How Big Should a Good Thumbnail Be? YouTube’s Ultimate Guide

Best YouTube Thumbnail Size You Should Know[The Ultimate Guide]

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Around 300 hours of video is uploaded to Youtube in every single minute. Then content creators need to be more innovative and creative than others in the market. A thumbnail is worth a thousand words that show its real meaning in the case where every month YouTube records a whopping 2 billion active users. To create an impressive and tempting thumbnail, you should set a perfect youtube thumbnail size first.

So you may be wondering what the best youtube thumbnail size is, and how to create a attractive thumbnail for your YouTube videos? Don’t worry I’ll explain everything here. You will learn:

Part 1: The Ultimate Guide of YouTube Thumbnail Size
Part 2: Upload and Change a Custom YouTube Thumbnail to Your Video
Part 3: Q&A– About Creating YouTube Thumbnails

Part 1: The Ultimate Guide of Youtube Thumbnail Size

Every content creator needs to select the right youtube thumbnail size for any given video.

1. What’s the Best YouTube Thumbnail Size(Dimensions)?

According to the YouTube guidelines , the best-suited youtube thumbnail size is 1280x720 pixels with a minimum pixel width of 640 pixels. Also, the custom thumbnail image must be as large as possible as it will be utilized as a preview image in the embedded player.

2. What Are the Compatible Formats for YouTube Thumbnail Image?

The recommended thumbnail image formats are .JPG, .PNG, .GIF, .BMP

3. What’s the Maximum YouTube Thumbnail Size?

The maximum YouTube thumbnail size must be below 2MB. Keeping the limit in mind design your thumbnail image as high-resolution as possible. This will ensure your custom thumbnail doesn’t get rejected by YouTube.

4. What’s the Recommended Aspect Ratio of YouTube Thumbnail?

Usually, the 16:9 ratio is deemed an ideal choice for any YouTube video aiming high view volume. As it is most widely used in YouTube players and previews.

Part 2: Upload and Change a Custom YouTube Thumbnail

With a verified account, you can upload custom thumbnail on new videos as well as change the thumbnail of uploaded videos.

1. For New Video

YouTube makes it very simple and easy for any content creator to publish custom YouTube thumbnail on their video while uploading the video onto the platform. Here’s the method to do so:

Upload your desired video to YouTube in the Upload section.

When your upload to the YouTube is completed a section will appear at the down portion of the browser screen showing Video Thumbnails. Here YouTube automatically creates some thumbnail images from your uploaded video and shows them here. These are the screenshots from your video, and you can select any one of them to be your thumbnail.

You will be able to see a button right next to the image – Custom thumbnail. Click on the button and you can upload a set of images of your choice as the thumbnail of your video.
Once done you can see the custom image just uploaded as the thumbnail of your video.

If you want to update the image or change it with another one you can just click on the same image in the video thumbnail section and swap it with any other image.

2. For Already Uploaded Video

To change the thumbnail on an already uploaded video you need to follow these steps:

Sign in to YouTube Studio associated with your YouTube channel.
From the menu go to Videos and then select the video you want to upload a custom thumbnail to via its title or thumbnail

Now in the thumbnail section if you already haven’t uploaded a custom thumbnail, click Custom thumbnail.
Select your intended thumbnail file and click Save.

Part 3: Q&A– About YouTube Thumbnail Images

You may want to know:

Question 1: How do I make my youtube thumbnail less than 2mb?
Question 2: How can I create an attractive youtube thumbnail?

1. How do I make my youtube thumbnail less than 2mb?

YouTube will not allow you to upload a custom thumbnail image if it is bigger than the 2MB limit. So, you need to make sure the file size is below the limit to be able to successfully upload a custom thumbnail. To reduce the image size you can follow the steps below:

1. Open Microsoft Paint and open the thumbnail image that is above 2MB size
2. Now go to the File menu and click Save as then select JPEG picture
3. Select the location you want the file to be saved to
4. The thumbnail picture will be reduced to Kilobytes only while maintaining the image quality

2. How can I create an attractive youtube thumbnail?

Utilizing online platforms and software tools to make your thumbnail image informative and attractive can potentially increase your views and traffic. You can use any advanced tools like Wondershare Filmora, Wondershare PixStudio, or Canva to create an aspiring and luring image that will get more views on YouTube just because of the thumbnail image. Here we will show you how to do it with Wondershare Filmora, Wondershare PixStudio and Canva:

1. Try Wondershare Filmora>>

Wondershare Filmora is an outstanding tool if you want to make a perfect thumbnail image. Consider and optimize your thumbnail for mobile devices to offer the best experience to your users on every possible device. Make it stand out as the thumbnail can be the very first thing that might attract a viewer.

