Your thumbnail is the first thing people see, and often the only thing they judge your video by. A strong one can double the number of people who click. Here's the size YouTube wants and what makes a thumbnail work.
The right size
| Setting | What YouTube wants |
|---|---|
| Size | 1280 × 720 pixels (at least 640 pixels wide) |
| Shape | 16:9, the same as the video player |
| File | JPG, PNG or GIF, under 2 MB |
To upload a custom thumbnail, your channel needs to be verified with a phone number. The YouTube thumbnail maker creates exactly 1280 × 720 and saves a JPG under 2 MB.
What makes people click
1. A face with a clear emotion
People notice faces first, especially surprised, excited or worried ones. Take a photo of yourself with an exaggerated expression, remove the background with the background remover, and place it on one side of the thumbnail.
2. Three to five big words
Most people see your thumbnail at the size of a postage stamp on a phone. Long sentences become unreadable. Use a few big words that add something to the title, rather than repeating it: if the title is “I Tried Waking Up at 5 AM for 30 Days”, the thumbnail might just say “WAS IT WORTH IT?”.
3. Strong contrast
Bright text with a thick dark outline, or dark text on a bright box, reads on any background. Darken busy background photos slightly so the text stands out. Yellow, white and red on dark backgrounds are popular for a reason.
4. One idea
Show one thing: the result, the problem, the before and after. A thumbnail that tries to show everything shows nothing.
5. Keep the corner clear
YouTube puts the video length in the bottom-right corner. Don't put important words or faces there.
Check it small
Before you upload, shrink the thumbnail to about 200 pixels wide and look at it next to other videos in your topic. If you can't read it or it doesn't stand out, simplify it.
Test and improve
YouTube Studio shows the click-through rate of each video's impressions. If a video gets plenty of impressions but few clicks, try a new thumbnail. Change one thing at a time, such as the words or the face, so you learn what works for your audience.