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 videos to the left side of the content area. This can make the page look unbalanced, especially when the video is the main focus.

Center-aligning the video fixes this and makes the layout look cleaner and more intentional:

• Better Visual Balance: Keeps the layout even and avoids awkward empty space on one side.
• Stronger Focus: Naturally draws attention to the video as the main element on the page.
• Improved User Experience: Makes the content flow feel smoother and easier to follow.

This is a simple change, but it can noticeably improve how your page looks and feels.

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

To center-align a video embedded from YouTube or Vimeo, the easiest method is to simply paste its URL directly into the WordPress content editor.

WordPress will automatically convert it into a dedicated video block.

Alternatively, you can add a video block or upload a video directly to your WordPress media library.

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, each serving a different purpose for your video’s display:

• Wide Width: Extends the video beyond the main content column, but not to the full edge of the screen. This option requires support from your WordPress theme.
• Full Width: Stretches the video across the entire width of the browser window. Like ‘Wide width,’ this also depends on your theme’s support.
• Align Left: Positions the video to the left side of the content area. This is the default alignment for many blocks.
• Align Center: Places the video precisely in the middle of the content area, creating a clear focal point. This is the option we’re focusing on in this guide!
• Align Right: Positions the video to the right side of the content area.

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.

If you already have a video block (like YouTube or Vimeo) and need to add custom code, click the three-dotted icon on the block toolbar and select ‘Edit as HTML ’.

If you’re embedding from a platform WordPress doesn’t support automatically, you’ll first add a Custom HTML block and then paste your embed code into it.

Next, you can enter the following piece of HTML code around the embed code of the video. Make sure to use proper HTML comments and remove any promotional text within the code example itself:

<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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