Title: Enhanced Embed Block for YouTube & Vimeo Author: mrwweb Published: May 31, 2024 Last modified: October 22, 2025 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/enhanced-embed-block/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3101318) ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/enhanced-embed-block_fdfdfd.svg) # Enhanced Embed Block for YouTube & Vimeo By [mrwweb](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrwweb/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/enhanced-embed-block.1.3.1.zip) [Live Preview](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/?preview=1) * [Details](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/#description) * [Reviews](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/#reviews) * [Installation](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/#installation) * [Development](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/enhanced-embed-block/) ## Description If you care about performance, privacy, and user experience, this block is for you. This plugin enhances the default YouTube and Vimeo blocks—including any existing blocks—and changes their behavior to only load the video thumbnail until a visitor chooses to play the video. #### Features * Load YouTube videos faster (uses the `lite-youtube` custom-element) * Load Vimeo videos faster (uses the `lite-viemo` custom-element) * Loads YouTube videos from nocookie.youtube.com for enhanced privacy * Works without JavaScript (shows link to video instead in a player-like design) * No plugin lock-in! Automatically improves the core Embed block. Turn the plugin off and the behavior goes back to the WordPress default. #### Want more features? I’m considering building a PRO version with the potential following features: * Options to set a custom start and end time * Custom thumbnail images for videos * Custom aspect ratios for videos * Support for YouTube shorts * Control whether to load video from nocookie.youtube.com or not * Adjust the image quality of the thumbnail * Support for playlists, not just single videos * Full support for all YouTube query parameters (https://developers.google.com/ youtube/player_parameters) * Classic Editor / [embed] shortcode support If enough people express interest, I’ll build it! [Let me know if you’re interested!](https://mrwweb.com/wordpress-plugins/enhanced-embed-block/#pro) #### Contribute on Github [Enhanced Embed Block is on Github](https://github.com/mrwweb/enhanced-embed-block) for pull requests and bug reports. ### Software This plugin uses the [`lite-youtube` custom-element](https://github.com/justinribeiro/lite-youtube) under the MIT license. Thank you to Paul Irish and Justin Ribiero for their work on that project. This plugin uses the [`lite-vimeo` custom-element](https://github.com/cshawaus/lite-vimeo) under the MIT license. Thank you to Chris Shaw for their work on that project. ## Installation 1. From your WordPress site’s dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New. 2. Search for “Enhanced Embed Block for YouTube and Vimeo” 3. Click “Install” 4. Click “Activate” 5. That’s it! You’re done! There are no plugin settings and the enhancements immediately apply to all YouTube video embeds. ## FAQ ### Does this create a new block? No. It enhances the default WordPress Embed block for YouTube and Vimeo videos. ### Does it automatically enhance all my YouTube and Vimeo embeds? It works for any embeds using the YouTube or Vimeo variations of the Embed block. Embeds using the [embed] shortcode or a literal YouTube embed code in an HTML block are not enhanced. Using the core WordPress Embed block is highly recommended! ### Why don’t Google and Vimeo load all their videos this way by default? Great question! It sure seems like they should. If I had to guess, they are prioritizing usage tracking over fast load times and privacy. ### What happens if I deactivate the plugin? Your embed blocks go back to how they were before. ### Does this support the Classic Editor / the [embed] shortcode? Not right now. If you’d pay for a PRO version with this feature, [let me know](https://mrwweb.com/wordpress-plugins/enhanced-embed-block/#pro). ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “Enhanced Embed Block for YouTube & Vimeo” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ mrwweb ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrwweb/) * [ cbirdsong ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbirdsong/) [Translate “Enhanced Embed Block for YouTube & Vimeo” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/enhanced-embed-block) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/enhanced-embed-block/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/enhanced-embed-block/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/enhanced-embed-block/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/enhanced-embed-block/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.3.1 (22 October 2025) * Adjust approach to managing default WordPress aspect ratio styles to avoid “collapsed” layouts in some themes #### 1.3.0 (7 October 2025) * Add missing block CSS classes (including custom ones, if provided) * Fixes alignment support (wide, full, etc.) * Improve responsive and aspect ratio behavior of blocks. For instance, old YouTube videos now correctly display with 4/3 placeholder and video player! * Update lite-youtube component to 1.8.2 #### 1.2.1 (4 June 2025) * Fix unset array key warning * Improve plugin demo content to include Vimeo examples #### 1.2.0 (14 May 2025) * Add support for Vimeo! * Upgrade `lite-youtube` to 1.8.1 (includes new native support for fallback thumbnail formats and sizes) * Further performance improvements to load script asynchronously and only load styles when needed * Fix undefined $params fatal error when trying to extract time code from YouTube URLs * Code quality improvements #### 1.1.0 (11 July 2024) * Fix missing file on WordPress.org version of plugin due to misconfigured Github deployment * MAJOR CHANGE: The default poster image is now the highest quality possible. There is a new `eeb_posterquality` filter to change that, if desired. (#5) * Add experimental patch to the `lite-youtube` web component that detects missing YouTube poster images and fallsback to different format / lower quality (#4) * Add `!important` to all CSS styles to improve theme compatibility. Add custom properties to make color changes to fallback styles easier. (#8) * Add `eeb_nocookie` filter to customize domain for loading the YouTube iframe ( defaults to nocookie) (#7) * Don’t use lite-youtube embed in feeds (#9) * Props to @cbirdsong for numerous issues on Github that led to most of these changes #### 1.0.0 (22 April 2024) * Initial release to the WordPress repository! ## Meta * Version **1.3.1** * Last updated **5 months ago** * Active installations **20+** * WordPress version ** 6.5 or higher ** * Tested up to **6.8.5** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Language * [English (US)](https://wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/) * Tags * [block](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/block/)[embed](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/embed/) [video](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/video/)[vimeo](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/vimeo/) [youtube](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/tags/youtube/) * [Advanced View](https://pcd.wordpress.org/plugins/enhanced-embed-block/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Add my review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/enhanced-embed-block/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/enhanced-embed-block/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ mrwweb ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mrwweb/) * [ cbirdsong ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/cbirdsong/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/enhanced-embed-block/) ## Donate Would you like to support the advancement of this plugin? [ Donate to this plugin ](https://paypal.me/rootwiley)