Insertion of videos into your content is one of the most effective ways to engage and educate users. Whether you’re creating a user manual, a knowledge base, or a web help system, videos can explain complex processes more clearly than text alone. Inserting videos in ClickHelp is simple and flexible, allowing you to include visual tutorials, step-by-step guides, and demos.
In this article, we will guide you through adding videos to your ClickHelp documentation, supported file types, and optimizing your videos for performance and accessibility. We will also cover how to add videos to websites and social media to extend your reach.
Video Formats You Can Insert
ClickHelp allows embedding videos from popular hosting platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube, and Wistia. These platforms handle encoding, streaming, and cross-device support, making them ideal for embedding in documentation.
While ClickHelp does not host videos itself, you can embed videos in your documentation via third-party hosting services. Common video formats supported by most video hosts include:
- MP4 – The most widely supported video format across browsers and devices.
- WebM – An open, web-optimized format.
- OGG – Another open standard format, but less commonly used.
For maximum compatibility and performance, we recommend hosting your videos on YouTube or Vimeo and embedding them using their provided embed codes.
Inserting Videos in ClickHelp Documents
ClickHelp offers multiple easy ways to embed videos directly within your documentation topics, using its built-in WYSIWYG editor and convenient Insert tab options. Here’s how you can add videos step-by-step, depending on your video source:
- Prepare your video source:
- For YouTube, copy the video URL.
- For Vimeo or Screencast.com, copy the video embed code.
- For self-hosted videos, upload your MP4 file to ClickHelp’s File Manager and copy its URL.
- Open the topic in ClickHelp where you want to insert the video.
- Use the Insert tab in the editor toolbar:
- For YouTube videos, use the Insert YouTube Video option and paste the URL.
- For Vimeo, Screencast, or self-hosted videos, use Custom HTML and paste the embed code or video tag with your URL.
- Adjust settings as needed (positioning, size, CSS classes).
- Confirm the embed by clicking OK and then save your topic.
You can place videos anywhere within the topic to best complement your content. This unified approach helps keep your documentation interactive and visually engaging across all video sources.
Inserting Videos into Websites
If you manage a website or blog, embedding videos follows the same process as in ClickHelp. Video hosting platforms provide an HTML embed code you can copy and paste into your website’s HTML editor.
Steps to embed videos on your website:
- Upload your video to a site like YouTube or Vimeo.
- Click the Share or Embed button.
- Copy the HTML iframe embed code.
- Paste this code into your website’s HTML where you want the video to appear.
You can customize the embed code to make your video responsive, resize it, enable autoplay, and more.
Inserting Videos in Social Media
Uploading videos on social media is a great way to engage viewers and drive traffic to your documentation. While you cannot embed a full ClickHelp topic in a social media post, you can:
- Upload short teaser or tutorial videos on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
- Include links to your full documentation in the post.
- Use compelling thumbnails or preview images to encourage clicks.
For example, create a 30-second video about a new feature, post it on LinkedIn, and include a link to the full ClickHelp topic for more details. This approach helps you reach a wider audience and promote your documentation.
The SEO Impact of Embedding Videos into Content
Quantifying the exact SEO impact of embedding videos in text-based content is challenging, but videos can offer several SEO benefits, such as:
- Increased click-through rates (CTR) due to attractive video thumbnails.
- Longer dwell time as users engage more with video content.
Properly tagging your videos with relevant keywords and descriptive titles also improves SEO. Keep in mind YouTube operates like a search engine where competition for keywords is high, so selecting less competitive but relevant keywords is strategic.
In summary, embedding videos is worth it. Videos generally increase time-on-page, a positive ranking signal, and improve user experience by offering alternative ways to convey information.
Is It Legal to Embed Videos?
If you want to embed videos on your site or documentation, legality depends on how you use them:
- Embedding videos from platforms like YouTube or Vimeo is generally legal and allowed. YouTube’s Terms of Service permit embedding videos using their share/embed features.
- Most YouTube content is protected under standard YouTube licenses or Creative Commons licenses. Always check the video’s license (usually listed below the video description).
- Embedding is not the same as downloading and reposting videos; it simply shares the video hosted on the original platform.
- Avoid using copyrighted music in your videos unless you have a proper license, as this can lead to takedown notices.
- Using other people’s video footage without permission is not allowed, except under fair use rules (e.g., commentary, critique, or transformative use), but fair use is a complex legal area and context-specific. When in doubt, ask the content creator for permission.
Pro Tips: Video Size, Speed & Accessibility Optimization
To ensure videos enhance user experience, follow these best practices:
- Optimize Video Size: Compress videos with tools like HandBrake to reduce file size without sacrificing quality. Keep videos short and focused — 2–3 minutes is ideal for tutorials.
- Optimize for Fast Loading: Use platforms like YouTube or Vimeo for streaming, as self-hosting large video files can slow down your site.
- Accessibility: Add captions or subtitles for hearing-impaired users. Provide transcripts or short summaries below videos for screen readers.
- Responsive Embeds: Ensure embedded videos are responsive and scale correctly on all devices. Use CSS percentage widths or responsive frameworks.
- Cross-Browser Testing: Verify videos play correctly on major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) and on mobile devices.
Conclusion
Embedding videos in your ClickHelp content is an excellent way to improve clarity, engagement, and user satisfaction. Whether demonstrating a product feature, explaining a process, or offering a visual tutorial, videos make your content more accessible and engaging.
By following the steps in this guide and focusing on optimization and accessibility, you can create an effective multimedia experience. Don’t miss the opportunity to extend your video’s impact by sharing across websites and social media.
Good luck with your technical writing!
Author, host, and deliver documentation across platforms and devices.
FAQ
Can I upload videos directly to ClickHelp?
No. ClickHelp does not host video files directly. Instead, you can embed videos hosted on third-party platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia using their embed code.
What video formats are supported for embedding?
ClickHelp supports any video formats that third-party platforms (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) support. Common formats include:
– MP4 (most universally compatible)
– WebM (open and web-optimized)
– OGG (less common, also open-source)
Can I customize the size or behavior of embedded videos?
Yes. You can adjust the iframe’s width, height, autoplay behavior, or responsiveness by editing the embed code or using responsive CSS classes.
How do I optimize videos for accessibility?
– Add captions or subtitles for hearing-impaired users
– Provide a transcript or summary below the video
– Use clear titles and descriptions for screen readers
