How to Embed a Google Plus Post

You can now embed a G+ post on your site. Google has just announced that the Google+ Sign-In is being integrated with Google’s Authorship Program. And they are integrating it with WordPress too. The G+ post integration is just one of the new features.

What makes this so exciting is that viewers can +1, comment and follow the author from your site.

Note: This is brand new and I’ll be updating this post periodically as news rolls in.

How to Embed a G+ Post

First, you’ll want to know how to embed a post.

Sign in to your G+ account and locate the post you want to embed.

1. Click the down arrow in the top right of the post.

2. Click Embed Post.

You’ll see a pop up box with code in it that looks like the one below.

It’s likely that the code will already by highlighted in blue for you.

3. Copy to your clipboard.

Paste into WordPress

4. Login to your WordPress site and create a new page or post where you want this G+ post to appear.

5. Input any text or content you want above the G+ post.

6. Then, switch to the Text View mode on the right upper side of the text editor.

7. Next, paste the code from your clipboard below the content you’ve added.

Have a Look

Now go have a look at your page/post.

You should see something like the one that I have embedded at the end of this post.

NOTE: You will not see the embedded G+ post while in the Visual View mode of your text editor. You either have to Preview it, or Publish and then View Page.

Links that are Not Supported

If you find that your embed doesn’t work, the problem could be your link.

You must use the canonical link.

It will look like this:
https://plus.google.com/116816557257681654233/posts/1dmGMAaBHvk

Links that are not supported are:

Custom URLs
https://plus.google.com/+RonnieBincer/posts/4GasrJnQZ4T

NOTE:+Terry Simmonds found a work around for this and the issue below. If your original URL has a /u/ or /u/0/ in it, just remove it and the link will work fine.

URLs with a u in them
https://plus.google.com/u/0/106189723444098348646/posts/MtVcQaAi684

Mobile web Google+ URLS
http://www.google.com/url?sa=D&q=https%3A%2F%2Fplus.google.com%2Fapp%2Fbasic%2Fstream%2Fz12

Post Types that Are Supported

The following posts will work.

• Posts with images – Clicking the image directs the visitor to the image view on Google+.
• Posts with videos – Clicking the video will play the video within the embedded post.
• Posts with links to a community – Visitors can click through to view the community as they would in the stream.

Post Types That Are Not Supported

• Posts from within a community
• Posts that are restricted to a Google Apps domain
• Private posts
• Events posts
• Hangout on Air posts

More Info on What Works and the API Code

Here’s an article from Google on what is and is not supported.

Things to Notice

When you take a look at the post below, you will see in the upper right a button that either displays the Circle you have me in, or a Follow button, if you don’t have me Circled already.

This makes it super simple for folks to easily follow you on G+ right from your site.

You can also +1 the post and make a comment on it if you are signed into to your G+ account while you’re reading this blog. How cool is that?

Testing Testing

I’ve got a test page running where I’m experimenting with other embedded posts. The first one is for +Michael Bennet’s original post on the mega Drive Deck. As you will see, it is cutting off the right side of the image.

And, if you poke around in that post, you’ll see that it is fully interactive. You can click any of the linked images and see that Deck. Cool again, huh?

Reasons to Embed Google+ Posts

There are already folks making posts about ways you can use this. Here are a few from shortly after this was announced.

From +Stephan Hovnanian Smart uses for embedded Google+ posts
From +Denise Wakeman Three Reasons to Embed Content on Your Blog

More to Come

I’ll be adding to this post as more news and ways to use this feature come down the pike.

An Embed Example