Dimensions and specs
| YouTube Thumbnail | 1280 × 720 px (16:9) |
|---|---|
| Sharesizer file-size target | under 2 MB |
| Minimum width | 640 px |
| Formats | JPG or PNG (GIF also accepted) |
How to resize your image for YouTube
- Upload your image above. It never leaves your device.
- Choose Cover to fill the frame by cropping, or Contain to keep the whole image with padding.
- In Cover mode, click or drag on the preview to choose which part to keep.
- Check the shaded guides, then download your image.
Tips for better results
- Keep faces and text away from the bottom-right corner, where the video length badge sits.
- Check your thumbnail at about 170 px wide. Most views happen on phones at that size.
- Use big, high-contrast text of 3–4 words at most. Small text disappears.
Common mistakes
- Uploading a 4:3 or square image, so YouTube crops or letterboxes it.
- Exporting a PNG with lots of detail that goes over 2 MB.
- Putting important text in the corner under the timestamp.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best YouTube thumbnail size?
1280×720 pixels at 16:9. Larger 16:9 images such as 1920×1080 also work, but the file must stay under 2 MB.
Why is my thumbnail blurry?
Usually the source was small and got enlarged, or the file was compressed hard to fit under 2 MB. Start from an image at least 1280 pixels wide.
Can I use a vertical image for Shorts?
Shorts use 9:16 video frames, so use the vertical size on our YouTube Pack instead. A 16:9 thumbnail will be cropped.
Is my image private?
Yes. Resizing and cropping happen in your browser using your own device. Your image is never uploaded to a server, so there is no account, watermark or limit.