Insert content
Add text, media, scripture, quotes, prayers, and widgets.
Use the insert bar and modals to add elements, Bible verses, library quotes, QR codes, and countdowns.
Quick start
- Open a presentation in the editor.
- Use the insert bar above the canvas (on a phone, tap Insert in the bottom bar).
- Click Text, Image, Video, YouTube, Audio, or Shape to add elements.
- Click Insert Verse — choose translation, book, chapter, and verses; click Insert.
- Click Insert Quote or Insert Prayer — search the library and select content.
- Click Insert QR Code or Countdown for widgets.
- Select an element on the canvas to edit it in the Styling panel.
You should see new elements appear on the active slide (or new slides for multi-item inserts).
Deep dive
Insert bar
The insert bar is the toolbar above the canvas on large screens. On a phone, tap Insert in the bottom bar to open the same controls in a sheet. From left to right it includes:
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Slide background | Open background styling — see Themes, backgrounds, and audio |
| Background audio | Add scoped audio — see Themes, backgrounds, and audio |
| Reset to theme | Clear all custom backgrounds on the current slide |
| Text | Add a text box |
| Image | Open the media picker for an image |
| Video | Open the media picker for a video element |
| YouTube | Paste a YouTube video or playlist URL |
| Audio | Open the media picker for an audio element |
| Shape | Open the shape kind picker |
| Countdown | Insert a countdown widget |
| Insert Verse | Insert Bible verses from your church's translations |
| Insert Quote | Search and insert quotes from the library |
| Insert Prayer | Search and insert prayers from the library |
| Insert QR Code | Generate a QR code element |
| Edit song | Worship decks only — see Worship songs |
Worship decks with chord data may also show Chord styling.
Text, image, video, audio, and shape
Text — adds an editable text box on the canvas. Double-click to edit inline, or use the Styling panel for fonts, colors, and alignment.
Image — opens the media picker from your church library. The image is placed on the active slide and can be resized and styled.
Video — opens the media picker for a slide video element. WorshipDeck prepares the file before placing it (Preparing video…). Each slide can have only one video element (including YouTube).
YouTube — opens Insert YouTube video. Paste a long or short YouTube URL for a single video or a playlist. See YouTube below for details.
Audio — opens the media picker for a slide audio element (Preparing audio… while processing). Each slide can have only one audio element.
Shape — opens a picker with basic shapes, polygons, arrows, callouts, and more. Click a shape to insert it on the canvas.
YouTube
Use YouTube on the insert bar (or drag a YouTube URL from another browser tab onto the canvas) to embed a video without uploading a file.
What you can paste
- A single video URL (
youtube.com/watch?v=…oryoutu.be/…) - A playlist URL that also includes a video id (the video is the playlist entry point;
list=is kept)
Bare playlist links without a video id are not supported.
After insert
Select the YouTube element and open the Styling panel:
| Setting | Notes |
|---|---|
| Duration | Shown when YouTube reports the video length |
| Start / End | Trim playback for single videos (not available for playlists). Leave End empty to play through the natural end |
| Loop | Replay from the start (or your start time) when the clip ends |
| Playback rate | Speed relative to normal playback |
YouTube counts toward the one video per slide limit — the same rule as uploaded videos.
Embedding and display screens
When you insert a URL, WorshipDeck checks whether YouTube allows embedding. Videos that are private, deleted, or have embedding disabled cannot be inserted.
Even when a video inserts successfully:
- Some videos still fail to play on display screens (including Android TV / WebView outputs)
- Owners can change privacy or embed settings later, which can stop playback without notice
If a video will not play reliably on your screens, upload the file to the media library and use Video instead.
[!note] You can also drag a YouTube URL from another tab onto the slide canvas to insert it, subject to the same embed check and one-video-per-slide rule.
Insert Verse
Click Insert Verse to open Insert Bible Verse:
- Language and Translation — primary Bible text
- Secondary language and Secondary translation — optional dual-language insert
- Book, Chapter, and Verses — enter a single verse (
16) or range (16-18) - Verses per slide — how many verses to place on each new slide
- Preview — load and review verse text before inserting
- Insert — create slides with formatted verse text
Preferred translations come from Church general settings. Your choices in the modal are remembered for the next insert.
Open the gear icon for Bible insert settings:
| Section | Options |
|---|---|
| Title | Show title, bold title, title color, title at bottom |
| Verse number | Show numbers, bold, color, superscript |
| Verse | Red letter, fill text area (auto-fit font) |
| Dual language | Side by side or stacked layout (when a secondary translation is selected) |
Settings are saved to your user profile and apply to future verse inserts.
