Titles, thumbnails and hooks
How to make YouTube thumbnails that get clicks
A thumbnail that gets clicks shows one clear thing that makes people curious, and it still works at the size of a stamp. Use one subject, strong contrast and three words or fewer, then check it next to other videos in your niche.
Cuetta team4 min read
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YouTube thumbnail size and specs
| Setting | What YouTube asks for |
|---|---|
| Shape | 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts |
| Size | At least 640 pixels wide. 1280 × 720 is the common size. YouTube now suggests up to 3840 × 2160 for videos |
| File type | JPG or PNG |
| File size | Up to 50 MB from a computer, 2 MB from the phone app |
| Who can upload | Accounts that are verified |
Shape
- What YouTube asks for
- 16:9 for videos, 9:16 for Shorts
Size
- What YouTube asks for
- At least 640 pixels wide. 1280 × 720 is the common size. YouTube now suggests up to 3840 × 2160 for videos
File type
- What YouTube asks for
- JPG or PNG
File size
- What YouTube asks for
- Up to 50 MB from a computer, 2 MB from the phone app
Who can upload
- What YouTube asks for
- Accounts that are verified
A 1280 × 720 JPG under 2 MB works on every device and upload route, so it's a safe default.
What a thumbnail has to do
Viewers scroll fast. Your thumbnail gets a fraction of a second to make someone stop. It does that by being easy to read and by raising a question the title then answers.
Most people see thumbnails small, on a phone, in a list. Anything that only works at full size, like fine text, small faces or busy backgrounds, gets lost.
Seven rules for thumbnails that get clicks
- 1
One clear subject
A face, an object or a result. If your eye doesn't know where to land, nobody's will.
- 2
Strong contrast
Make the subject stand out from the background with light against dark, warm against cool, or sharp against blurred.
- 3
Big, readable shapes
If you can't tell what it is at 160 pixels wide, simplify it.
- 4
Three words or fewer
Text should add something the title doesn't say, like a reaction or a number.
- 5
Show the payoff
The finished build, the before and after, the price, the shocked face. Not the boring start.
- 6
Clear emotion
If you show a face, the expression should be easy to read from far away.
- 7
Stand out from your niche
If every video in your niche is red and yellow, yours shouldn't be.
Make the thumbnail and title a pair
The thumbnail and title should tell one story together without repeating each other. A common pattern: the thumbnail shows the moment, and the title explains it.
| Thumbnail shows | Title says |
|---|---|
| A tiny apartment, "$400" in big text | I rented the cheapest apartment in New York |
| A burnt cake next to a perfect one | I tested 5 viral baking hacks |
| A worried face and a broken laptop | Don't buy a laptop before watching this |
A tiny apartment, "$400" in big text
- Title says
- I rented the cheapest apartment in New York
A burnt cake next to a perfect one
- Title says
- I tested 5 viral baking hacks
A worried face and a broken laptop
- Title says
- Don't buy a laptop before watching this
Read more in how to write YouTube titles.
Check it at real size
Before you upload, look at your thumbnail where viewers will see it: small, on a phone, next to other videos in your niche. Check it in dark mode too, since many people use YouTube that way.
Ask yourself three questions. What's the first thing I see? Can I read the text? Does it look different from everything around it?
Test thumbnails with Test & compare
YouTube Studio's Test & compare lets you upload up to three thumbnails for one video. YouTube shows them to different viewers and picks the one with the highest watch time share.
That's better than testing clicks alone, because a thumbnail that tricks people into clicking won't keep them watching. Test big differences, like a different subject, color or emotion, rather than small tweaks.
Learn from outlier thumbnails
Look at thumbnails on videos that beat their channel's usual views. Note what they share: the color, the number of elements, the emotion, the amount of text. Use the pattern, never the image.
See what outlier videos are for how to find them.
Common thumbnail mistakes
- Too much text, or text that repeats the title.
- Several small things competing for attention.
- Dark, low-contrast images that vanish in a feed.
- Important parts in the bottom-right corner, where YouTube shows the video length.
- Misleading images. They may get clicks, but viewers leave fast, and Test & compare won't pick them.
- Using other people's images or brand logos without permission.