Facebook Stories allow users to share photos and short videos that appear full screen and disappear after 24 hours. While Stories don’t allow embedding external links directly, there are a couple of workarounds to add YouTube links to Facebook Stories.
Adding a YouTube Link with a Sticker
The easiest way to add a YouTube link to a Facebook Story is by using the sticker feature. To do this:
- Create a new Story as you normally would by tapping the camera icon at the top of the app.
- After taking a photo or video, tap the sticker icon at the top of the screen.
- Scroll through the available stickers until you find the one labeled “Add Link.” It looks like a chain link.
- Tap on the “Add Link” sticker to open it.
- Paste the URL of the YouTube video you want to link to into the sticker link field.
- Resize and reposition the sticker as needed. Make sure it’s large enough for people to tap.
- Finish creating and posting your Story as normal.
When viewers see your Story, they’ll be able to tap the “Add Link” sticker you added to open the linked YouTube video in the browser or YouTube app.
Embedding a YouTube Video as a Background
You can also embed a YouTube video as a background for your Facebook Story. Here’s how:
- Go to YouTube and find the video you want to use.
- Click the “Share” button below the video.
- Select “Embed.”
- Copy the iframe embed code that pops up.
- Paste the embed code into a blank text document and adjust the height and width values to 1080×1920 pixels (the size of a Facebook Story).
- Screen record yourself opening and scrolling through the text document so the YouTube video plays in the background.
- Import the screen recording video into Facebook Stories as you normally would.
- Add any other stickers, text, images, etc. on top of the video background.
This gives the effect of a YouTube video playing directly within your Facebook Story. Just keep in mind the aspect ratio differences between YouTube and Stories – you may need to zoom or crop the video in places to fill the frame.
Adding a Link in Story Text
You can include a clickable YouTube link as text in your Facebook Story. However, it will only be clickable for you – anyone else that views your Story won’t be able to tap the link. To do this:
- Create your Story as normal.
- Tap the text tool to add text.
- Type out your text including the YouTube link formatted like: Check out this video: https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ
- Tap the link to open the video in the YouTube app or browser (for you only).
- Position the text and finish creating your Story.
The link will be clickable for you but non-functional for anyone viewing your story. So this is mainly useful as a reminder for yourself to watch the video later.
Redirecting to YouTube via Linktree
If you have a Linktree set up, you can redirect there from your Facebook Story. For example:
- In your Linktree account, create a new link to the YouTube video you want to share.
- Get the URL for your Linktree profile.
- In your Facebook Story, use the “Add Link” sticker as outlined above to link to your Linktree.
- When viewers tap your Linktree link, it will open your profile and allow them to tap the YouTube video link you created.
This allows you to compile multiple YouTube videos and other links that followers can browse through after tapping your Story.
Using Third-Party Apps
Some third-party social media tools provide ways to integrate YouTube videos into Facebook Stories more seamlessly. For example:
- StoriesEdge – Provides custom templates and editing tools to combine YouTube videos, external links, images, and more into polished Facebook Stories.
- Story Repost – Auto-reposts your YouTube videos as Facebook Stories for more visibility.
- Clipchamp – Lets you edit YouTube videos by trimming, clipping, adding text and stickers, and then download to post on Facebook Stories.
Research different apps to find one with features that suit your needs. Just be aware that you’ll have to grant these apps access to your Facebook account.
Considerations
When adding YouTube links to Facebook Stories, keep the following limitations and best practices in mind:
| Consideration | Details |
|---|---|
| Link Functionality | Direct YouTube links will only be clickable for you, not your viewers. Use stickers or Linktree redirects instead. |
| Aspect Ratios | YouTube’s 16:9 aspect ratio doesn’t match Facebook Story’s 9:16 ratio. Zoom and crop videos to fit. |
| Watch Time | Stories automatically progress after 15 seconds. YouTube videos may get cut off. |
| Third-Party Apps | Research app security and privacy policies before connecting to your Facebook account. |
Video Copyright
Do not share videos in your Facebook Stories that you do not have licensing rights to. YouTube has mechanisms to detect copyright infringement and can issue strikes against your account. Use only original videos or those you have express permission to re-share.
Conclusion
While Facebook Stories don’t natively support external YouTube links, crafty creators have found several methods to integrate YouTube videos into Stories. Using stickers, backgrounds, redirects, and third-party apps can all allow you to add YouTube content to your Facebook Stories. Just be mindful of copyright, aspect ratios, and linking limitations when doing so. With the right strategy, you can boost visibility of your YouTube videos and provide more value to your Facebook audience.