YouTube thumbnail size: the right dimensions and tips
Your thumbnail is the first thing people see before they decide to click. A blurry or badly cropped thumbnail makes even a great video look unprofessional. Here's the size to use and how to make it look sharp everywhere.
The right size
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Size | 1280 × 720 pixels |
| Shape | 16:9 (wide) |
| Minimum width | 640 pixels |
| File type | JPG or PNG |
| File size | Keep it under YouTube's upload limit (2 MB at the time of writing) |
A 16:9 thumbnail matches the shape of the video player, so it fills the space with no black bars or cropping.
Make it readable on a phone
Most viewers see your thumbnail at a small size, in a phone feed or in the "Up next" list. Design for that:
- Use big, short text. Three to five words is usually enough.
- Show a face. A clear face with a strong expression catches attention.
- Use contrast. Bright subjects on darker backgrounds (or the other way round) stand out.
- Mind the bottom right corner. YouTube places the video length there, so keep important details away from it.
How to turn any image into a thumbnail
- Open the YouTube Thumbnail resizer.
- Choose your image, such as a screenshot from your video or a photo.
- Choose how it should fit: Fill frame fills the whole thumbnail (edges may be trimmed), Show all keeps the whole image with a blurred background, and Add border uses a plain color.
- Download the image. If the file is too large to upload, run it through the Compress tool.
Uploading your thumbnail
In YouTube Studio, open your video's details and choose to upload a custom thumbnail. If you don't see that option, your channel may need to be verified first. YouTube explains how in its help pages.
YouTube can change its thumbnail rules. If an upload fails, check YouTube's help pages for the current requirements.