Slide target when content exists
If the active slide already has elements, verse, quote, and prayer inserts ask This slide has existing content:
| Option | Result |
|---|---|
| Insert on a new slide | Leave the current slide unchanged; add content on a new slide after it |
| Keep content and add verses | Layer new content on top of the current slide |
| Replace existing content | Remove all elements on this slide and insert the new content |
Empty slides insert directly without showing this picker.
Insert Quote
Click Insert Quote to search the quote library:
- Language — filter by language when multiple languages are available
- Author — required; select an author before searching
- Keywords — optional; type terms and press Enter or use the search control in the search bar
- Select one or more quotes from the results
- Choose a slide target if the current slide has content
- Click Insert
Each selected quote becomes its own slide (or follows your slide-target choice).
Insert Prayer
Click Insert Prayer to search the prayer library:
- The prayer list loads automatically for your locale (English fallback) when the modal opens
- Language — filter by language or All languages; changing language reloads the list
- Keywords — optional; refine results with Enter or the search control in the search bar
- Select a prayer from the results
- Toggle Include title if you want the prayer title on the slide
- Choose a slide target if needed
- Click Insert
A preview shows how the prayer will look before you insert.
Insert QR Code
Click Insert QR Code:
- Content — enter a URL or plain text (bare URLs are saved as
https://links) - Foreground and Background colors
- Module style and Corner style — dot and corner appearance
- Preview updates as you type
- Click Insert QR Code
The QR code is inserted as an image element on the active slide.
Countdown
Click Countdown to add a presentation countdown:
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
| Apply to | Entire presentation, main slide role, variant role, current slide, or current group |
| Minutes / Seconds | Starting duration |
| Direction | Count down or count up |
Some scopes are disabled when a countdown already exists in that scope. A warning lists Existing countdowns so you know what is already assigned.
Countdowns are presentation-level widgets — they are not ordinary canvas elements. Select a countdown on the canvas to edit its settings in the styling drawer.
Elements panel
The Elements panel (right side on desktop) lists layers on the active slide, top to bottom.
- Click a layer to select it on the canvas
- Drag layers to change stacking order
- Use the eye icon to hide or show elements without deleting them
When the panel is empty, you see Add text, an image, or a shape to see layers here.
Styling selected elements
Click any element on the canvas to open the Styling panel (or the mobile styling drawer). Adjust position, size, text, colors, borders, and effects.
Use header Copy / Paste for elements, or Copy style / Paste style to copy formatting between elements:
- Paste style with size and position — full style transfer
- Paste style without size or position — appearance only
Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+Alt+C (copy style), Ctrl+Alt+V (paste full style), Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V (paste appearance only).
Use Bring forward / Send backward in the styling panel to adjust layer order, or reorder in the Elements panel.
What this article does not cover
- Slide backgrounds and background audio — Themes, backgrounds, and audio
- Theme colors and fonts — same article
- Worship song editor — Worship songs
- Ezra AI inserts — Ezra in the editor
Tips
- Set church preferred Bible translations under Settings → Church general before your first Insert Verse.
- Set your personal default under Settings → Bible, or let the first translation you insert become your default automatically.
- Use Verses per slide to keep readable font sizes on long passages.
- Search quotes by Author first, then narrow with Keywords.
- Insert QR codes for offering links, registration forms, or sermon notes URLs.
- Hide cluttered elements in the Elements panel instead of deleting them while you experiment.
[!tip] Uploaded Video, YouTube, and Audio inserts are separate from Background audio. Slide elements play in the slide layer; background audio is scoped to slides or the whole deck.
Troubleshooting
Video or audio button is disabled
- Each slide allows only one video element (uploaded or YouTube) and one audio element. Delete the existing media element first, or switch to another slide.
YouTube video cannot be embedded
- The owner disabled embedding, or the video is private/restricted. Try another URL, or upload a file via Video and the media library.
YouTube plays in the editor but not on a screen
- Some videos are restricted in Android TV / WebView outputs even when they preview in the editor. Prefer an uploaded Video from your media library for critical moments.
No Bible translations available
- An admin must enable translations in Church general settings.
Could not load those verses
- Check the verse range format (
16or16-18) and that the chapter contains those verses.
Insert Quote requires an author
- Select an Author before clicking Search.
Countdown option is disabled
- A countdown already exists in that scope. Review Existing countdowns in the modal or remove the conflicting countdown first.
Preparing video… or Preparing audio… stuck
- Large files take longer to process. Check your connection and wait, or try a smaller file from the media library.
QR code preview is empty
- Enter Content first. The preview needs text or a URL to generate.