TL;DR
- Set the video to Unlisted on YouTube, not Private. Unlisted keeps it out of YouTube search but still lets it play on your website.
- Private videos won’t play on your website. Visitors see a black screen or a prompt to sign in.
- Unlisted is hidden, not locked. Anyone with the link can watch it and share it.
- To keep casual visitors off the page, you can also password-protect the page that holds the video.
How Do I Keep a Video on My Website Private?
Use YouTube’s Unlisted setting. As Beth explains it, “It means that anyone with the link or the embed code can see it. It’s just not listed.” The video stays out of YouTube search and off your channel page, but it still plays on your website. Or use a premium service like Vimeo.
- Sign in to YouTube Studio with the account that owns the video.
- Click Content in the left menu.
- Find the video and click the arrow under Visibility.
- Choose Unlisted, then click Save.
- Embed the video on your page the usual way. See How Do I Add a Video to My Website?
See YouTube’s guide to video privacy settings.
Why Does My Video Ask Visitors to Sign In?
The video is probably set to Private. A private video can only be seen by you and the people you invite by email. Everyone else gets blocked. When one client’s visitors were told to sign in, Beth found the cause: “Your video appears to have been made ‘private’.”
Embedded private videos don’t play on a website. In Beth’s words, “They become black screens.” Switch the video to Unlisted to fix it.
How Do I Password-Protect the Page With the Video?
Unlisted hides the video from search. A password keeps casual visitors off the page itself:
- Edit the page in your WordPress dashboard.
- Open the page settings in the sidebar and find Status or Visibility.
- Choose Password protected and type a password.
- Save, then share the password only with the people who should watch.
WordPress explains the password protected setting: “Only those with the password can see the post.” The password protects the page, not the video. Anyone who gets the video’s YouTube link can still watch it.
Can I Stop People From Sharing My Video?
Not completely. Anyone who can watch a video can pass the link along. As Beth told one client, “There’s never any guarantee that it’s 100% secure.”
For paid or members-only videos, use a paid video platform built to control who watches.
Rather Have Us Set It Up?
Send us the video, or its link, and tell us who should be able to watch. We’ll set it to Unlisted, build the page, and embed it on your Webmaster Retainer.
What Webmaster For Hire Recommends
- Use Unlisted for videos meant for one group, like clients or staff.
- Use Public for videos you want people to find. Hidden videos don’t show up in search.
- Never use YouTube’s Private setting for a video on your website. It won’t play.
:: Common Questions ::
Will an Unlisted Video Show Up in Search Results?
Not in YouTube’s search or recommendations. If you want a video found in search, it has to be public. When one client wanted both, Beth explained, “It has to be public, not unlisted or private.”
Can I Sell Access to a Video on My Website?
Yes, through a paid video platform built for selling. See How Do I Add a Video to My Website?
Need a Video Page Set Up?
See our Webmaster Retainer, or request a consultation.
