Embedding Content into Guru Cards

Guru understands knowledge can exist in many different forms. Collection owners and authors can upload, embed, and link out to externally hosted files in Guru Cards, which helps users access all of the information they need to do their best work. You can generally embed any content that has an embed code into a Guru Card by copying the embed code and pasting it into the body of the Card while in edit mode.

This includes content from Google Drive, Sharepoint, OneDrive, PDFs, Figma, Lucidchart and more! Simply grab the embed code from the host source and use the Markdown editor element to paste that code.

To embed a file uploaded to a Guru Card for display within the Card (such as PDFS, videos, and documents) right-click on the linked text and select Copy Link Address. Insert an Iframe block and paste the hyperlink. Click Save to preview and resize the embed before publishing.

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Note

The host of the file matters when it comes to indexing content for search in Guru. Guru will not index content from files embedded in a Card. Guru will index any text that can be extracted from files uploaded to a Guru Card (like PDFs).

Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or Powerpoint presentation

1. Open the Microsoft file for editing in Word, Excel, or Powerpoint for the web. You cannot use the desktop app, where web-based sharing settings are not accessible.
2. From the menu, select File, Share, and then select Embed. Specify the specific Dimensions and Interaction settings you’d like.
3. Copy the Embed Code provided.
4. Navigate to Guru and, as a Collection owner or author, create a Card or edit an existing Card.
5. Click in the body of the Card where you'd like the file to appear and insert a Markdown block:

• Click the Markdown icon located in the Card editor toolbar.
• Type the slash ("/") command and type or scroll to select Markdown.

6. Paste the embed code copied in Step 3 into the Markdown block.
7. Click Preview to review how the document will display in your Guru Card.

OneDrive Files

Individual files (.docs, .ppt, .csv, etc.) hosted on OneDrive can be individually embedded into Guru Cards following the embedding instructions outlined above. Organizational objects such as OneDrive folders cannot be embedded into Guru Cards.

SharePoint Files

Individual files hosted in SharePoint can be accessed and embedded into Guru cards individually following the embedding instructions outlined above.

Unfortunately, due to limitations enforced by SharePoint, you cannot embed SharePoint-specific web parts, such as Document Libraries, Lists, and Apps into Guru Cards.

Video

Embedding a video hosted on a web-based platform

The easiest way and most common way to insert a video for playback into a Guru Card from another host, such as Youtube, Vidyard, Wistia, Loom, or Vimeo, is to use the provided link, usually found from a "Share" or "Embed" menu in the host application.

1. As a Collection owner or author, create a Card or edit an existing Card. Click in the body of the Card where you would like the video to appear.
2. Paste the video's "share" link or provided "embed code" into the Guru Card.

• When Guru's editor recognizes a link to a video file hosted elsewhere, it will automatically generate a Video block.
  • This will embed the video but does not give you the opportunity to resize the video and may result in some additional padding.
• When Guru's editor recognizes an embed code, it will automatically generate an Iframe block to frame the file.
  • The Iframe block has a slider at the bottom of the block enabling the adjustment of height.

3. The video will display for playback within the body of the Card.

Embedding video hosted on your computer

Embedding a video file stored on your computer will only work if the file is in a web-capable video format, such as MPEG or MP4. If the video file is not web-capable, we recommend first uploading it to another source, such as YouTube or Wistia, so that you can capture the file's embed code, which can then be pasted into your Guru Card (see the instructions above).

1. As a Collection owner or author, create a Card or edit an existing Card. Click in the body of the Card where you would like to upload the video.
2. Upload the video file to the Guru Card by clicking the File paperclip icon located in the Card editor toolbar. Guru is now the host of the video file uploaded to the Card.
3. Right-click on the uploaded video file's hyperlinked text and select Copy Link Address.
4. Click to move your cursor in the Card in the space where you'd like to display the video.
5. Click the Iframe icon in the Card editor toolbar or type the shortcut /iframe.
6. Paste the copied link in the text box and click Save to complete the embed.
7. Your uploaded video will display. Drag the slider at the bottom of the frame to resize the block.

Using Markdown to embed a video

Another option is to copy the embed code (usually provided by the host of the video file) or a link to a video file uploaded to a Card and paste it into a Markdown block in the Card. This method allows you to define a precise video container size within the Markdown.

1. As a Collection owner or author, create a Card or edit an existing Card. Click in the body of the Card where you would like the video to appear.
2. There are two ways to insert a Markdown block:

• Click the Markdown icon located in the Card editor toolbar.
• Type the slash ("/") command and type or scroll to select Markdown.

