Beginner’s Guide: How to Center Align a Video in WordPress

Back when we were just getting started with WordPress, something as simple as centering a video could be surprisingly frustrating.

After helping many beginners through WPBeginner, we realized we weren’t alone – it’s one of the most common formatting questions we get asked.

The good news is that centering videos in WordPress has become much easier, especially with the block editor. But we still see many people struggling with this, particularly when they are working with embedded videos from YouTube or Vimeo.

In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll show you the easiest ways to center align your videos in WordPress.

Why Center Align Videos in WordPress?

By default, WordPress aligns embedded or uploaded videos to the left. This is a safe choice since the editor can’t guess your preferred layout for every page.

However, leaving a video left-aligned often creates awkward white space and can make a design feel unbalanced. A centered video, on the other hand, creates a clear focal point for your visitor’s attention.

Centering your video helps guide the user’s eye and provides a much better viewing experience.

That being said, let’s see how you can easily center-align a video in a WordPress website.

We will cover both the block editor and classic editor, so you can click the links below to jump ahead to any section:

• How to Center Align Video in WordPress Content Editor
• How to Center Align Video in the Classic Editor
• Frequently Asked Questions About Centering Videos

How to Center Align Video in WordPress Content Editor

If you want your video to fill the width of your content area, then the best way to do this is by adding a YouTube or Vimeo video URL directly in the WordPress content editor.

First, you’ll need to edit a post or a page or add a new one. Once you are in the content editor, simply paste the link to the video. WordPress will embed the video automatically.

Next, select the Video block and then click the ‘Change Alignment’ option. From the dropdown menu, you can choose the position of the video.

WordPress lets you choose from the following alignments:

• Wide width
• Full width
• Align left
• Align center
• Align right

Go ahead and select the ‘Align center’ option.

After that, you can preview and publish your page or post.

The video will now be center-aligned.

However, you might need to use the full embed code if you want to add special playback options (like starting the video at a specific time) or if you’re using a video platform that WordPress doesn’t automatically embed.

In that case, you will need to add some simple HTML around your video’s embed code.

First, you need to click the 3 dotted icons in the video block. After that, you can select the ‘Edit as HTML’ option from the dropdown menu.

Next, you can enter the following piece of HTML code around the embed code of the video:

<div style="text-align:center;">

/// your video embed code goes here

</div>

Here’s what your embed code will look like with the custom HTML.

You can now save your changes and preview the post or page to see your video perfectly centered.

Another approach is to manually increase the width of your video to fit the content area. To achieve this, you need to add or change the ‘width’ parameter in your embed code:

<iframe width="760" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4YpyiJ05YOg" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

How to Center Align Video in the Classic Editor

If you’re using the Classic editor, then you can center-align videos by editing a post or creating a new one.

Once you’re in the editor, switch to the Text view. Now, enter the following HTML code:

<div style="text-align:center;">

/// your video embed code goes here

</div>

Just make sure to replace ‘your video embed code goes here’ with your video’s embed code.

Once that’s done, it will look something like this:

You can now preview and publish your page.

Simply visit your website to see the center-aligned video.

Frequently Asked Questions About Centering Videos

Here are some questions that our readers frequently ask about centering videos in WordPress:

Why don’t I see the ‘Wide width’ and ‘Full width’ alignment options?

The ‘Wide width’ and ‘Full width’ options are features that must be supported by your WordPress theme. If you do not see them in the alignment toolbar, it means your current theme has not enabled them. You will still be able to use the standard ‘Align center’ option.

Will centering my video affect how it looks on mobile devices?

No, centering a video using the standard WordPress block editor tools is fully responsive. WordPress automatically handles the scaling to ensure your video looks great on smaller screens like tablets and smartphones.

Can I center a video I uploaded directly to WordPress?

Yes. The process is exactly the same for both embedded videos and videos you upload directly to your media library. Simply select the Video block and use the alignment toolbar to center it.

We hope this article helped you learn how to center-align a video in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to add special characters in WordPress posts and essential tips for using shortcodes in WordPress.

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