YouTube Embeds vs Carousel Embeds
Comparing standalone YouTube embed blocks (type 7) with YouTube carousel blocks (type 6, contentType 4) - February 2026
Side-by-Side Overview
18,007
total blocks
10,014
pages using
1.8
avg per page
6.9%
draft rate
Block type: 7 (Video Embed)
socialPlatform: 2 (YouTube)
Use case: Single video display
1,654
total blocks
1,172
pages using
1.4
avg per page
9.0%
draft rate
Block type: 6 (Carousel)
contentType: 4 (YouTube)
Use case: Multiple videos in scrollable row
Direct Comparison
| Metric | Embed (Type 7) | Carousel (Type 6) | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Blocks | 18,007 | 1,654 | 10.9:1 | Embeds are 11x more common |
| Pages Using | 10,014 | 1,172 | 8.5:1 | More pages use standalone embeds |
| Avg per Page | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.3:1 | Embeds slightly more per page |
| Draft Rate | 6.9% | 9.0% | — | Embeds have lower friction |
| VIP User % | 30.6% | 63.1% | 1:2.1 | Carousels are more premium |
MongoDB Schema Differences
How the data is stored differently in the database
| Field | Embed Block (Type 7) | Carousel Block (Type 6) | Same? |
|---|---|---|---|
| type | 7 (Video Embed) | 6 (Carousel) | |
| contentType | N/A | 4 (YouTube) | |
| socialPlatform | 2 (YouTube) | N/A | |
| url | ✓ Required | ✗ Not stored | |
| title | ✓ Optional | ✓ Optional (header) | |
| borderRadius | ✓ Per-block | ✓ itemBorderRadius | |
| rows | ✗ N/A | ✓ 1 or 2 | |
| itemSize | ✗ N/A | ✓ sm/md/lg | |
| childContentCount | ✗ N/A | ✓ Number of videos |
MongoDB Document Examples
YouTube Embed Block (Type 7)
{
"id": "abc123-def456",
"type": 7,
"isDraft": false,
"layoutPosition": { "x": 0, "y": 10, "width": 2 },
"data": {
"url": "https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"socialPlatform": 2,
"title": "My Video",
"borderRadius": 16,
"layout": 1
},
"analyticsId": "xyz789"
}Single video with URL stored directly in the block
YouTube Carousel Block (Type 6)
{
"id": "carousel-123",
"type": 6,
"contentType": 4,
"isDraft": false,
"layoutPosition": { "x": 0, "y": 10, "width": 2 },
"data": {
"title": "My Videos",
"rows": 1,
"childContentCount": 5,
"itemLayout": 3,
"itemSize": "lg",
"itemWidth": "md",
"itemPadding": true,
"itemBorderRadius": 16
},
"analyticsId": "car789"
}Container block - video URLs stored separately or fetched dynamically
User Plan Distribution
| Basic | 790 | 61.6% |
| VIP | 393 | 30.6% |
| Pro | 96 | 7.5% |
| Premium | 4 | 0.3% |
Majority are Basic (free) users - embeds are accessible to all
| VIP | 157 | 63.1% |
| Pro | 62 | 24.9% |
| Basic | 30 | 12.0% |
| Premium | 0 | 0% |
VIP-dominated (63.1%) - carousels are a premium feature
Top Users by Type
Overlap: Users like @nickkratka, @vietnamtravelprice, and @entrehouse use both formats
URL Format Distribution (Embeds Only)
YouTube embed blocks store the actual video URL. Carousels don't store URLs in the same way.
| URL Format | Count | Percentage | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| youtu.be/ | 9,776 | 54.3% | Mobile share links |
| youtube.com/watch | 7,724 | 42.9% | Desktop links |
| youtube.com/shorts | 106 | 0.6% | YouTube Shorts |
| youtube.com/channel | 401 | 2.2% | Channel pages |
Carousel-Specific Settings
YouTube carousels have additional layout options not available in embed blocks
| Setting | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| rows: 1 | 1,420 | 86.0% |
| rows: 2 | 234 | 14.0% |
| itemSize: lg | 980 | 59.3% |
| itemSize: md | 674 | 40.7% |
Key Differences Summary
- Stores video URL directly in block
- Single video per block
- Lower friction (6.9% draft rate)
- More accessible (61.6% Basic users)
- 11x more common than carousels
- Container for multiple videos
- Horizontal scrolling display
- Layout options (rows, itemSize)
- Premium feature (63.1% VIP users)
- Higher friction (9.0% draft rate)
Similarities
- Both display YouTube content - videos, channels, or shorts
- Both support custom titles - optional header text
- Both support border radius - customizable corners
- Both use layoutPosition - same grid positioning system
- Both have analyticsId - tracked for engagement
- Same power users - @nickkratka, @vietnamtravelprice use both
Recommendations
1. Consider Unifying Block Types
Having two separate block types for YouTube content adds complexity. A single "content" block with a layout mode (single vs carousel) would simplify the schema.
2. Promote Carousels to Basic Users
Only 12% of carousel users are on Basic plans. If carousels are valuable, consider making them more accessible to free users.
3. Reduce Carousel Friction
Carousels have 9% draft rate vs 6.9% for embeds. Simplifying the carousel creation flow could improve completion rates.
Analysis date: February 15, 2026