3. An empty Markdown block will appear. Paste the file's embed code.

• For video files uploaded to Guru Cards, input this HTML code and paste the video file's hyperlink where it says PASTE COPIED LINK HERE. This HTML code will prevent the video from auto-playing. You may want to add height and width parameters to the code to set the size of the embed.

<video controls src="PASTE COPIED LINK HERE"></video>

4. Click Preview at the top right of the Markdown block to preview the embedded video.

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Important

Google manages access to the embedded file. Always make sure the Google Drive file's share settings are such that the people who can see the Guru Card also have permission to see the Google Drive file embedded in the Card.

Embedding a video hosted in Google Drive

1. Open the video file in Google Drive.
2. Click the ellipses in the upper right-hand corner.
3. Select Embed item from the drop-down menu. If this option isn't available, click Open in New Window, and you should see the embed option in the drop-down menu of the new window.
4. Copy the HTML code in the box below the text: "Paste HTML to embed in website:".
5. As a Collection owner or author, navigate to Guru and create a Card or edit an existing Card. Paste the copied HTML code to automatically generate an Iframe block containing the Google Drive-hosted video.
6. Hover over the block to access the options to Edit the iframe URL, Toggle full width to expand the width of the file embedded in the body of the Card, or Delete the Iframe block. Use the slider at the bottom of the block to resize its height.
   1. You could also embed a video file using a Markdown block. Click the Markdown icon in the Card editor toolbar and paste the copied HTML into the Markdown box. Click Preview at the top right of the Markdown block to confirm the video is embedded for playback. 

Published Google Drive Files

For the sleekest display of Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides, Guru will automatically show the Google file in its published view mode.

To embed a published Google Drive File:

1. Copy the document's URL and paste it into the Iframe block in your Guru Card. The file should render without issues.
2. Use the slider at the bottom of the iframe to resize the frame.

PDF document stored in Google Drive

1. Navigate to and open the PDF document in Google Drive.
2. Click the ellipses menu and select Open in New Window.
3. The document will open in a new browser tab. Click the ellipses menu in this window and select Embed Item.
4. From the pop-up box, you'll see an HTML code. Copy the HTML code.
5. Navigate back to your draft Guru Card and paste the copied HTML code. An Iframe block will automatically generate for you.
6. Hover over the block to access the options to Edit the iframe URL, Toggle full width to expand the width of the file embedded in the body of the Card, or Delete the Iframe block. Use the slider at the bottom of the block to resize its height. 

Google Form

1. When in edit mode on the form, click on the Send button.
2. Click on Send via < > (HTML).
3. Copy the Embed HTML code.
4. Paste the code into the Guru Card. An Iframe block will automatically generate for you.
5. Hover over the block to access the options to Edit the iframe URL, Toggle full width to expand the width of the form embedded in the body of the Card, or Delete the Iframe block. Use the slider at the bottom of the block to resize its height.

Embedding a PDF

1. Upload the PDF file to the Guru Card using the file upload button. 
2. Once the PDF is uploaded, right-click on the linked filename text and select Copy Link Address.
3. Click in the Card where you would like the embedded PDF to appear. Insert an Iframe block using one of these methods:

• Click the Iframe block icon located in the Card editor toolbar.
• Type the slash ("/") command and type or scroll to select Iframe.

4. Paste the copied file URL into the Iframe URL text box and click Save.
5. Use the slider at the bottom of the block to resize its height.

Frequently asked questions about embedding in Guru Cards

Embedding Videos

Can I embed a recorded Zoom meeting?
Currently, Zoom does not support embedding cloud recordings using the recordings URL. In order to embed a Zoom recording, download the file and upload it to another video hosting site (Google Drive, Wistia), then embed it to Guru using the directions here.

If the downloaded video file is under 5GB, you can upload it directly to a Guru card through the file upload tool. 

Why I am having trouble viewing embedded Quicktime Videos?
We recommend using Safari to view embedded web-capable Quicktime videos (MOV files).

Can I control whether a video plays automatically when a Card is open?
Guru does not control whether or not the video auto-plays - this should be based on the settings of the original source of the video.

Third-party video hosting platforms usually let you decide if you want the video to auto-play or not. Try uploading the video to a different source (YouTube, Vimeo, and Wistia all let you do this for free), and then embed the video into the Guru Card.

Additionally, depending on where the video is hosted, you may notice improvements if you try uploading the video using the instructions above to upload the video via a Markdown block.

What happens if a user doesn't have permission to the file stored with an external video host (YouTube, Wistia, Loom, etc.)?
If the user doesn't have permission to access a file at its source, they will not be able to see the embedded file in the Guru Card.