How to use the Embed card in Microsoft Sway

The Embed card in Sway allows you to add a wide range of media and interactive content to your presentation. Your Sway can include videos, audio, forms, maps, documents and content from many other online services.

Sway will allow you to embed content from other Microsoft services such as Microsoft Forms, Microsoft Sway, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Power BI, LinkedIn Posts, SlideShare and Flipgrid. You can also embed from other sites such as Facebook, Giphy, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Maps, Padlet, SoundCloud, X, Vimeo, Vine and YouTube.

Another useful feature is the ability to embed one Sway inside another. If you’ve already created a Sway on a particular topic and want to reference it in a new presentation, you can embed the existing Sway rather than recreating the content. This saves time and ensures information is kept up to date in only one location.

Embed a Video

Microsoft Sway does not provide the ability to directly upload video or audio from your computer. This content can only be embedded from other sources such as Stream, YouTube or Vimeo.

The Embed card allows you to add elements such as images, videos, audio, maps, charts, documents and content from other Microsoft 365 apps or content from other websites to your Sway. The embed card requires you to add an embed code into the card which in turn then displays the content. The Embed card currently supports iframe-based embeds. So, if a resource provides an iframe embed code then you can use it in your Sway.

The code should look similar to: <iframe width=”600″ height=”300″ src=”https://www.website.com”> </frame>

To embed a video:

1. Open the Microsoft Sway website at https://sway.cloud.microsoft/
2. Log in using your Microsoft 365 username and password.
3. Open a Sway that you wish to embed content in, or create a new Sway to get started.
4. Hover over the last card you inserted and click the + button to add a new card:

5. Select the Media category from the options and then choose Embed:

6. The Embed card will be displayed:

7. Open any website which allows you to embed content using an iframe code. e.g. YouTube
8. Search for the video you want to embed.
9. Once you have found the video, click the Share button:

10. From the sharing options, click the Embed option:

11. Click the Copy button to copy the code to the clipboard.
12. Return to the Sway window.
13. Click inside the Embed card where the Paste your embed code here prompt appears:
14. Press Ctrl + V to paste the code.
15. Click Play from the top right corner to preview the Sway with the embedded video:

16. Scroll through the Sway till you see the embedded video.
17. Scroll to the top and click Edit to continue editing the Sway.

Change the size of Embedded Video

When we work with images in programs such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, we know we have the ability to resize the image. Microsoft Sway works a little differently and does not give you an option to “resize” an image. Instead you have the option of adjusting the Embed card Emphasis setting. Each Embed card has an option for Subtle, Moderate or Intense. These emphasis options will dictate the size of the embedded video on screen.

1. The Embed card is currently using the Subtle emphasis setting.
2. If I play the Sway to view the video, it is only taking up a small section of the screen:

3. Edit the Sway and change the Embed card to use the Moderate emphasis option:

4. Play the Sway again and see that the video is now taking up more space.
5. Edit the Sway again and set the Embed card to the Intense emphasis option and play the Sway.
6. The video now takes up the entire screen width.
7. Experiment with the emphasis setting and see what change it makes to the Embed card.

Embed a Form

Now that we’ve seen how to embed a video, let’s look at embedding a form in Sway.

Let’s say you have created a Sway which contains training materials, videos, resources and you’d then like to have a form at the end for participants to rate the training or provide a testimonial. No problems, we can do that with Sway.

Embed a form in Sway:

1. Hover over the last card you inserted and click the + button to add a new card.
2. Select the Media category from the options and then choose Embed.
3. The Embed card will be displayed.
4. Open the Microsoft Forms website at https://forms.cloud.microsoft/.
5. Open the Form you want to include in your Sway. If you don’t know how to create a form, check out my posts to get you started.
6. Click Collect responses:

7. From the options choose the Embed button:

8. Click the Copy button to copy the code to the clipboard.
9. Return back to your Sway.
10. Click inside the Embed card.
11. Paste the code using Ctrl + V.
12. Play the Sway to see the embedded form. Click inside the card to Fill out the form.
13. Scroll to the top and click Edit to continue editing the Sway.

Embed Sway inside another Sway

Microsoft Sway gives us the ability to embed one Sway inside another Sway. This allows you to create a central Sway that brings together multiple related presentations without having to duplicate content.

For example, a business might create a company induction Sway that embeds separate Sways covering workplace health and safety, company policies, and IT security. In education, a teacher could create a curriculum overview Sway that embeds individual Sways for each unit of work, making it easier for students to access all learning materials from a single location.

Embedding Sways helps keep content organised, reduces maintenance, and allows different sections to be updated independently while remaining connected.

To embed a Sway inside another Sway:

1. From the edit screen, click the Sway button in the top left corner to return to the Sway homepage.
2. Open the Sway you wish to embed into the new Sway.
3. Click the Share button in the top right corner:

4. Click the Get embed code button.
5. Click the Copy to Clipboard button.
6. Click Close and exit the Sway to go back to the main Sway homepage.
7. Open your new Sway.
8. Hover over the last card you inserted and click the + button to insert a new card.
9. Select the Media category from the options and then choose Embed.
10. The Embed card will be displayed.
11. Click in the Embed card and paste the code.
12. Play the Sway to see the embedded Sway:

13. Adjust the Emphasis setting to increase the size of the embedded Sway as needed.

By embedding content such as YouTube videos, Microsoft Forms, and even other Sways, you can transform a simple presentation into a rich, interactive experience. I hope you have found this useful and feel free to leave any questions below or check out my other Sway content.