markata.

Embedding YouTube Videos

markata-go automatically converts YouTube URLs into responsive embedded videos. Just paste a YouTube link on its own line, and it becomes a playable video embed.

Note: This guide covers the YouTube plugin (standalone URLs). The embeds plugin's oEmbed-based YouTube renders use Lite YouTube by default.

Quick Start

Simply paste a YouTube URL on its own line in your markdown:

Check out this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

More content below...

That's it! The URL will be converted into a responsive video player.

Supported URL Formats

All common YouTube URL formats work:

Format Example
Standard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
Short https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID
Mobile https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID

Timestamps

Start videos at a specific time by adding a timestamp:

https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ?t=1m30s

Supported timestamp formats: - Seconds: ?t=90 - Minutes and seconds: ?t=1m30s - Hours, minutes, seconds: ?t=1h2m3s - Start parameter: ?start=90

Configuration

Configure the YouTube plugin in your markata-go.toml:

[markata-go.youtube]
enabled = true              # Enable/disable embeds (default: true)
privacy_enhanced = true     # Use privacy-enhanced mode (default: true)
container_class = "youtube-embed"  # CSS class for styling
lazy_load = true            # Lazy load videos (default: true)

Privacy-Enhanced Mode

By default, videos use YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com):

To use standard YouTube embeds:

[markata-go.youtube]
privacy_enhanced = false

Lazy Loading

Lazy loading (enabled by default) improves page performance by only loading video iframes when they're about to enter the viewport.

Styling

Videos are automatically responsive with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The default theme includes styling, but you can customize:

/* Custom video container styling */
.youtube-embed {
  margin: 2rem 0;
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

What Doesn't Get Embedded

The plugin only converts URLs that are on their own line. These patterns are NOT converted:

Inline URLs

Check out https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ for more info.

This stays as a regular link because it's inline with other text.

Code Blocks

To embed a video, use: `https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID`

URLs in code are preserved for documentation purposes.

Invalid Video IDs

URLs with invalid video IDs (not exactly 11 characters) are left unchanged.

Output HTML

The plugin generates this HTML structure:

<div class="youtube-embed">
  <iframe
    src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VIDEO_ID"
    title="YouTube video player"
    frameborder="0"
    allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"
    allowfullscreen
    loading="lazy">
  </iframe>
</div>

Tips

  1. One URL per line - Each video should be on its own line with blank lines before and after
  2. Use short URLs - youtu.be links are cleaner in your markdown
  3. Add context - Include a brief description before your video embed
  4. Test timestamps - Preview your post to ensure timestamps work correctly

Troubleshooting

Video Not Embedding

Video Not Playing