Thumbnail Preview
Tester

Thumbnails look different at various sizes and on different backgrounds. What looks great at full size might become unreadable at 168px (suggested videos) or get lost against YouTube's dark mode. Previewing helps you catch issues before they hurt your click-through rate. Studies show that 90% of top-performing videos have custom thumbnails optimized for visibility.

YouTube recommends 1280x720 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is the maximum resolution that will be displayed. While YouTube accepts smaller images (minimum 640px wide), using the full 1280x720 ensures your thumbnail looks sharp on all devices, including TVs and high-resolution monitors.

Over 50% of YouTube users now use dark mode, and the percentage is even higher on mobile. A thumbnail with white or light backgrounds might look great in light mode but appears washed out or blends into the dark interface. Testing both ensures your thumbnail stands out for all viewers regardless of their display preferences.

Thumbnail sizes vary dramatically: Desktop search results show them at ~360px wide, suggested videos sidebar at only ~168px, homepage at ~320-360px, and mobile at ~320-400px depending on screen size. The suggested videos sidebar is the most challenging - if your text or faces are readable there, they'll work everywhere.

The best thumbnails share common traits: High contrast with bright, saturated colors; Clear focal point (usually a face or object); Large, bold text (3-5 words maximum); Emotional expression on faces; Visual curiosity that creates a knowledge gap. Avoid cluttered designs - simplicity wins at small sizes.

Text can be highly effective if done right. Do: Use 2-4 words maximum, bold fonts, high contrast colors, and text that complements (not duplicates) your title. Don't: Use small fonts, paragraph-length text, or text in the bottom-right corner (where the duration badge appears). Many successful thumbnails use no text at all - it depends on your niche and content type.

Yes! Just paste any YouTube video URL and we'll fetch its current thumbnail. This is useful for analyzing competitor thumbnails, seeing how your existing videos appear, or planning thumbnail updates. You can also add a custom title to see how a new title would look with the existing thumbnail.

YouTube accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP formats. For best results, use JPG for photographs (smaller file size) or PNG for graphics with text and sharp edges. The maximum file size is 2MB. We recommend PNG at the highest quality that stays under 2MB for optimal clarity.