Key Takeaways
If your friend group is on Discord, you likely share the occasional TikTok, Instagram, or X (Twitter) video. Your friends have to click on the link to watch it, which adds an unnecessary step. The good news is that there's a way to watch these videos directly without having to exit Discord.
What Is Video Embedding?
Video embeds give you a straightforward way to share videos from one platform directly on a different platform. In our context here, you can share a TikTok video on Discord, and everyone can watch the video without ever having to leave the app. It's functionally equivalent to uploading a video file directly to Discord, but thanks to video embedding, you don't actually have to download the video in order to send it. While Discord embeds images, it doesn't embed videos like some other chat apps; it only generates thumbnails instead.
Much like Markdown for lists and headers, embedding videos improves your friends' quality of life. It's much easier for them to watch the viral video you sent them to discuss. Not to mention, your friends are more likely to watch the video if it's embedded in the first place, as they can play, pause, or replay it with a single click. It even works on the mobile app.
How to Embed Videos on Discord
To embed a video on Discord, simply add a prefix to the link (more specifically, the domain) you're sending. Find a video you want to share, add the appropriate prefix, and hit send. For instance, instead of sending
https://www.tiktok.com/@meow6cat/video/7374281606946671904?q=cat&t=1727969415271You would send
https://www.vxtiktok.com/@meow6cat/video/7374281606946671904?q=cat&t=1727969415271And the video will be automatically embedded. You can even go back to a video you sent previously and edit your message to add the prefix, and the video embed will work automatically. This fix works with the help of fellow users who created these solutions, as the video is served through their third-party intermediary platform.
Here are some of the prefixes that you can use to embed videos:
If you share videos all the time and would like a way to embed videos automatically, you can do it through Discord bots. For instance, QuickVids allows you to automatically embed TikTok videos.
If video embedding doesn't work, ensure that you have enabled "Show embeds and preview website links pasted into chat" in the app settings. You can find the option by clicking on the cogwheel icon next to your username and typing "embed" in the search bar.
There you have it—an easy way to embed videos on Discord that only takes a couple of extra seconds and no additional tools. I'm still hopeful that Discord will eventually add an automatic video embedding feature, but in the meantime, this simple trick will do.