YouTube Update in Canvas: Ads May Appear
Amy Linville | Division for Teaching Innovation and Program Strategy Sep 2, 2025
Beginning September 22, 2025, YouTube videos embedded in Canvas courses may show ads due to changes in how Instructure integrates with YouTube. Ads cannot be disabled by instructors and may appear before, during, or after videos. To avoid ads, we recommend using Panopto to embed YouTube videos. For instructions, watch our quick video Embedding YouTube Videos in Panopto.
How to Embed a YouTube Video in a Panopto Video
1. Prepare an Intro:
· Click the Plus Create button.
· Select Panopto Capture.
· Record a brief intro to provide context for the YouTube video.
2. Open the Panopto Session:
· Locate the session where you want to embed the YouTube video.
· Hover over the session and click Edit.
3. Access the Contents Tab:
· In the editor, click the Contents tab.
· Navigate to the timestamp where you want the YouTube video to appear.
4. Embed the YouTube Video:
· Click the YouTube video button in the upper right-hand corner.
· Paste the YouTube URL into the Link field.
· (Optional) Set a Start and End time if you only want to play a portion of the video.
· Click Done.
5. Finalize the Changes:
· Ensure the intro plays first, followed by the embedded YouTube video at the selected point.
· Click the Apply button in the upper right-hand corner to save your changes.
6. You're Done! The YouTube video is now embedded in your Panopto session.
If you do use YouTube videos in your course, we recommend you add a note in your syllabus or announcement in your course regarding this change. We've provided a sample statement below.
Sample Syllabus Statement:
Important Note Regarding Videos in this Course
Beginning September 22, 2025, you may encounter advertisements when viewing YouTube videos embedded in this Canvas course. This is due to a new integration model between Canvas and YouTube that allows for ads to be displayed.
Please be aware that these ads are not under the control of the instructor and may appear before, during, or after the video content. I understand this may be an inconvenience, and I appreciate your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact me directly.
General FAQs
(Adapted from Instructure Canvas Resource Documents)
When will I see ads in my YouTube videos?
Any existing or new YouTube videos added to Canvas may display ads, starting September 22, 2025.
Why is this change happening now?
Over the recent years, video content has become a staple in learning environments and monetization of that content has become increasingly important to those creators, many of which are educators themselves. As a result, Google/YouTube has evolved its model and approach to this. Again, this is to ensure creators can monetize their education content.
If you would like additional support, please schedule a 1-on-1 consultation with our TIPS team.