YouTube thumbnail size
The correct dimensions, file limits and design tips for a thumbnail that stays sharp everywhere.
Recommended
The size YouTube recommends for every thumbnail.
Minimum width
Thumbnails below 640px wide are rejected.
High-res source
Design at 1080p and export down to 1280×720.
A YouTube thumbnail should be 1280×720 pixels (16:9), under 2MB, saved as JPG or PNG. That single size scales cleanly from tiny mobile previews to full-width desktop suggestions.
Keep your most important text and faces in the center, large enough to read at thumbnail scale, and clear of the bottom-right corner where the video duration appears.
The thumbnail is your click magnet — a strong one lifts click-through rate, which is one of the biggest levers on how far YouTube pushes a video.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?
1280×720 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The minimum allowed width is 640px, and the file must be under 2MB.
What file formats does YouTube accept for thumbnails?
JPG, PNG, GIF and BMP. JPG and PNG are the most reliable; keep the file under 2MB.
Why does my thumbnail look blurry?
Usually it was uploaded smaller than 1280×720 or over-compressed. Export at the full 1280×720 and keep key text large and away from the bottom-right where the duration stamp sits.