How To Send Videos in Gmail in 3 Different Ways

Videos are easier to consume than text, and they hold attention longer. Nearly two-thirds of consumers prefer watching a video over reading about a product or service.

The human brain processes visuals about 60,000 times faster than text. The average consumer spends roughly 6 hours a week watching video content. Video has become one of the most effective ways to educate, inform, and engage an audience, which is why most leading brands have used it in their marketing for years.

Today, the vast majority of businesses use video in their marketing strategies. As more marketers see the impact, they are looking for ways to extend video into their email campaigns too.

The idea sounds simple. The reality is trickier. Sending video emails comes with a few constraints:

1. Most email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) do not support embedded videos.
2. Gmail caps file attachments at 25 MB.

There are workarounds. This guide covers three ways to send videos in Gmail:

1. Send a video via Vmaker
2. Send a video via the thumbnail or GIF + hyperlink method
3. Send a video via Google Drive

Vmaker is a screen and webcam recorder available as a Chrome extension, Mac app, Windows app, and iOS app (beta).

You do not need a separate hosting platform. Vmaker hosts the recordings on its own platform, and view counts are visible right inside your dashboard, so you can track which videos land with your audience and tune your follow-ups accordingly.

Here is the full flow in 5 steps.

Step 1: Install the Chrome extension

Install the Vmaker Chrome extension in your browser. Open the Chrome Web Store, add the extension, and pin it. Pinning gives you one-click access from any tab.

Step 2: Sign up for Vmaker

Register and create your account. Once you are in, you can record from any tab in one click. Every recording auto-saves to your Vmaker dashboard.

Step 3: Record a new video or insert a recent recording in Gmail

Open Gmail and click Compose. In the email window, you will see the Vmaker icon next to the Send button. Click it. You get two options:

• Record a new video
• Insert the last recording

i) Record a new video: If you do not have a recording yet, pick this option and start recording.

When you finish recording, click Stop Sharing. A pop-up asks for the video title. Enter it, then click Insert Recording.

ii) Insert last recording: If you already have a recent recording, pick this option to drop it straight into the email.

To rename the recording, click on the inserted video, choose Change, and update the title.

Tip: Add a clear CTA in the email body and hyperlink it to the video too. That gives anyone who skimmed past the thumbnail a second chance to click.

That is it. Hit Send. When the recipient clicks the video, they go straight to the recording.

This is the most common method marketers use. The recipient clearly sees that there is a video, and clicking through is one tap.

Drop an image or GIF into the email body and hyperlink it to the original recording. A GIF preview gives the recipient a small sneak peek of the content and pulls them in.

One thing to watch: emails with too many links or large attachments can get flagged by the Gmail spam filter. Keep it tight.

i) Image + hyperlink

Take a screenshot of your video thumbnail with a play button visible, and attach it to the email body. The play button signals to the recipient that they can click through.

Step 1: Add the screenshot to the email body using the Insert photo icon.

Step 2: Select the image and hyperlink it to the recording URL.

A pop-up appears for the video title and web address. Fill in both, click OK.

Step 3: Write the email body, add a CTA, and click Send.

ii) GIF + hyperlink

Record a few seconds of the video as a GIF, drop it into the email, and hyperlink it to the original recording.

Plenty of GIF recorders are available online for free. Vmaker is one option that captures GIFs with no watermark.

Step 1: Record a few seconds of the video using the Vmaker screen recorder. Sign up for Vmaker, install the Chrome extension, and capture the best section of your video. The recording lands in your Vmaker dashboard.

Step 2: To trim or polish, click Edit in the dashboard. The Vmaker AI video editor opens with the editing tools you need.

For email video, you can also auto-generate subtitles in 35+ languages, useful when many recipients will preview the GIF on mute.

Tip: 7-8 seconds is the sweet spot for a GIF teaser.

Step 3: Open Gmail. Click the Vmaker icon in the email window and pick Insert last recording to drop the GIF into the email.

Step 4: Select the GIF and hyperlink it to the original video URL.

Fill in the video title and the recording URL.

When the recipient clicks the GIF, they go straight to the original video.

Step 5: Add a CTA and link it to the recording too. That covers both readers who click the GIF and those who click the text link.

This is the workaround for files over 25 MB. Gmail blocks attachments above that size, so Drive becomes the route.

The trade-off: with Drive, you cannot embed images or GIFs alongside the video.

Step 1: Upload your video from your computer to Google Drive.

Step 2: Open Gmail, click Compose, then click the Drive icon to insert the file into the email body.

Step 3: Once the video uploads, add the CTA and the rest of the email, then click Send.

If none of the above works, the last resort is pasting the URL directly into the email body. Gmail auto-displays a thumbnail. It works, but it is the weakest of the four options.

That covers the three best ways to send video emails through Gmail. Pick the one that matches your file size and engagement goal.

Recommended Reads

• Everything You Need to Know About Video Emails to Win New Business
• Top Video Email Platforms Ranked
• How to Send Videos via Email