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Embedding Resources in Canvas: Embed Videos

A guide designed for faculty using and embedding library resources in Canvas.

Embedding Videos in Canvas

Note: Using embed links from the Films on Demand website may cause issues for students accessing resources off-campus. We recommend using the Canvas LTI technique below instead.

Embedding videos into your Canvas course is very easy for you and very convenient for students, since they do not have to leave Canvas to view the video. 

When you create a course or discussion post, you have a Rich Content Editor box that contains a tool tray. In the bottom row of this tray are icons for YouTube, Vimeo, and a More External Tools arrow, which has a dropdown menu where you will find Films on Demand. Click on any of these icons to search their databases for the video you want to upload, without even having to leave the page you are working on.

Once you have the video you want, click "Embed" and select a size. This pastes the embed code straight into your Canvas page! As a best practice, include the title and a description of the video, just in case the video link ever breaks.

FoD LTI in Canvas Embed Drop Down Menu Embedded FoD Video

Films on Demand Embed Code

Note: Using embed codes from the Films on Demand website may cause issues for students accessing resources off-campus. We recommend using the Canvas LTI technique above instead.

While using the Films on Demand search icon in Canvas to embed videos is easiest, there may be times when you want to grab the embed code from Films on Demand itself and work with the HTML for full customizability. After locating a video in the FoD database:

  1. Films on Demand Embedding PageClick the "Share" link, just below the video.
  2. Select the size you want your video to be.
  3. Copy the entire embed code by clicking the "Copy" button to add it to the clipboard. Note that this code is HTML and can’t be embedded into an email or MS Office program.
  4. In Canvas, add a “Content Page” and click “Add Item.”
  5. When editing the page, click on "HTML Editor," located above the toolbar.
  6. Paste in the Embed Code where you want the video to appear and click Save.
  7. Voila! Your film is now embedded right into your page!

Canvas Content PageCanvas HTML Editor

Canvas Embed CodeEmbedded FoD Video in Canvas

FoD Title/Segment URL

Note: Using embed codes from the Films on Demand website may cause issues for students accessing resources off-campus. We recommend using the Canvas LTI technique above instead.

Films on Demand LinkTo find and copy the link from a Films on Demand video.

  1. Click the Share link just below the video.
  2. Copy the Record URL by clicking the "Copy" button to highlight it.
  3. Copy/paste it directly into your shell. Be careful not to get any extra spaces before or after the link, as this might affect playability.

Embedding YouTube Videos

Youtube Sharing Options

You can easily embed YouTube videos using the YouTube icon in Canvas. However, you can also grab and edit the embed code directly from Youtube. Click the "Share" link, then select the "Embed" option. Select any other options you want, then click "Copy" to copy the embed code. Follow steps 3-6 in the Films on Demand tutorial to embed your video into Canvas.

Note: Just because you can share a YouTube video, doesn't mean you should! Comply with copyright law and make sure the video has been uploaded legally with the permission of the original creators before sharing with students.