Why does the video I want to embed in Webflow have large black borders above and below it, despite being the desired size on YouTube?
TL;DR
- Verify if black bars are part of the original video or caused by an aspect ratio mismatch in the embed.
- Adjust the embed container’s aspect ratio via CSS (e.g., padding-top trick) to match the video’s actual ratio or re-upload the video in true 16:9 format.
You're seeing black borders above and below the embedded video in Webflow because of an aspect ratio mismatch between the video content and the container or embed size. This usually happens when the original video has black bars baked in or when the iframe aspect ratio doesn't match the visible video content.
1. Check the Source Video's Actual Aspect Ratio
- Go to the YouTube video and inspect if the black bars are part of the actual video file (baked in by the uploader).
- If the video has black bars on YouTube at all sizes, it's likely not truly widescreen (e.g., letterboxed inside a 16:9 container).
2. Match the Container's Aspect Ratio to the Video
- Webflow’s responsive embed block assumes a 16:9 aspect ratio, but if your video uses a different aspect ratio (like 4:3 or custom cinematic formats), this introduces visual borders.
- For better results, you can:
- Use a Div Block with a padding-top % trick to enforce custom aspect ratios via CSS.
- Example: For 21:9 ratio, use
padding-top: ~42.85%(9/21 × 100). - Wrap your embed code inside that custom ratio Div.
3. Optimize the Embed Settings
- When embedding via YouTube’s iframe:
- Append the parameter
?rel=0&modestbranding=1to avoid YouTube branding and related videos, but note: This does not affect letterboxing. - Ensure the iframe container is responsive, and height adjusts automatically based on width and aspect ratio.
4. Use a Clean Video Source (if possible)
- If you control the video upload, re-export or re-edit the video with true 16:9 content (without letterboxing).
- This ensures the video fills the iframe completely without showing black bars.
Summary
The black bars appear because the video itself is not true 16:9, or the aspect ratio of the embed container doesn't match the visual layout of the source video. Match the aspect ratio precisely using CSS tricks in Webflow, or ensure the video is properly formatted before embedding.