The YouTube thumbnail size
YouTube recommends custom thumbnails of 1280 × 720 pixels (16:9), with a minimum width of 640 px and a maximum file size of 2 MB, in JPG, PNG or GIF. This resizer is preset to 1280 × 720 with crop-to-fill, so your image fits perfectly with no black bars and no stretching.
How to make a YouTube thumbnail
- Drop your image or screenshot into the box above.
- The size is preset to 1280 × 720 and cropped from the centre.
- Choose JPG at high quality to stay under 2 MB, then click Resize & download.
- Upload it in YouTube Studio under Details → Thumbnail.
Thumbnail tips that increase clicks
- Use a close-up face with a clear expression. Thumbnails with faces often get more clicks.
- Add three to five big words at most. Thumbnails are small on phones.
- Keep important parts away from the bottom-right corner, where the video length appears.
- Use strong contrast and bright colours that stand out against YouTube’s white or dark background.
Also sharing on Instagram? Use resize for Instagram. To stay well under the 2 MB limit, the image compressor helps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube thumbnail size?
1280 × 720 pixels (16:9), at least 640 px wide and under 2 MB, in JPG, PNG or GIF format.
Why is my thumbnail blurry?
It is probably smaller than 1280 × 720 or heavily compressed. Start from a large image and export at high JPG quality.
Can I use this for YouTube Shorts?
Shorts use a 9:16 frame. Enter 1080 × 1920 instead of the preset size.