A multi-featured plugin to embed YouTube in WordPress. Embed a video, YouTube channel gallery, playlist, or Yo...
Free
100k+ installs 4.6★ (572)
Better Core Video Embeds
A plugin which enhances the core embed block for Youtube, Daily Motion and Vimeo videos by not loading unnecessary scripts until they are needed.
The facts
- Rating
- 5★ from 11
- Active installs
- 300+
- Price
- Free
- Last updated
- 2 Jun 2025
- Added
- Nov 2022
- Requires WP
- 6.0
- Tested up to
- WP 6.8.8
- Requires PHP
- 7.0
- Downloads
- 17,160
Our analysis
AI-assistedBetter Core Video Embeds is a WordPress plugin designed to optimise pages and posts that include embedded videos from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, and Daily Motion. It replaces the video embed with a thumbnail image on page load, preventing unnecessary external scripts and styles from loading until the user interacts with the video. This can improve page load times and performance for sites that use video content.
The plugin is suitable for WordPress users who frequently embed videos and want to enhance their site's performance by reducing initial loading times. It is particularly useful for those who use the core embed block for video integration.
Best for: WordPress users who embed videos and want to improve site performance.
What it does well
- ✓Optimises loading of embedded videos
- ✓Prevents unnecessary scripts from loading
- ✓Replaces video with a thumbnail on page load
- ✓Improves page performance
- ✓Free to use from the WordPress.org directory
Where it falls short
- •Limited information on additional features
- •No details on user support or documentation
Verdict
Better Core Video Embeds is a practical solution for optimising video embeds on WordPress sites. It effectively enhances loading performance but lacks detailed feature information.
From the developer
Highrise Digital's own description of Better Core Video Embeds, lightly tidied.
This plugin provides page optimisations for pages and posts which have embedded Youtube, Vimeo or Daily Motion videos which have been added using the core embed block.
Without this plugin, when using the core embed block, when your page loads, lots of external scripts and styles are loaded from the embed service, regardless of whether a visitor actually interacts with the embedded video.
This plugin prevents these scripts and styles from loading until the user actually interacts with the video. It does this by replacing the video embed, on page load with the video thumbnail image (added on Youtube, Vimeo or Daily Motion). When a user clicks the thumbnail the embedded video, along with associated scripts and styles are loaded.
Tagged as
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