Add video thumbnails on YouTube

Video thumbnails permit viewers encounter a quick snapshot of your video every bit they're browsing YouTube. After your video is finished uploading, y'all can choose a thumbnail from the 3 options that YouTube automatically generates, or upload your ain if your account is verified.

Add or modify a video thumbnail

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left-hand carte du jour, select Content.
  3. Select a video by clicking its thumbnail.
  4. Cull an auto-generated thumbnail and select Save.

Note: Information technology may accept time for your thumbnail changes to appear on YouTube.

Create a custom video thumbnail

To upload custom thumbnails on YouTube, yous must have a verified business relationship.

New videos

Uploaded videos

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. From the left-mitt carte, select Content.
  3. Select a video by clicking its thumbnail.
  4. Under Thumbnail, select Upload thumbnail.
  5. Choose the file that yous'd like to utilise as your custom thumbnail.
  6. Select Save.

One time you lot've added a custom thumbnail, point to it and click More  to download or edit the thumbnail.

Lookout how to add a custom video thumbnail

Watch the following video from the YouTube Creators aqueduct if y'all'd like a tutorial on how to add a custom video thumbnail on YouTube.

How to Add together Custom Thumbnails to Your YouTube Videos

Custom thumbnail best practices

Paradigm size and resolution

Your custom thumbnail image should be every bit large equally possible. It will be used equally the preview epitome in the embedded player. We recommend that your custom thumbnails:

  • have a resolution of one,280 x 720 (with a minimum width of 640 pixels)
  • be uploaded in image formats such as JPG, GIF or PNG
  • remain under the 2 MB limit
  • take a 16:9 attribute ratio, equally it's the almost used in YouTube players and previews.

Thumbnail policies

All custom thumbnail images must follow our Community Guidelines. Your thumbnails may be rejected and a strike placed on your account if it contains:

  • Nudity or sexually provocative content
  • Hate speech
  • Violence
  • Harmful or dangerous content.

If a strike is issued, you lot'll go an email and run into an alarm in your channel settings the next time that you sign in to YouTube. You lot can appeal the strike if yous think that your thumbnails don't violate the YouTube Customs Guidelines. If your appeal is approved and you haven't already replaced the thumbnail, we may restore information technology.

Custom thumbnail limits

In that location's a limit to how many custom thumbnails a aqueduct can upload each day. If yous become an error maxim 'Daily custom thumbnail limit reached' when trying to upload a thumbnail, endeavor once more in 24 hours.

Limits may vary past state/region or channel history. Copyright strikes may bear on channel history eligibility. Customs Guidelines strikes will touch on how many custom thumbnails you can upload.

Why are my custom thumbnails turned off?

YouTube may plough off custom thumbnails for certain search results when they're considered inappropriate for viewers.

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