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YouTube thumbnail size: resize to 1280×720

Updated Nothing is uploaded

YouTube recommends 1280 × 720 px custom thumbnails (16:9), at least 640 px wide and under 2 MB. Drop any screenshot or photo here to get a correctly sized, compressed thumbnail in one click.

1280 × 720 px

Minimum width 640 px. JPG, PNG or GIF under 2 MB.

Choose an image
Resized to 1280×720 instantly — or drop it here · 🔒 processed on your device, never uploaded

How to resize

  1. Pick the thumbnail size you need (the most common one is selected).
  2. Choose your image — it's resized instantly in your browser.
  3. Fill (crop) to cover the frame and drag to choose what's kept, or Fit (no crop) to keep the whole image with a colour or blurred background.
  4. Download and upload it straight to the platform.

YouTube thumbnail requirements

UsePixelsRatioNotes
Thumbnail 16:91280×72016:9Minimum width 640 px. JPG, PNG or GIF under 2 MB. · Max 2 MB

Source: YouTube Help — Add video thumbnails

  • Formats: JPG, PNG or GIF (not animated). JPG gives the smallest files.
  • Custom thumbnails need a verified channel (phone verification in YouTube Studio).
  • The video length badge covers the bottom-right corner — keep text away from it.

Design tips that get clicks

  • Thumbnails are mostly seen small (about 168 × 94 px in the sidebar and on phones). Use 3–5 big words at most.
  • High contrast and a clear face with emotion consistently outperform busy scenes.
  • Check your thumbnail on both light and dark mode — YouTube uses both.

Related tools

Frequently asked questions

What is the YouTube thumbnail size?

1280 × 720 pixels (16:9), minimum width 640 px, maximum 2 MB.

Why is my thumbnail rejected?

It's usually over 2 MB. The download here is compressed to fit under the limit automatically.

Can I use a 1920×1080 image?

Yes, it's also 16:9, but it's often over 2 MB as PNG. Resizing to 1280×720 JPG keeps it small and sharp.

Are my images uploaded?

No. Resizing happens in your browser; your image never leaves your device.

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