Embed YouTube Block – Fast Loading Videos, Shorts & Playlists vs Meow Gallery

The default embed block for YouTube videos sucks. It slows down your site. The more videos on the page the more it slow. This single-block plugin fixes that. Why this block is better than the default one: Instead of loading the entire iframe, only the video thumbnail is loaded, resulting in significant performance improvements Ability to play multiple different videos as a custom playlist or input a playlist ID to play the whole playlist Ability to use a custom image as the video thumbnail Ability to set a custom aspect ratio value for displaying any kind of YouTube videos Ability to loop continuously once it finishes playing Ability to show related videos from the same channel as the initial video Automatically load the video title as the caption The same UI as the default core/embed, and you can use the video title as the caption of the block with one click It can be transformed from/to the core embed block. Automatically convert all default core embed YouTube blocks to this block with one line of code. This plugin also provides a PHP API for developers to render a YouTube video URL as this block; or to automatically transform core/embed YouTube videos into this block. The simplest example is: better_youtube_embed_block_render_block( ['url' => 'https://youtu.be/paSXmpHU9K4'] ); The example with all the parameters is: better_youtube_embed_block_render_block( [ 'url' => 'https://youtu.be/paSXmpHU9K4', 'aspectRatio' => '16/9', 'isMaxResThumbnail' => false, 'thumbnailFormat' => 'jpg', 'caption' => 'My awesome video', 'caption_kses' => false, 'customThumbnail' => 'https://example.com/bg.jpg', 'settings' => ['loop' => 1, 'rel' => 0], 'echo' => false, ] ); To automatically transform all core/embed YouTube videos on your site to this block, you need to put the following code to the wp-config.php file or your theme/plugin: define('BYEB_SPEED_UP_YOUTUBE_VIDEOS', true); or add_filter( 'byeb_speed_up_youtube_videos', '__return_true' ); On iOS, browsers like Safari and Chrome require two clicks to play videos. If you want to allow users to play videos with a single click, you need to add the following code to the wp-config.php file or your theme/plugin: define('BYEB_FORCE_IFRAME_ON_UNSUPPORTED_BROWSERS', true); Please check out this page to see how fast it helps. The page contains around 30 embedded YouTube videos but they don’t slow down the page. If this plugin is useful for you, please do a quick review and rate it on WordPress.org to help us spread the word. I would very much appreciate it. Please check out my other plugins if you’re interested: Content Blocks Builder – Build custom layouts and blocks visually in the Block Editor without needing a code editor, using only core blocks and native Gutenberg features. Meta Field Block – A single block to display custom fields in the Block Editor without coding. It supports ACF, MetaBox, WooCommerce, meta, rest field, shortcode and more. Works everywhere: in the Site Editor (FSE), the Block Editor, inside Query Loop, WooCommerce Product Collection, Term Query blocks, and even in template files. SVG Block – A block to display SVG images as blocks. Useful for images, icons, dividers, and buttons. It allows you to upload SVG images and load them into the icon library. Icon separator – A tiny block just like the core/separator block but with the ability to add an icon. Breadcrumb Block – A simple breadcrumb trail block that supports JSON-LD structured data and is compatible with WooCommerce. Block Enhancements – Adds practical features to blocks like icons, box shadows, transforms, etc. Counting Number Block – A block to display numbers with a counting effect The plugin is developed using @wordpress/create-block.

Meow Gallery is the lightweight, polished gallery solution for WordPress. Built from scratch for simplicity, appearance, and speed. Features a Gallery Block, shortcode support, or works as an override for the standard WordPress gallery. It’s responsive, retina-friendly, with modern layouts, and tightly optimized. Stop fighting bloated gallery plugins that turn your WordPress into a slower experience! 😘 Meow Gallery focuses on what actually matters: Beautiful Layouts and Performance. Check out our official site and see the layouts in action to get started. Core Features 🎨 Beautiful Layouts Choose from Tiles, Masonry, Justified (like Flickr), Square (like Instagram), Cascade, and Horizontal. Pro version adds Carousel and Map layouts. 🚀 Performance First Built from scratch with modern code. No legacy bloat, no unnecessary features. Just clean, fast galleries. 🔌 WordPress Native Works naturally with WordPress and Gutenberg without hacking it. Use the Gallery Block, shortcode, or override the standard WordPress gallery. Switch back anytime—no lock-in. 📱 Responsive & Retina All layouts are fully responsive and retina-ready for crisp images on any device. Compatibility Since Meow Gallery works with WordPress naturally, it’s compatible with most plugins and themes: Lightbox: Use any lightbox you prefer. We recommend Meow Lightbox for the best experience. Lightroom: Fully compatible with Photo Engine for media organization and Lightroom sync. External Links: Use Gallery Custom Links to add custom URLs to your images. Audio: Add audio to images with Audio Story Images. SEO-friendly with automatic sitemap integration (works with Yoast SEO and others). Pro Features Infinite/Lazy Loading: Faster page loading and smoother experience Carousel Layout: Dynamic slider/carousel that can also work as a hero Map Layout: GPS-based photo display for travel galleries Animations: Bring your galleries to life with smooth animations You can find more information on Meow Apps: Meow Gallery.