May Web Design, LLC

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Squarespace Basics: Uploading Videos

May Web Design, LLC

This is big! I was so excited to read about this change to 7.1 Squarespace websites. Video backgrounds can now be added directly to the website without needing to utilize Vimeo or YouTube. Keep in mind this is only for the video backgrounds currently.

Normally, when you add a video to your Squarespace website you would have to open accounts in either YouTube or Vimeo. Then you go into your Squarespace website and add video in the background from a URL in YouTube or Vimeo. If you are building a website, you must create an account for the client and upload videos in either of those video platforms. It was cumbersome for this additional step, and you have to open even more accounts and create another password.

This is just for video backgrounds only and not the video block within a page which requires an embedded third party to host videos. (That’s YouTube or Vimeo.)

The videos are automatically optimized in Squarespace for different devices and connection speeds to ensure smooth playbacks. The video will automatically loop to play over and over again.

How do I add video directly to Squarespace?

  1. Go to a page and launch the Section Editor

  2. Select Background

  3. Select Video

  4. You have the choice to Upload a File or Add From Link

Upload a file is adding a video directly. The video has to be in one of the following formats: MP4, M4V, or MOV. The videos can only be 60 seconds long and 500 MB long.

Add From Link is adding a video from Vimeo or YouTube.

Currently this is only for video backgrounds in Squarespace 7.1 sections and not adding video content through page sections. Adding video content still needs to utilize Vimeo or YouTube.

This was a change that was originally launched for only Squarespace Circle members but has now been released globally to Squarespace 7.1 customers.

This is an exciting change for Squarespace as they are ever changing their offerings and keeping the design part of Squarespace fresh and new as we want to keep our websites up to date and fresh. Try this and let me know what you think.