---
title: Using the External link as Video Source
description: "This guide explains how to use the **External link** option as the video source in a Video Lesson Activity. The External link source is used when videos are hosted outside the Video Library and are accessed using a video URL…"
url: "https://www.mooplugins.com/docs/video-lesson-activity/using-video-lesson/using-the-external-link-as-video-source/"
updated: "2026-01-29"
category: Video Lesson Activity / Using Video Lesson
---

# Using the External link as Video Source

This guide explains how to use the **External link** option as the video source in a Video Lesson Activity.

The External link source is used when videos are hosted outside the Video Library and are accessed using a video URL or embed code.

### When to use the External link source

Use **External link** when:

- The video is hosted on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo
- You have a direct MP4 video URL hosted externally
- Video hosting infrastructure is not configured

Videos added using this source are not stored in the Video Library.

### Supported video types for External link

The External link source supports:

- YouTube video URLs
- Vimeo video URLs
- Direct MP4 video URLs

The video must be publicly accessible or accessible to students.

### Using External link in a Video Lesson Activity

#### Step 1: Open the Video Lesson Activity

Create a new Video Lesson Activity or edit an existing one.

Scroll to the video configuration section.

#### Step 2: Select External link as the source

In the **Source** dropdown, select **External link**.

Paste either:

- The video URL, or
- The embed code provided by the external platform

#### Step 3: Verify the video preview

Confirm that the video loads correctly in the preview.

If the video does not load, verify that:

- The URL or embed code is valid
- The video is accessible

### Important notes about External link videos

- Videos added using External link do not appear in the Video Library
- Videos cannot be reused through the library
- Streaming and performance depend on the external provider
- Some playback and tracking behavior may vary by platform

For centralized management and reuse, use **Upload video** or [**Video library**](/docs/uploading-videos-to-the-video-library/) instead.

### What to do next

After adding a video using External link, you may want to:

- Configure video completion rules
- Restrict access to other activities based on video completion