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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11To embed a YouTube playlist, use an iframe URL with listType=playlist and list=PLAYLIST_ID. To make it start at a particular item—not merely at a timestamp inside a video—use YouTube’s IFrame Player API and set its zero-based index. For example, index: 2 starts with the playlist’s third item.
Choose the right method
| What you need | Use | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Show a playlist in an embedded player | Iframe URL parameters | Loads the playlist. The documented parameters do not include an arbitrary playlist-item index. |
| Begin at a specific playlist item, or control playback from your page | IFrame Player API | Loads or queues a playlist at a chosen zero-based index, with JavaScript control. |
| Begin at a time within the selected video | start or API startSeconds |
Seeks within the current video; it does not select a playlist item. |
YouTube’s player-parameters reference documents playlist loading and the start parameter. Its IFrame Player API reference documents playlist selection and playback controls.
Embed the playlist with an iframe
For a basic embed, replace PLAYLIST_ID with the playlist’s ID. YouTube’s documented format uses listType=playlist and list; a video ID in the URL path is not required.
<iframe
width="640"
height="360"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed?listType=playlist&list=PLAYLIST_ID"
title="YouTube playlist player"
allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share"
referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin"
allowfullscreen>
</iframe>The example dimensions are not a minimum. YouTube requires an embedded player viewport of at least 200 × 200 pixels and recommends at least 480 × 270 pixels for a 16:9 player with controls. Check the rendered player on the page as well as the iframe’s width and height: a responsive layout or narrow column can make the actual viewport too small.
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Start at a specific playlist item with the IFrame Player API
The playlist API uses zero-based numbering: 0 is the first item, 1 is the second, and 2 is the third. The following call loads the playlist and begins playback at its third item, assuming that item exists and is available to the embed.
player.loadPlaylist({
listType: 'playlist',
list: 'PLAYLIST_ID',
index: 2
});Call this after creating a YT.Player instance and when the player is ready. The API’s loadPlaylist method loads and plays the list. If you want to prepare the playlist without immediately starting playback, use cuePlaylist with the same list and index, then call playVideo() when appropriate.
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Minimal player setup
This page example creates the player, then loads the chosen playlist item once the API reports that the player is ready. Replace the playlist ID and index with your values. The page’s domain is supplied as origin, as YouTube recommends when the JavaScript API is enabled.
<div id="player"></div>
<script>
const playlistId = 'PLAYLIST_ID';
const startIndex = 2; // Zero-based: 2 is the third item.
const tag = document.createElement('script');
tag.src = 'https://www.youtube.com/iframe_api';
document.head.appendChild(tag);
let player;
function onYouTubeIframeAPIReady() {
player = new YT.Player('player', {
width: '640',
height: '360',
playerVars: {
enablejsapi: 1,
origin: window.location.origin
},
events: {
onReady: function (event) {
event.target.loadPlaylist({
listType: 'playlist',
list: playlistId,
index: startIndex
});
}
}
});
}
</script>Keep the API callback available at the page’s top level as shown so YouTube can call it after the API script loads. If your site uses a content security policy, script loader, or framework that changes how external scripts are added, make sure it permits the YouTube API and that the callback is still globally accessible.
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Let a visitor choose the starting item
If the visitor chooses an item after the playlist has loaded, call playVideoAt(index) with its zero-based position. For example, a selector with human-facing labels such as “First video” should map that choice to index 0, not 1. The API method loads and plays the item at that position.
// After the playlist is loaded:
player.playVideoAt(2); // Plays the third item.Start at a timestamp inside the video
A playlist position and a video timestamp are different controls. The iframe URL’s start parameter specifies seconds from the beginning of the currently loaded video. For playlist API loading, startSeconds sets the offset in the first selected video. Neither parameter chooses which playlist item to play.
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For example, selecting playlist item index 2 and starting it at 90 seconds uses both concepts: the index chooses the third playlist item, while the time offset seeks within that item. YouTube notes that seeking can land on a nearby keyframe, so playback may begin slightly before the requested second.
Check embed behavior and requirements
- Use the right playlist ID. Confirm that the ID belongs to the playlist you intend to embed. The API and iframe examples use the playlist ID as the value for
list. - Keep index numbering clear. API indices start at zero. If a site editor or visitor thinks in first/second/third positions, translate those positions before passing an index.
- Meet player dimensions. The viewport must be at least 200 × 200 pixels; YouTube recommends 480 × 270 pixels or larger for a 16:9 player with controls.
- Set the origin for JavaScript control. When using
enablejsapi=1, setoriginto your website’s domain as an additional security measure. - Decide deliberately about autoplay. YouTube documents
autoplay=1as starting the initial video automatically and notes that playback data collection and sharing happen on page load when autoplay is enabled. Do not add it unless that behavior is intended.
Troubleshooting
The playlist loads, but it starts at the first item
A plain iframe playlist URL loads the list but does not offer a documented arbitrary item-index parameter. Use the IFrame Player API, pass index to loadPlaylist or cuePlaylist, and verify the index is zero-based.
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The wrong video plays
Check whether your index is off by one. The first item is 0, so the third item is 2. Also verify that the requested item is present and playable in the playlist.
The player starts at the wrong point in the video
Confirm that you are using start or startSeconds for a timestamp rather than expecting it to select a playlist item. A seek can resolve to a nearby keyframe rather than the exact requested second.
The API does not control the player
Confirm that the page loads the YouTube IFrame API, that the player is created before calling its methods, and that playlist calls occur after the player is ready. If using JavaScript API control, enable it and set origin to the site’s domain.
The embed is blank, clipped, or too small
Check the actual viewport dimensions after the page’s responsive styles are applied. It must be at least 200 × 200 pixels; for 16:9 playback with controls, YouTube recommends at least 480 × 270 pixels.
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