hosted videos stay accessible indefinitely unless you delete them or change the privacy settings. Loom videos on the free plan expire after 30 days by default, but you can turn off expiration or upgrade to keep them longer. Cloud storage links do not expire unless you delete the file or revoke sharing access.
What is the difference between a video link and a video embed?
A link is text that takes someone to a video hosted elsewhere. An embed is code that displays the video player on your webpage. When you share a link, people click it and go to the video. When you embed, the video plays right on your page. Links are simpler to create and share. Embeds look more polished on a website but require access to your website's code.