YouTube Thumbnail Size: 1280 x 720
The recommended YouTube thumbnail size is 1280 x 720 pixels, a 16:9 aspect ratio, with a minimum width of 640 pixels and a file under 2 MB. This is the size that displays crisply everywhere from mobile to Smart TVs. Drop an image below and crop it to 1280 x 720 in your browser - nothing is uploaded.
1280 x 720 pxRatio16:9PlatformYouTubeWhy 1280 x 720 (16:9)?
The thumbnail is one of the strongest click-through-rate levers on YouTube, so it needs to be sharp at every size the platform renders it. A true 16:9 at 1280x720 scales down cleanly to the small search-result thumbnail and up to the large watch-page preview.
Common mistake: The most common mistake is putting the key element - a price, logo or the punchline of the headline - in the bottom-right corner, where YouTube overlays the semi-transparent video duration badge. Treat the bottom-right ~20% as a no-text zone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1280 x 720 pixels (16:9), minimum 640px wide, under 2 MB, as a JPG or PNG. Keep important text and faces out of the bottom-right corner, where the duration badge appears.
16:9, the same ratio as the video player. 1280 x 720 is the standard resolution; larger 16:9 sizes like 1920x1080 work too but 1280x720 is the recommended default.