What size are YouTube thumbnails?

The full size is 1280 by 720 pixels, a 16:9 JPG, which is also the size YouTube asks creators to upload. YouTube keeps smaller copies at 640 by 480, 480 by 360 and 320 by 180. The 640 and 480 copies are 4:3, so a widescreen thumbnail has black bars above and below in them.

Why is there no HD version of some thumbnails?

YouTube only makes the 1280 by 720 copy when the video was uploaded in 720p or higher, or the creator uploaded a large custom thumbnail. Older and low-resolution videos stop at 640 by 480, and the tool shows the largest one that exists.

Can I download the thumbnail of a YouTube Short?

Yes. Paste the youtube.com/shorts/... link and it works like any other video. A Short's thumbnail is a frame or cover the creator picked, stored in the same sizes as a normal video's.

Can I use a downloaded thumbnail on my own channel?

Not as your own. A thumbnail belongs to the creator who made it, and reusing it can get your video taken down for copyright. Download thumbnails to study what works in your niche, for a reference board, or to use with permission, then make your own.

Is this thumbnail downloader free?

Yes, with no login and no limit. Your browser fetches the images straight from YouTube, so nothing passes through our servers.

Free tool

YouTube Thumbnail Downloader

To download a YouTube thumbnail, paste the video or Shorts link below: you get the Full HD 1280×720 JPG and every smaller size YouTube keeps. Free, no login, no limit.

Get a YouTube thumbnail

Paste a video or Shorts link and we'll show every size YouTube has for it.

Works with watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live and embed links, or a bare 11-character video ID.

What a thumbnail board teaches you

Save the thumbnails of the ten best performing videos in your niche and put them side by side. The pattern shows up fast: how many words they use (usually three or fewer), where the face or object sits, which colour carries the contrast, and how big the text is at phone size.

Then shrink them. A thumbnail is judged at about 320 pixels wide in a feed, which is the Medium size this tool lists. Anything you cannot read there does not exist for the viewer, however good it looks at full size.

Need to fit your own picture to 1280×720? The image resizer crops or pads any image to the exact YouTube thumbnail size, in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Everything about downloading YouTube thumbnails

Copy the video's link (Share, then Copy link in the app, or the address bar on a computer), paste it in the box above and click Get thumbnail. The largest size shows first with a Download button, and every smaller size YouTube has for that video is listed under it.

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YouTube Shorts downloaderSave any public YouTube Short as an MP4 in up to 1080p.

The full product

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