YouTube thumbnail size

Resize image for YouTube

Q: What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?

A standard YouTube thumbnail uses 1280×720 pixels in a 16:9 ratio.

Q: Why do my thumbnails look soft after upload?

Tiny text, over-compression, or starting from a low-resolution source are the usual reasons.

Q: Do you upload my thumbnail image?

No. Resizing happens locally in your browser and your file stays on your device.

Use the 1280×720 preset for standard YouTube thumbnails. Keep bold subjects in the center and export clean JPG or PNG files.

Private

16:9 thumbnail

Kodotools · May 2026 · No uploads

Thumbnail reference

This page focuses on the classic 1280×720 16:9 thumbnail shape. It is a good baseline for channel videos, tutorials, and Shorts cover art exports.

Tip

Leave breathing room around text. YouTube overlays timestamps, menu icons, and truncates thumbnails at smaller sizes.

Quick presets

Drop images here

or click to browse — multiple files OK

JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC

Image loaded

Width (px)

Height (px)

Fit mode

Output format

JPEG quality 92%

Preview

Upload a thumbnail
to preview resize

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Original

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Est. output

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Target

Upload an image to start

How it works

Three steps

Upload

Choose your thumbnail art.

Preset

Tap YouTube 1280×720 or adjust exact pixels.

Download

Save and upload as your video thumbnail.

FAQ

YouTube thumbnail resize

What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?+

A standard YouTube thumbnail uses 1280×720 pixels in a 16:9 ratio. This page gives you that preset immediately.

Why do my thumbnails look soft after upload?+

Tiny text, over-compression, or reusing a low-resolution source are the usual reasons. Start large, keep contrast high, and avoid squeezing JPEG quality too hard.

Should I use JPEG or PNG for thumbnails?+

JPEG is usually best for photographic thumbnails. PNG can help with flat graphics or UI screenshots, but the file size is often much bigger.

Do you upload my thumbnail image?+

No. Resizing happens locally in your browser, so your file stays on your device until you upload it to YouTube yourself.

Where is the full image resizer?+

Use /image-resizer for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, WhatsApp, and the rest of the preset library.