---
title: Connect Vimeo for video sharing
description: Make a Vimeo access token, connect it in illuminate, choose who can watch, and check it with a real share.
section: Sharing
order: 4
updated: 2026-11-05
applies_to: 0.1
related: [share-a-recording, connect-cloudflare-r2]
---
# Connect Vimeo for video sharing

With Vimeo connected, illuminate uploads your shared recordings to your Vimeo account, and your link plays them in Vimeo's player, next to the summary, steps and transcript.

You need a Vimeo account that can upload. To keep videos off your public Vimeo profile (**Anyone with the link** or **Hidden from Vimeo**), Vimeo needs a paid plan.

## In Vimeo

1. Open [Vimeo's developer apps](https://developer.vimeo.com/apps) and choose **Create an app**. Any name works, such as "illuminate".
2. On the app's page, generate a personal access token: choose **Authenticated (you)** and tick the scopes **Private**, **Upload** and **Edit**.
3. Copy the token. Treat it like a password: don't paste it into a report, a chat or a support message.

## In illuminate

1. Open **Settings → Share Settings**.
2. In **Video · Vimeo**, choose **Connect…**.
3. Paste the **Access token**.
4. Choose **Who can watch**:
   - **Anyone with the link:** an unlisted video. Anyone with your link can watch.
   - **Hidden from Vimeo (embeds only):** the video only plays inside your link's page, never on Vimeo itself.
   - **Only me:** private. Other people can't watch, so it's only for testing.
5. Optionally, change the **Folder** illuminate puts its uploads in.
6. Choose **Save and Test**.

The test shows which Vimeo account you connected. It checks the token, not playback, so do one real share before you rely on it.

## Check it with a real share

Share a short recording, then open your link in a private browser window, signed out of Vimeo. A new video can look soft for a few minutes while Vimeo processes it; the page says so. If it doesn't play at all, check **Who can watch**.

## Pro and Vimeo

On Pro, illuminate hosts your videos for you, but if Vimeo is connected, shares keep going to Vimeo. To have us host them instead, **Remove** Vimeo in Share Settings.

## Change or remove it

In **Settings → Share Settings**, under **Video · Vimeo**: **Edit…** changes the token or settings, **Test Connection** checks again, and **Remove** clears the token from illuminate. Removing it doesn't delete videos already on Vimeo.

## If it doesn't connect

- **The token is rejected:** check it's for the right Vimeo account and has the **Private**, **Upload** and **Edit** scopes. If not, generate a new one.
- **Vimeo says to slow down:** Vimeo limits how often apps can call it. Wait a few minutes and try again.

Prefer storage you run yourself? See [Connect Cloudflare R2](/guide/connect-cloudflare-r2.html).