WEB WORKBENCH

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A collection of systems, experiments, and builds

Introduction

Keeping video content updated on a website can become a repetitive task, especially when you regularly follow YouTube channels that publish useful content for your audience.

I built this plugin to solve that problem.

Rather than manually replacing embedded videos every time a channel uploads something new, the plugin automatically checks a YouTube channel feed and updates the embedded video for you.

No YouTube API key is required.

The plugin is designed for niche websites, resource hubs, news pages, weather pages, tutorial websites, and any project where regularly updated video content adds value to visitors.

Why I Built It

This started as a real requirement on a client website where we needed a way to keep video content updated automatically without having to manually change embeds all the time.

The idea was to enhance selected pages by automatically showing the latest relevant YouTube video, keeping content up to date without manual updates. It can also be used inside WooCommerce product tabs to add supporting video content to product pages.

From there, I made it more flexible so it wasn’t limited to just one embed. Each shortcode can be set up independently, which means different pages or sections of a website can pull in videos from different channels.

That turned it into something that can be used across a whole site, not just a single page.

To improve how it looks and performs, I also added a custom overlay system so the video presentation is cleaner and more controlled than a standard YouTube embed.

I have developed this version into a simple way to manage multiple auto-updating YouTube video embeds across WordPress using shortcodes.

How It Works

Using the Settings screen

The plugin monitors a YouTube channel feed and automatically identifies the latest video that matches the rules set within the plugin settings.

Once found, the video is embedded on your website using a shortcode.

The process can run automatically on a schedule defined in the settings, or be triggered manually whenever required.

Key Features

• No YouTube API key required

• Automatic channel detection

• Scheduled background updates

• News mode with frequent checks

• Multiple channel support

• Shortcode embedding

• Responsive video display

• Manual video override

• RSS feed preview tools

• Channel ID override support

• Custom overlay options

• Video length filtering

Video Length Filtering

One of the most useful features of the plugin is the ability to filter videos by duration.

Many channels publish a mixture of Shorts, quick updates, livestreams, and full-length videos.

This plugin allows you to decide exactly which videos are eligible for display.

Examples include:

• Show only videos between 4 and 20 minutes

• Show videos longer than 10 minutes

• Show videos shorter than 5 minutes

• Automatically exclude Shorts

This makes the plugin suitable for tutorial websites, news pages, weather forecasts, educational content, and specialist niche sites.

News Mode

Some channels publish multiple times throughout the day.

News Mode allows the plugin to check more frequently for new uploads.

This is useful for:

• News websites

• Weather forecast pages

• Financial updates

• Breaking story coverage

The goal is to keep embedded content as current as possible without requiring manual intervention.

Multiple Channels

The plugin supports multiple channel configurations.

his allows you to create separate feeds for different sections of a website.

Examples include:

• Weather channel feed

• SEO channel feed

• WordPress tutorial feed

• Technology news feed

Each feed can be configured independently.

Custom Overlays and Presentation

The plugin includes several display options designed to improve presentation and branding.

Features include:

• Custom poster images

• Overlay text

• Play button controls

• Optional TV-style background

• Tune-in style intro screens

• iframe overlay mode

• Close bar controls

These settings allow the embedded video experience to match the style of your website.

Demo

Showing Sky news Youtube feed

Sky News verifies the identities of 152 victims of the Iran school strike

POWER

VOL

ZOOM

MAX

Download

The plugin is available as a standard WordPress ZIP download.

Install the plugin, configure the channel settings, generate your shortcode, and the system will begin monitoring for new uploads automatically.

Download Custom FAQ Plugin

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Future Development

Like many Web Workbench projects, this plugin will continue to evolve as new ideas and use cases appear.

Future improvements will be guided by real-world usage and feedback.

Final Thoughts

The goal of this plugin is simple: keep useful video content updated automaticall

By combining automatic feed monitoring, video filtering, scheduling, and flexible display options, it provides a lightweight way to keep WordPress pages fresh without relying on external APIs.

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Published 13th June 2026 By Tudor Gibson

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