# Social Embeds

Put a YouTube video or a social post on a page.

Source: https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/plugins/social-embeds/

Social Embeds puts a video or a social post right on one of your pages. A
YouTube video, or a post from Facebook, Instagram, or Threads.

Your website ships with this one switched off. You turn it on yourself.

## Turn it on

1. Go to **Admin**, then **Plugins**.
2. Find the row named `social-embeds`.
3. Click the switch at the end of that row. A switch filled with color is on.

There is no gear on this row and there is nothing to set up. The
[Plugins](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/admin/plugins/) page explains that screen, and it has a warning
about the other switches on it. Leave those alone.

Turning this one on adds a new block to your page editor. It changes nothing a
visitor can see until you use that block.

## Put a post on a page

Open the page you want it on. [Pages](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/content/pages/) shows how to add a block
to a page.

The block is called **Social Post**. Look for it under **Sections**.

**Warning**
Paste the link to one post or one video. A link to somebody's profile page will
not work.

A link that is not right draws nothing at all. No error, no gap, no warning,
not even in **Preview**. The block is simply not there when you look at the
page.

1. Add the **Social Post** block.
2. Paste the link in **Post or video URL**.
3. Type something in **Caption (optional)** if you want words under it.
4. Click **Publish changes**, then **Publish changes** again in the box that opens.

The page saves your work on its own. Nothing reaches the public until you
publish.

## Links that work

| Service | What to paste |
| --- | --- |
| YouTube | A link to one video, a short link, a Shorts link, or a live link |
| Instagram | A link to one post, one reel, or one video |
| Facebook | A link to one post, video, reel, or photo |
| Threads | A link to one post |

The way to get a link is the same on all four. Open the post, look for the
share button, and copy the link it gives you.

Anything else draws nothing. A profile page, a search page, a link from a link
shortener, or a typo will all leave the block blank.

**Tip**
Extra text on the end of a pasted link is fine. Your website throws it away and
keeps only the part it needs.

## What visitors see

That depends on the cookie banner. [Analytics and the cookie
banner](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/plugins/analytics-and-cookies/) explains it in full.

A visitor who clicked **Accept** sees the real video or post, playing and
scrolling as normal.

Everybody else sees a box of exactly the same size in its place. The box names
the company, holds a **Load post** or **Load video** button, and holds a plain
link to the post. Clicking that button loads that one post, and nothing else.
It works even for a visitor who clicked **Decline**.

Your page never looks broken either way. It is the same shape before and after.