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How to use embed cards

Embed live content from Figma, Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Miro, YouTube, and other sources onto a journey map by pasting a share link.

Embed cards put live content from the tools your team already uses, like a Figma frame, a Google Doc, a Miro board, or a YouTube video, directly on a journey map. You paste a share link and the content renders in the card.

An embed card on a journey map showing a rich link preview of a website: a page thumbnail, the site favicon and URL, the page title, and a short description. The card sits in a lane labelled Embed content.
An embed card showing a rich preview of the embedded link

To add one, hover an empty cell and click + Add card, then choose Embed. It sits under ADVANCED CARDS in the picker. Embed cards take a share link rather than typed content, so adding one opens the Embed modal straight away.

Embed cards are an advanced card type. On the Free and Repository plans you can add up to 3 advanced cards per map. Advanced cards are unlimited from the Framework plan.

How to embed content from a URL

When you add an embed card, the Embed modal opens with logos for some of the supported sources and the prompt Paste a URL to embed.

1

Copy a share link from the source

Open the source tool (Figma, a Google file, Miro, YouTube, and so on) and copy its share or embed link. The link has to be one that anyone with access to the map can open, not a private editing URL tied to your own login. For per-source guidance, see How to use embed integrations.

2

Paste the URL into the Embed modal

Paste the link into the URL field. The Embed button stays greyed out until the field has a URL in it, then turns active.

The Embed modal with a URL typed into the input field. Logos for Miro, Figma, YouTube, a generic web globe, and Google Sheets sit above the prompt Paste a URL to embed. The Embed button to the right of the field is now active.
The Embed button activates once the field has a URL
3

Click Embed

The modal closes and the content renders on the card. By default it shows as a rich preview.

Which sources you can embed

Smaply embeds content from Figma, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, Miro, Mural, YouTube, Power BI, Tableau, Monday.com, SharePoint, and OneDrive. Generic web URLs work too, rendering as a rich link preview when the page exposes the right metadata.

This article is the home for embedding content onto cards. The link type each source needs and how to set a source's own sharing so the embed renders for everyone are covered in How to use embed integrations.

How to switch between rich preview and a simple link

An embed card shows in one of two display modes, set by the Display as toggle in the card details panel. The toggle sits inside the Card details section, which opens collapsed, so expand it to reach the toggle.

1

Open the card details panel

Select the card and click Show card details on the toolbar, or double-click the card. The panel opens on the right.

2

Expand Card details and pick a mode

Expand the Card details section, then choose Embed (rich media) or Simple link under Display as.

The embed card details panel headed Embed. An expanded Card details section shows a Display as toggle with two options, Embed (rich media) selected and Simple link, above an Open link button. Below sit the collapsed Personas, Card tags, and Comments sections.
Display as toggle inside the expanded Card details section

Embed (rich media) is the default and renders the full preview: a thumbnail, title, and description for a link, or the live content for a supported source. Simple link collapses the card to a compact favicon, the page title, and an Open link link.

An embed card switched to Simple link display, showing a compact favicon, the page title, and an Open link link. The card sits in a lane labelled Embed content.
The same card in Simple link mode

How to open the embedded content

To open the source in a new tab, click Open link on the card's toolbar. The same button is also in the card details panel.

The floating toolbar for a selected embed card. From left: an Open link button labelled with text and an open-in-new icon, then a card header icon, a fill (paint bucket) icon, a show card details icon, a delete icon, and a three-dot overflow menu.
Open link is the leftmost button on the embed card toolbar

If the card is blank, or shows a permission prompt or a login screen, the cause is almost always the source's own sharing setting rather than Smaply. See How to use embed integrations for how to set each source's sharing so the embed renders for everyone who opens the map.

What embed cards share with other cards

Embed cards use the same toolbar tail, card details panel, colour system, and multi-select as every other card type. The Display as toggle and the embedded content are what's specific to this type; the rest is shared:

  • Accent colour, background style, and card header (the fill control and the controls after it)

  • Card details panel for personas, tags, and comments

  • Duplicate, expand, shrink, and delete from the three-dot menu

  • Multi-select with Shift+click

See How to add and edit cards for the canonical walkthrough of these mechanics. To put an embed card in its own lane, see How to add and manage lanes.

Related topics

How to use embed integrations

Get a shareable link from each source and set its sharing so the embed renders for everyone.

How to add and edit cards

Parent how-to for shared card mechanics: toolbar, details panel, colours, and headers.

How to add and manage lanes

Add a lane to hold your embed cards, or any other lane type.

How to bulk edit cards

Select multiple cards and apply tags, personas, or colour in one go.

How to comment on a card

Add comments and @mention teammates on any card from its details panel.

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