YouTube Thumbnail Size
YouTube wants thumbnails at 1280 x 720, the same 16:9 shape as the video. Crop to it and nothing gets cut off in the player.
Your file is processed on your device and is never uploaded.
What this tool does
- Saves at exactly 1280 × 720 pixels
- You choose which part of the photo is kept
- Runs on your device — nothing is uploaded
How to use youtube thumbnail size
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Add your image
Drop in a JPG, PNG or WebP file.
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Position the box
It is already the right shape — drag it over the part you want.
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Download
Save at 1280 × 720.
Frequently asked questions
Why 1280 × 720?
YouTube specifies 1280 x 720 as the minimum for thumbnails and displays them at 16:9. Matching it exactly means the image is never letterboxed or cropped again on the way in.
What should I keep inside the frame?
The duration badge sits over the bottom right corner, and on a watch page the progress bar covers the bottom edge — keep text clear of both. Thumbnails also appear as small as 210 pixels wide in sidebars, so anything meant to be read has to survive being shrunk to a sixth of its size.
Why crop instead of just resizing?
Because the shapes rarely match. Resizing a 4:3 photo into a square either squashes it or leaves bars down the sides. Cropping lets you decide what to lose, which is the only way to get the right shape without distorting anyone’s face.
What if my photo is smaller than the target?
It will be enlarged to fit, and will look soft — enlarging cannot add detail that was never captured. The tool warns you when your selection is smaller than the target so you can pick a larger area or start from a better original.
Which format should I save as?
JPG, and keep it under 2 MB — that is YouTube’s hard limit for a custom thumbnail and anything over it is rejected on upload. PNG is accepted but reaches that limit much sooner for no visible gain.