Integrating events with YouTube

Use the YouTube integration to host pre-recorded and live video classes on Bookwhen

Jen avatar
Written by Jen
Updated over a week ago

✨ Please note: The YouTube integration is available on the Standard plan or above.

You can use the Bookwhen-YouTube integration to host your pre-recorded and live YouTube videos so that your customers can only access them after booking.Β 

This article covers:


Setting up the YouTube integration

To enable YouTube, select Settings from the left-hand menu, then Integrations. From here, select View integration next to YouTube:

Then Enable integration:

Select Done when you have completed the integration:


Disabling the integration

To disable the integration, select View integration next to YouTube on your Integrations page:

Scroll down and select Disable integration in the bottom right-hand corner:


Setting up your video

For both pre-recorded and live videos, we suggest using the 'unlisted' option so the general public can't find the video via YouTube.

For example:

✨ We also recommend setting a scheduled time for the video so you have a link that you can share in advance.


Embedding a YouTube video

To embed a YouTube video, either select the entry from your scheduling page, then Edit entry:

Or select Add a new entry if you are creating a new entry.

From here, select the Location tab, Online event and Add a new location. You can name this YouTube under Location name:

  • Please ensure you select Manually added joining details from the Online provider drop-down menu.

πŸ’‘ To note: The system will apply this location name to all dates/times listed within this entry.


You will then need to locate your unique video code. For pre-recorded videos, you can find this either in your video URL, for example:

Or in your Share options on YouTube:

For YouTube live, it's in the share link:

πŸ’‘ To note: You will only need the code, not the whole URL or embed string. An example is cZVIJbg9GLo, and the format will be similar to your video.


Adding the video to your entry

To add your video to an event page, you first need to select it from your Schedule, then the drop-down menu next to Edit entry. From here, select Assign videos to this event:
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Then, paste the video ID into the Code section. You will also have the option to name the video under Heading (leave blank if you'd prefer) and choose the type of integration (e.g. YouTube):

Select the + Add a video button to add multiple videos per date.

You can decide how long a customer can access the video(s), whether that's indefinitely or only during the event duration. To set this restriction, select During the event (for access during the event(s) only) or During and after the event (for access during the event(s) and indefinitely after).

If you do not allow ongoing access, all videos will have a 15-minute buffer after the end of your event, during which the video(s) will still be accessible.

πŸ’‘ We recommend setting live events as During the event.


You can rearrange the order of your videos by selecting the 3 horizontal lines to the left of the Heading box via a drag-and-drop system:

πŸ’‘ To note: If you change the Heading title of a video, use the same reference, and use Vimeo in another event/entry, the title changes across the account.

For example, if a Vimeo video with ref 01234 has the title "Virtual yoga" on one event, and then you add the same video onto another event but with a different title, such as "Yoga at home", then the first event's video title will also change to "Yoga at home".

✨ You'll need to repeat this step for each date in your entry (if you have more than one).


Viewing the embedded video

To view the embedded video, go back to the schedule and select the Online event button for that date:

The Online Event button will take you to the same page your customers access after they complete their booking:
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Embedding videos into your course dates

Once you have embedded a video into the first date of the course, you can set up other videos to appear on the other course dates. This means videos will only become available when that course date opens up, allowing you to stagger them accordingly.

To add a new video to your second-course date, head to your schedule and select Attendees next to the course date and time as shown.

This will open up the attendance sheet for that specific date. Select the Options drop-down menu, then Add online joining details / event-specific information.

You can then embed the video as you did for the first course date.

✨ You can also follow the steps outlined here by using the Expand course filter option.


How customers access the video

Once your customers have made a booking, they will receive a booking confirmation email. Within the email, there will be a button that they can select to view the event page with the embedded video:

Before the event, the page won't allow access to the video:
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Once the event has started, the video will be visible to customers on the page:


πŸ’¬ Any questions or feedback? There are two ways to get in touch:

Thank you! πŸ•Ί


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