YouTube · free & no signup
YouTube Thumbnail Size: 1280 × 720
Drop an image and get a perfectly cropped 1280×720 thumbnail, automatically compressed under YouTube's 2 MB upload limit.
Drag the image to reposition it · scroll or pinch to zoom
Batch mode
Every image will be resized to and downloaded as one ZIP. Change the size below before you start.
Works with images up to roughly 50 MP (about 8000 × 6000 px) depending on your device's memory. WebP export is unavailable in a few older Safari versions — the option is disabled automatically when that is the case.
How it works
Three steps, no account, no watermark.
Add your image
Drag a file onto the box, click to browse, or paste straight from your clipboard with Ctrl + V. Nothing is uploaded anywhere.
Frame it
The crop box is already locked to 1280 × 720. Drag the image to move it and scroll or pinch to zoom until it looks right.
Download
Pick PNG, JPG or WebP. The file is compressed automatically to stay under YouTube's limit — or grab every YouTube size at once as a ZIP.
About the youtube thumbnail size
YouTube asks for thumbnails at 1280 × 720 pixels — a 16:9 frame, 720p, and no heavier than 2 MB. Upload something smaller and YouTube stretches it; upload something with the wrong ratio and YouTube adds black bars or crops the part you cared about. Both look amateur next to the videos you are competing with in the sidebar.
The catch nobody mentions is that your thumbnail almost never appears at 1280 × 720. On a phone it renders around 320 px wide, and in the desktop sidebar it can drop to 246 × 138. Design at full size, then squint at it small: if the face is unreadable or the text needs more than a second, it will lose the click. Three or four large words is the practical maximum.
Every YouTube image size
The complete list — click any row to load that size into the tool, or use the ZIP button to export all of them at once. Official means the platform publishes that figure itself; Recommended means it is the widely used standard where the platform publishes none.
| Image | Size (px) | Max file | Source | What to know | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 2 MB | Official | 16:9. Shown as small as 246×138 in the sidebar, so keep faces and text large. | |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 | 6 MB | Official | Only the central 1235×338 safe area is visible on every device — keep text there. | |
| Profile picture | 800 × 800 | 4 MB | Official | Cropped to a circle. Leave breathing room around the edges. | |
| Video watermark | 150 × 150 | 1 MB | Official | A transparent PNG on one flat shape reads best over video. | |
| Shorts cover | 1080 × 1920 | 2 MB | Recommended | 9:16. On your channel's Shorts shelf only the centre square of it is shown. |
Tips for YouTube
What actually makes the difference once the size is right.
Check it at 20% size
Shrink your finished thumbnail to about 250 px wide and look at it. If the subject or the text stops working, the thumbnail is too busy — that is the size most viewers actually see.
Keep the bottom-right corner clear
YouTube stamps the video duration over the bottom-right corner. Anything you place there — a logo, a word, an eye — gets covered up.
Contrast beats detail
A face with a strong expression against a simple, high-contrast background outperforms a detailed scene every time at sidebar size.
Match the promise of the title
The thumbnail and the title are read together, so do not repeat the title word for word. Let the image show what the title cannot say.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct YouTube thumbnail size?
1280 × 720 pixels, a 16:9 ratio, saved as JPG, PNG or WebP and under 2 MB. That is YouTube's own recommendation and the size this tool exports by default.
What happens if my thumbnail is over 2 MB?
YouTube rejects the upload with a generic error. This tool compresses automatically until the file fits, and shows you the final size with a green check so you know before you upload.
Can I use a photo that is not 16:9?
Yes. Move and zoom the image inside the crop frame to choose what stays in the 16:9 frame, or switch to blurred or solid-colour edges so the whole photo fits without being stretched.
Is 1280 × 720 enough, or should I go 1920 × 1080?
1280 × 720 is what YouTube serves. A larger file just gets downscaled and eats into your 2 MB budget, so there is no visible gain.
Does this upload my image anywhere?
No. The resizing and compression happen inside your browser using your own device. Your image never leaves your computer or phone.
Should I use JPG or PNG for a YouTube thumbnail?
JPG for photos and faces — it compresses far better and easily fits under 2 MB. Use PNG only if your thumbnail is flat graphics or text where you need perfectly crisp edges.
More size tools
Same tool, every other platform — all free and all local to your browser.