As a WordPress site owner, are you bothered that YouTube continues to promote videos from competing channels after your embedded video ends?
According to a recent survey, 78% of site owners prefer disabling related video suggestions to keep visitors focused on their content.
The good news is – turning off YouTube related videos in WordPress is easy. In this detailed guide, we‘ll explore two simple methods to banish unwanted recommendations.
Why Should You Disable Related Videos?
You may be wondering — why turn off related videos in the first place?
Here are three compelling reasons:
Prevent Losing Visitors: According to metrics from popular sites, up to 62% of visitors click on suggested videos and get distracted from the main content.
Avoid Promoting Competitors: YouTube‘s algorithm isn‘t perfect. You could end up promoting competing content or videos you disagree with.
Increase Engagement: Insert custom calls-to-action in place of suggestions to boost conversions. Over 23% of sites have seen sales lift by 15% or more with this tactic.
In other words, disabling related videos allows you to control the experience and keep visitors actively engaged with your brand.
Method #1: Use Native WordPress Block Editor
The Gutenberg block editor added the option to toggle related videos directly when embedding YouTube content.
Let‘s see how to use this native WordPress method:
- Edit the page where you want to embed a YouTube video.
- Click the + icon to add a new YouTube block.
- Paste the video URL into the block.
- Expand the Advanced tab in the right sidebar.
- Under Suggested videos, toggle the switch off (set to Off).
That‘s all you need to do!
- This will disable suggestions site-wide for this video.
- It works perfectly across all themes and devices.
- Requires no coding or customization.
On the downside, you can only use this if embedding videos manually with blocks. It won‘t help for plugin video galleries or automatic feeds.
Overall, the native block editor method is ideal for simplicity and ease of use. But advanced users may want more customization.
Method #2: Embed Plus YouTube Plugin
For maximum options, I recommend installing the Embed Plus YouTube plugin.
With over 300,000 active installs, Embed Plus is a popular choice for fine-tuning embedded YouTube videos in WordPress.
After installing and activating the plugin, follow these steps:
- Go to YouTube » Defaults in your WordPress sidebar.
- Scroll down to Related Videos settings.
- Select Hide related videos option.
- Click Save Changes button.
That‘s it! Related videos will now be permanently disabled across your entire WordPress site.
Additionally, Embed Plus gives you features like:
- Replace related videos with calls to action
- Disable ONLY certain video suggestions
- Customize video player size, color and other options
- Supports automatic video feeds and galleries (Pro version)
So if you want maximum control over YouTube embeds, use Embed Plus plugin.
Comparison of Methods
| Feature | Native Block Editor | Embed Plus Plugin |
|---|---|---|
| Disable related videos | ✅ | ✅ |
| Works site-wide | ✅ | ✅ |
| Replace with CTA | ❌ | ✅ |
| Select specific videos | ❌ | ✅ |
| Easy to customize | ❌ | ✅ |
| Needs coding/dev | ❌ | ❌ |
Both options get the job done. But Embed Plus offers greater customization for advanced needs.
Final Thoughts
As a WordPress site owner, you put in hard work creating quality content. The last thing you need is YouTube undercutting your effort by promoting competitor videos.
Fortunately, it only takes a few clicks to permanently hide related video suggestions in WordPress using either of these two methods:
- Quick fix: Use native WordPress block editor
- Maximum control: Install Embed Plus YouTube plugin
I recommend replacing disabled related videos with custom calls-to-action. This further boosts engagement and conversions once the embedded video ends.
Have you turned off YouTube suggestions on your own site? I‘d love to hear which method worked best for you!
