Why do I keep getting a "must be a valid video URL" error when entering video links from YouTube or Vimeo into the video link field of my CMS in Webflow? I've tried suggestions from previous closed tickets but the error persists. Even video links that work fine on the sample pages fail when entered into my CMS. The error appears as soon as I enter any text in the field. Any insights on how to resolve this issue?

You're encountering a "must be a valid video URL" error in your Webflow CMS, which usually means Webflow isn't recognizing the format of the link as valid for embedding from YouTube or Vimeo.

1. Use Only Embed-Ready Video URLs

Webflow accepts only specific URL formats for video fields in the CMS:

• YouTube:
  Must be in the format: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID
  Avoid shortened URLs like https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID

• Vimeo:
  Must be in the format: https://vimeo.com/VIDEO_ID

Ensure the URLs are not private, not age-restricted, and not behind a firewall.

2. Double-Check the CMS Field Type

Ensure the field you're entering the URL into is actually a Video field—not a plain Text or Link field.

• Go to CMS > Collection Settings
• Identify the field marked Video
• If it’s a text field instead, Webflow won’t validate it for embed-ready URLs and won’t auto-render it on the front end.

3. Remove Extra Parameters or Fragments

Sometimes URLs copied from browsers or sharing buttons contain extra parameters (e.g., ?t=30s, &feature=share) that Webflow might reject.

• Strip the URL down to the core embed format.
  Example:
  Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
  Not https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ&t=30s

4. Avoid Pasting Inside Rich Text or Link Fields

If you're pasting the URL directly into a rich text field or a link-type field, Webflow doesn't interpret these as video URLs.

• Use the Video field type in the CMS
• Then bind that Video field to the Video element in your template.

5. Try Manually Typing Instead of Pasting

A known issue in Webflow is that sometimes pasting a URL brings hidden formatting (like zero-width spaces) into the input field.

• Try typing the full URL manually into the video field
• Or paste into a plain-text editor first (e.g., Notepad) and then paste into Webflow after cleaning

6. Validate With Known Good URLs

Test with a known working URL to isolate the issue. For example:

• YouTube test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
• Vimeo test: https://vimeo.com/76979871

If even these fail, the issue may be data corruption or browser-related.

7. Clear Cache or Use Another Browser

Sometimes browser extensions or cache can cause form validation issues.

• Try a different browser
• Clear cache and cookies, then attempt again
• Temporarily disable browser extensions, especially ad blockers

8. Check for Validation Overwrite via Custom Code

If you have custom code interfering with CMS field validation or overriding form behavior, disable it and test again.

Summary

The “must be a valid video URL” error usually comes from using incorrect URL formats, pasting hidden characters, or entering links into the wrong CMS field. Stick to standard YouTube/Vimeo URLs without extra parameters, ensure you're using the built-in Video field type, and try typing in the links manually. If known-good URLs still fail, test in another browser or clear your cache.