YouTube thumbnails designed to earn the click, honestly

On YouTube, your thumbnail and title are all a viewer sees before deciding to click. A great video with a weak thumbnail can go unwatched. A misleading thumbnail gets the click and then loses the viewer, which tells YouTube the video disappointed people.

The goal is a thumbnail that's eye-catching and honest.

• Readable at small sizes: most views happen on phones, so we design for a tiny screen first
• One clear focal point: a face, a product or a single striking image
• Three elements or fewer: clutter disappears in the feed
• Four words or fewer of text, if any, adding to the title rather than repeating it
• Strong contrast against YouTube's interface in both light and dark mode
• Emotion and curiosity that the video actually pays off
• A recognizable style, so returning viewers spot your videos instantly

1. 1

   Choose a pack and pay online.

2. 2

   Send your brief:

   video titles, the key moment or promise of each video, photos or stills, and channels you admire.

3. 3

   First thumbnail

   for style approval.

4. 4

   Design

   the rest of the pack.

5. 5

   Deliver

   1280×720 JPG or PNG files, sized to YouTube's requirements and ready to upload.