Video specs · YouTube thumbnail
YouTube thumbnail size and specs
The size, shape, file, and account rules YouTube Help lists for custom thumbnails on videos and Shorts. Most guides still quote 1280×720; YouTube’s own page now asks for more.
Last verified against the official pages listed below.
- Recommended size (videos)
- 3840×2160 px[1]YouTube asks for the largest image you can make, because the thumbnail is also the preview in the embedded player. 1280×720 still clears the minimum but is no longer the size YouTube recommends.
- Minimum size
- 640 px wide for videos, 640 px tall for Shorts[1]
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts, 1:1 for podcast playlists[1]On a vertical video, a 16:9 custom thumbnail is replaced by an auto-generated 4:5 one on Home, Explore, and Subscriptions. Yours still shows in the watch feed, watch history, and on desktop.
- Recommended size (Shorts)
- 2160×3840 px[1]Custom Shorts thumbnails can only be added in YouTube Studio on a computer, during upload or afterwards.
- File format
- JPG or PNG[1][3]YouTube Help gives these two as examples; the YouTube Data API accepts JPEG and PNG. Animated GIFs are not listed.
- Maximum file size
- 2 MB from mobile, 50 MB from desktop[1][3]Podcast thumbnails uploaded from mobile can be up to 10 MB. Uploads through the YouTube Data API are capped at 50 MB.
- Who can upload one
- Verified accounts only[1][2]Verification is a code sent to your phone. Without it you can only pick one of the auto-generated options.
- Timestamp safe area
- Not publishedYouTube gives no pixel size for the duration badge drawn over the bottom-right corner.
What covers a YouTube thumbnail
On Home, search, and suggested videos, YouTube draws the video length in a dark badge in the bottom-right corner, and a red progress bar along the bottom edge once someone has watched part of the video. Neither size is published, and both sit on top of your image.
The practical rule: keep faces, the subject, and any text away from the bottom-right corner and the bottom edge. Then check the image at phone size, where most people first see it, not at full screen in your editor.
Before you upload
- Export at 3840×2160 for a regular video. A smaller 16:9 image works if it is at least 640 px wide, but YouTube recommends going as large as possible.
- Stay under 2 MB if you upload from the YouTube or YouTube Studio app; desktop uploads can be up to 50 MB.
- For a Short, upload a 9:16 image in YouTube Studio on a computer. The mobile apps do not offer custom Shorts thumbnails yet.
- Thumbnails follow the Community Guidelines. A rejected thumbnail can bring a strike, and repeat offences can remove custom thumbnail access for 30 days.
Thumbnails in HypeNest
HypeNest drafts an AI thumbnail cover next to each clip and its title. Choose the title text (Auto, your own words, or none), keep up to two faces, or switch back to a frame from the video. Finished thumbnails stay on the Exports page with the project. Free includes 3 free AI thumbnails to try; paid plans get a monthly allowance.
Start freeFAQ
- What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
- YouTube Help recommends 3840×2160 pixels (16:9) for videos and 2160×3840 (9:16) for Shorts. The minimum is 640 pixels wide for videos and 640 pixels tall for Shorts.
- Is 1280×720 still fine for a YouTube thumbnail?
- It uploads and displays correctly, because it is 16:9 and wider than 640 px. YouTube now recommends 3840×2160, so export larger if your source image allows it.
- What is the maximum file size for a YouTube thumbnail?
- 2 MB when you upload from a phone or tablet, 50 MB from a computer. Podcast thumbnails from mobile can be up to 10 MB.
- Why can’t I upload a custom thumbnail?
- Custom thumbnails need a verified account; verify with a phone code at youtube.com/verify. If a thumbnail broke the Community Guidelines more than once, the option can also be switched off for 30 days.
- Can YouTube Shorts have a custom thumbnail?
- Yes, from YouTube Studio on a computer, either while uploading the Short or afterwards. Use a 9:16 image; 2160×3840 is the recommended size.