“Automatic YouTube Gallery” is a free, lightweight, modern, and responsive WordPress plugin that allows you to add dynamic YouTube galleries to your website easily.
- Installing Automatic YouTube Gallery
- Configuring the YouTube API Key
- Creating and Displaying Video Galleries
- Using Premium Gallery Layouts like Popup, Slider, and More
- Creating a Cartoon Video Gallery —
Learn by Example
1. Installing Automatic YouTube Gallery
To get started, install the “Automatic YouTube Gallery” plugin. If it’s already installed, you can skip to the next step.
- Navigate to “WordPress Admin Dashboard / Plugins / Add New Plugin“.
- In the search box, type “Automatic YouTube Gallery“.
- Locate the “Automatic YouTube Gallery” plugin and click Install Now, then Activate the plugin.
- After activation, you’ll be prompted to opt-in for update notifications. You may choose to opt-in or skip this step; it won’t affect the plugin’s functionality.
2. Configuring the YouTube API Key
The plugin uses the YouTube Data API to dynamically fetch videos from YouTube. An API key is required to use this API, but don’t worry—the API is free! Follow the steps below to create and configure your YouTube API key for the plugin.
- Navigate to “WordPress Admin Dashboard / YouTube Gallery / Settings“.
- Select the General Tab.
- Find the YouTube API Key field and enter your API Key.
- Follow this link to learn how to obtain your API key.
- Click Save Changes.
That’s it! Your plugin is now set up and ready to build dynamic YouTube video galleries. 😊
3. Creating and Displaying Video Galleries
You can add a gallery in three different ways. Choose the method that best suits your website or page:
- Shortcode Builder: Generate a shortcode and paste it into any post or page.
- Gutenberg Block: Use the built-in “Automatic YouTube Gallery” block in the Gutenberg editor.
- Widget: Add the gallery to any widget-ready area, like sidebars or footers.
Add the Gallery Using the Shortcode Builder
Use the Shortcode Builder if you use third-party page builders like Elementor, Divi, or the old Classic WP Editor to create your WordPress posts/pages.
Steps to Generate a Shortcode:
- Navigate to “WordPress Admin Dashboard / YouTube Gallery / Dashboard“.
- In the General section:
- Choose your Source Type and enter your YouTube source URL in the respective input field.
- Options include:
- Playlist
- Channel
- Username
- Search Keywords
- Single Video
- Livestream
- Custom Videos List
- Configure the Cache Duration option.
- Note: The YouTube Data API that is used to get videos from a YouTube source has daily quota limits. Set the cache duration based on how often you add new videos to your YouTube account. Caching helps reduce API calls and improves gallery performance.
- After setting up the General section, click on the + Gallery section.
- Choose your gallery layout from the Select Theme (Layout) dropdown.
- Note: The Select Theme (Layout) dropdown controls the gallery’s design and appearance. The FREE version includes only the “Classic” template. The PREMIUM version includes additional options like “Popup,” “Slider,” and more.
- Each theme has its own set of configuration fields. When you change the theme, the fields inside the + Gallery section will update accordingly. Make sure to review and configure these fields based on your chosen theme/layout.
- Enable the Deeplinking option if you want the plugin to generate a unique URL for each video in the gallery. This feature improves SEO and allows sharing of individual videos via social media, email, or other channels.
- Choose your gallery layout from the Select Theme (Layout) dropdown.
- After configuring up the Gallery section, click on the + Player section.
- Adjust player settings like enabling/disabling player controls, autoplay, loop, mute, etc.
- Click the Generate Shortcode button and copy the generated shortcode.
- Paste the shortcode into a Shortcode block on the desired post or page and save your changes.
Note: Each generated shortcode is unique, allowing you to create different galleries with various configurations.
Add the Gallery Using a Gutenberg Block
If you’re using the WordPress block editor, you can easily add your gallery by inserting the “Automatic YouTube Gallery” block into a page or post. Refer to the screenshot below:
Notes:
- The “Automatic YouTube Gallery” block editor works similarly to the shortcode builder. The primary difference is that with the shortcode builder, you generate a shortcode and manually add it to your page or post.
- The block editor, on the other hand, directly adds the gallery in a visual way, allowing you to see the layout and configuration in real time.
Add the Gallery Using a Widget
Widgets are a core WordPress feature that allow you to add custom content to your website’s sidebar or other widget-ready areas of your theme.
You can easily add galleries to your website’s widget areas using the “Automatic YouTube Gallery” widget. Refer to the screenshot below:
Notes:
- Widget positions are typically defined by your theme. You can use our plugin widget only if your theme supports widget areas.
- The “Automatic YouTube Gallery” widget functions similarly to the shortcode builder. The main difference is that with the shortcode builder, you generate a shortcode and insert it into a page or post. With the widget, you directly place the gallery into a widget area.
4. Using Premium Gallery Layouts like Popup, Slider, and More
In Automatic YouTube Gallery, the terms “Theme,” “Layout,” and “Template” all refer to the same feature.
The “Select Theme (Layout)” dropdown allows you to configure your gallery layouts. In the PREMIUM version, this dropdown includes additional options such as:
- Classic
- Popup
- Inline
- Slider
- Slider + Inline
- Slider + Popup
- Playlist
Each option in this dropdown comes with its own set of configuration fields. When you select a theme/layout, the “Gallery” section in the builder will update with new fields specific to the chosen option. Use these fields to customize the appearance and functionality of your selected layout to fit your needs.
Learn by Example: Creating a Cartoon Video Gallery
A hands-on approach often makes learning easier. Follow the steps below to dynamically build a gallery that displays CARTOON videos from YouTube.
Before you begin, make sure you have already configured your YouTube API Key.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Navigate to the Plugin Dashboard
- Go to “WordPress Admin Dashboard / YouTube Gallery / Dashboard“.
- Access the General Tab
- Click on the General tab within the builder.
- Choose the Source Type
- From the Source Type dropdown, select Search Terms.
- Enter Search Keywords
- In the Search Keywords field, type “Cartoon“.
- Set Cache Duration
- To minimize API calls, select 1 Day under the Cache Duration option.
- This will cache the API response for 24 hours. When you next load the gallery, it will retrieve data from the cache. After 24 hours, the cache will be cleared, and the plugin will fetch the latest videos from YouTube.
- Optional Settings
- You will notice two additional tabs: Gallery and Player. These are optional. If you leave them untouched, the plugin will use the global settings you’ve configured. Modify only the fields you need.
- Generate the Shortcode
- Click Generate Shortcode. A popup will appear with the shortcode for your gallery.
- Add the Shortcode to Your Page/Post
- Copy the shortcode and paste it into your desired POST or PAGE. Check the front-end to view your newly created gallery.
Congratulations!
You’ve successfully built your first dynamic video gallery.
Important Notes
- YouTube Search API Limit: When using Search Terms as the source type, the gallery can display a maximum of 500 videos due to YouTube API limitations. Other source types do not have this restriction.
- Slider and Playlist Themes: Currently, the Slider and Playlist galleries are limited to 50 videos due to YouTube API restrictions. However, future updates will allow more videos for these layouts. For all other themes, the plugin supports unlimited videos with pagination.