How to Add Video to Your Shared Vacation Property Articles
A 90-second walkthrough is worth a thousand words when you're trying to explain how the hot tub works, where the breaker box is, or how to operate the gas fireplace at your shared vacation home. OurSharedPlace articles support embedded YouTube videos, so any co-owner or guest reading the article can play it inline.
We don't host video directly — we let YouTube do what YouTube is great at. The trick is to upload your video as Unlisted (not Public) so it stays private to people with the link, then paste that link into the article.
Step-by-step
- 1
Record the video on your phone
Hold the phone in landscape, keep it short (under two minutes is ideal), and narrate as you go. The audience already knows the property — you don't need a long intro.
- 2
Upload the video to YouTube
From the YouTube app or youtube.com, tap the Create button and choose Upload. Sign in with the account you want to host these videos under (a personal account is fine; many groups create a dedicated YouTube account just for the property).
- 3
Set the video to Unlisted (important)
On the Visibility step, choose Unlisted. This is the key setting:
- Private — only you can see it. Co-owners can't.
- Unlisted — anyone with the link can see it. It does not appear in YouTube search or on your channel page. This is what you want.
- Public — anyone in the world can find it via search. Don't pick this unless you intend the video to be public.
- 4
Copy the video URL
Once the video finishes processing, click Share and copy the URL. It will look like https://youtu.be/XXXXXXXX or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXXXXX. Either format works.
- 5
Create or open an article in OurSharedPlace
From your property dashboard, open the Articles tab and either create a new article ('How the Hot Tub Works') or open an existing one for editing.
- 6
Paste the YouTube URL into the article
In the editor, paste the YouTube URL on its own line. OurSharedPlace recognizes it and embeds the video player automatically — no special syntax, no copy-pasting embed code. Save the article.
- 7
Set article visibility
If guests need to see the video (e.g. how to use the coffee maker), set the article visibility to Guests so it appears on the guest portal too. For owner-only walkthroughs (e.g. how to access the crawl space), keep it on Members or Administrators.
Tips
- Use Unlisted, not Private — Private blocks everyone but you. Unlisted means only people with the link can watch, which is exactly what we want.
- Pin the most-asked walkthroughs (hot tub, thermostat, fireplace) so they sit at the top of the Articles list.
- Link to a specific article from a checklist item — e.g. the 'drain the pipes' step in the Winterize checklist can link straight to the video walkthrough.
- If you switch YouTube accounts later, the old links keep working — but if you delete the video, the article will show a broken player.
Frequently asked
Why can't OurSharedPlace just host the video itself?
Video hosting is expensive and getting playback right across phones, tablets, and TVs is YouTube's full-time job. Using YouTube Unlisted gives you fast, reliable playback everywhere for free, and keeps your property videos out of public search.
Can I use Vimeo or another service?
Right now the article editor recognizes YouTube URLs specifically. Vimeo support may come later — for now, paste a YouTube link.
Will guests need a YouTube account to watch?
No. Unlisted videos play for anyone with the link, no sign-in required.