YouTube thumbnail maker
Start from a frame of your video or any image, add a bold title and your face on top, and see it the way YouTube will show it before you download. Free, no watermark, up to 4K, and nothing is uploaded.
Drag the title, the picture or the image on top to move them.
Your video's title, as it shows under the thumbnail
Your channel
1:30:07Godfather of AI: They Keep Silencing Me But I’m Trying to Warn Them!
The Diary Of A CEO
The length in the corner covers part of the thumbnail: keep words out of the bottom right.
Your video or image
Or drop one on the thumbnail. It stays on your device: nothing is uploaded.
Put *stars* around words to color them.
Style
Color for the starred words
Line up
Darken behind the text
Image on top
Your face cut out (a PNG with a see-through background), a logo, or anything else.
Download
YouTube takes up to 50 MB from a computer and 2 MB from the app. Free, no watermark.
A thumbnail gets the click on one video. Shorts bring new people to it. Paste the video's link and Clyper cuts its best moments into vertical, captioned clips, each one a way in.
Make Shorts from a YouTube linkHow to make a YouTube thumbnail
- Choose your video (or a photo) and slide to the frame you want: a clear face, mid-reaction. Zoom in and drag it to frame it.
- Write three to five words that add to the title rather than repeat it. Put *stars* around a word to color it.
- Pick a style, then drag the words to the side with the most room. Darken that side so they stand out.
- Add an image on top if you like: your face cut out as a PNG, an object, or a logo, with a white outline.
- Check the preview at the size people will see it, in light and dark mode, then download a JPG or PNG.
YouTube thumbnail size and rules
| What YouTube asks for | |
|---|---|
| Size | 3840 × 2160 suggested; at least 640 pixels wide |
| Shape | 16:9 (1280 × 720, 1920 × 1080 and 3840 × 2160 are all 16:9) |
| Format | JPG or PNG |
| File size | Up to 50 MB in YouTube Studio on a computer; 2 MB from the app (10 MB for a podcast) |
| Who can upload one | Verified accounts |
A Short's thumbnail is a different shape, 9:16. Make one with the Shorts thumbnail maker, and see how to change a Short's thumbnail.
What makes people click
One idea, readable small. Many people will see your thumbnail a couple of inches wide, on a phone. If the words can't be read in the preview above, they're too small or too many.
Add to the title, don't repeat it. The title sits right under the thumbnail. Let the picture show the result, the reaction or the stakes, and the words say what the title leaves out.
A face, close. A clear expression reads at any size. Zoom in on the frame rather than showing the whole room, and keep the words off the face and out of the bottom right corner, where YouTube puts the video's length.
Promise only what's in the video. A thumbnail that oversells gets the click and loses the viewer, and YouTube's recommendations weigh whether people keep watching. Its A/B test picks the thumbnail with the most watch time, not the most clicks.
Test thumbnails on YouTube
YouTube Studio can test up to 3 titles and thumbnails on one video: it shows each to some viewers and, usually within two weeks, keeps the one with the most watch time for everyone. It works on long videos and live archives (not Shorts, or premieres and scheduled lives before they air), on a computer, with advanced features turned on.
Make two or three versions here that differ in one thing, the words, the face or the colors, and test those. More on getting the click in how to make a YouTube thumbnail.
Questions
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
YouTube suggests 3840 × 2160 pixels, 16:9, at least 640 pixels wide, as a JPG or PNG. 1280 × 720 and 1920 × 1080 are the same shape and work too.
What's the file size limit for a thumbnail?
50 MB when you upload it in YouTube Studio on a computer, and 2 MB from the YouTube app on a phone (10 MB for a podcast). The 1280 × 720 download here is kept under 2 MB so it fits both.
Why can't I upload a custom thumbnail?
Your account has to be verified first. Verify it with a phone number in YouTube Studio, then the Upload file option appears under Thumbnail in the video's details.
How do I change a video's thumbnail?
In YouTube Studio, open Content, choose the video, click Upload file under Thumbnail, pick the image and click Save. You can change it as often as you like.
Can I test two thumbnails against each other?
Yes. In YouTube Studio on a computer, with advanced features turned on, you can A/B test up to 3 titles and thumbnails on a long video. YouTube shows each to some viewers and keeps the one with the most watch time.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. The thumbnail is drawn in your browser from the video or images on your device, and saved straight to it. It's free and has no watermark.
Sources
From YouTube's own help pages, read on October 20, 2026.
The thumbnail gets the click. Shorts bring the viewers.
Paste your video's YouTube link. Clyper finds its best moments, frames them vertically on whoever's talking and captions every word: up to 30 Shorts that lead people back to it.
Guides
- Making clipsHow to make a YouTube thumbnail that gets clicksThe size YouTube asks for, what makes people click, how to make one free or in Canva or Photoshop, and how to test it.13 min read
- GrowingHow to get more views on YouTube: what YouTube says worksHow YouTube picks what to recommend, and what to do about it: the click, the first 30 seconds, search, keeping viewers, analytics and Shorts.14 min read
- GrowingHow to change a YouTube Shorts thumbnail (and make a good one)Who can upload a custom Shorts thumbnail, the steps in YouTube Studio and the app, the size to make it, and what makes a cover people tap.9 min read
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