WordPress.com and Jetpack enable embedding of external services through oEmbed, or in the past, through specific supported WordPress shortcodes.

oEmbed is now the preferred method for adding new services because it is easier to maintain and use.  Internally, all of our oEmbed services work the same way, and in order to use them, our users just have to paste a URL into the editor.

oEmbed has a lot of other advantages for us and our users:

  • Since oEmbeds use sandboxed iframes, they allow us to maintain the security of cookies and other features of the WordPress.com domain.
  • The code is generally far shorter than the equivalent HTML code.
  • We can update the translated HTML while leaving the oEmbed syntax the same (it’s just a URL).
  • We can display the most appropriate content to mobile clients, web feeds and other forms of consumption.
  • We track how much different external services are used, for example we know there have been millions of posts with embedded YouTube videos.
  • It enables a closer relationship with partners.
  • We can promote the embeds we support in the posting interface.

We receive many requests to add support for new services and embed codes. We have already integrated the embedding features our publishers most often demand, but we are always open to new and interesting content and services not already on our radar.

Third-party embed providers must have significant market interest before being considered for inclusion on WordPress.com.

If you’d like to apply to become an embed provider, please get in touch with us and provide answers to the following questions:

  • How many active monthly users does your service have?
  • Do you have a WordPress.org plugin?
  • How many self-hosted WordPress sites currently embed your service?
  • Does your service already support oEmbed?  (If not, please consider supporting oEmbed as this will greatly expedite our ability to support your service.)
  • What are the URL scheme and oEmbed API endpoint for your service?
  • What is an example valid URL that we can use to test embedding your service?