Since version 2.3, Video Hub handles YouTube Shorts and vertical videos: every video is embedded with its own proportions, so a 9:16 Short plays vertical instead of shrinking inside a widescreen box. You decide whether Shorts are imported at all.
How Video Hub knows a video’s shape
When a video is imported, Video Hub reads its real proportions from YouTube and saves them on the post: 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, 9:16 or 3:4. Every player then uses them — the single video page, the Post Video block, the video shortcode and new video posts.
- Vertical players are centered and never taller than 80% of the browser window, so the whole Short fits on screen.
- Playlists play every video with its own proportions: the Default and Simple themes resize the player when a video of a different shape is loaded. Shorts and long-form videos can live in the same playlist.
- The aspect ratio in Embed options is used only for videos whose proportions are unknown.
Videos imported before 2.3 have no saved proportions. Run Tools → Update videos once and they get them — after that, older Shorts play vertical too.
What counts as a Short
A video is treated as a Short when it is vertical or square and up to 3 minutes long. Developers can change the rule with the cbc_video_is_short filter.
Choose whether to import Shorts
- Automatic imports — check Skip YouTube Shorts on an automatic import. Skipped Shorts are counted in the import’s activity log. You can also set a Video duration range in minutes, for example only videos longer than 10 minutes.
- Manual imports — the Import videos page marks Shorts with a Short label. Check Hide YouTube Shorts to hide and deselect them; “Select all” then ignores them.
Limits
- There is no “Shorts only” feed: Shorts come from the same channel, playlist and search feeds as other videos.
- Live streams are not imported as live videos. Use Skip live streams that have not started yet in Import options to keep scheduled streams out.
Developers: the detected proportions can be changed with the cbc_video_aspect_ratio filter, and the height limit of vertical playlist players with cbc_vertical_player_max_height.
Want the bigger picture? Read how to add YouTube Shorts to WordPress.