Let’s see how you can create your thumbnail using Wondershare Filmora:

2. Try Wondershare PixStudio>>

Wondershare PixStudio provides you massive pre-designed templates which help you to create attractive YouTube Thumbnail. Let’s see the video below and see how you can design your YouTube Thumbnail easily.

3. Try Canva>>

With Canva you can make a distinct and stand-out YouTube thumbnail image. Canva hosts a number of readymade designs that you can use to design and customize it for your use.

Note:

To download the image without the watermark you’ll need to sign-up for a premium account on the Canva.

To sum up

YouTube thumbnail plays an important part for the audience’s first impression on your video. And it is of essential essence as it can attract more viewers to your content. So you should get the right youtube thumbnail size before you start customing your thumbnail. We’ve gone through all the detailed requirements of youtube thumbnail size and how to make the best thumbnail by using the best software solutions. Please leave your comments below if any suggestions. We’d love to hear them!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

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YouTube reports that Facebook is the most utilized platform fans use to watch online content. More so, up to 40% of those who watch the content do share links with their friends online – this then makes it quick to promote YouTube content on Facebook. Simply by making your new YouTube content visible on your Facebook page, and you’ll be certain that thousands of viewers will have a glimpse of it. You must already be scratching your head for ways on how to post a YouTube video on a Facebook page. Well, we bring you several ways to go through that and make your YouTube content accessible on Facebook.

How to Post YouTube video on Facebook?

Since Facebook is easily accessible, many users have more access to it than other social media platforms. More so, the page allows you to communicate with your audience via photos, videos, graphics, text, among many other multimedia contents. You don’t even need any programming skills to operate it. Here are ways to post YouTube content to Facebook.

If you have a stationary point of work, i.e., a computer, it is possible to share your YouTube video through it.

Step 1. First, visit the YouTube site at https://www.youtube.com . It can launch from any web browser.

Step 2. Choose from among your videos on YouTube the one you wish to share on Facebook.

Step 3. Then find the “Share” icon located directly under the video you want to share. Click on the video and hit the “Share” button below the video.

Step 4. Choose “Facebook” from the sharing options that pop up.

Step 5. Next, sign in to “Facebook” on your desktop. Then select the destination point you want your video to land in by using the drop-down menu at the top of your desktop screen. Select the “Share to News Feed” or perhaps the share to “Story.”

Step 6. Finally, click the “Post to Facebook” tab to share your YouTube content with Facebook.

Are you on the go and want your Facebook fans to know what content you have on your YouTube channel? Here are the simple steps on how to post a YouTube video on Facebook right from the palm of your hands – a mobile device.

Step 1. Use any browser on your mobile device to launch the YouTube app from the official website.

Step 2. Peruse through your YouTube videos and choose the one you wish to share on Facebook.

Step 3. Check below the video and click on the “Share” icon.

Step 4. Search through the app’s options and choose Facebook. Also, ensure that the “Facebook” app is installed on your mobile device to make your videos sharable.

Step 5. Click on the “Next” option in the upper right-hand corner of your mobile screen. It will enable video sharing.

Step 6. Then choose the YouTube video’s post destination to your Facebook. It could be shared on your timeline, story, or a Facebook group’s page.

Step 7. Finally, click on the “Share” tab to make your video viewable on Facebook.

How to post a YouTube video on Facebook

Easily post your YouTube video on Facebook and let viewers access them directly from your Facebook feed. By this, your fans don’t have to click on other tabs but will access the videos directly.

Step 1. Copy the YouTube video’s link
First, go to your YouTube channel and copy the video link that you want to post to Facebook. You can as well copy the embed code.

Step 2. Embed the video link you copied
This link should be embedded into a Facebook post. Do this by first logging into your Facebook account. Then go to the top of your “Facebook News Feed” and click the “What’s on your mind” box.

Step 3. Paste your link
Right-click on the “What’s on your mind” box, then select the “Paste” option.

Step 4. Preview video
Facebook will let you preview the video you just posted. Check whether you have pasted the right video before you post it.

Step 5. Post your video
Now, scroll down and click on the “Post” tab. You can also add a message to your post. Just place a cursor after the video URL and hit the “Enter” key on your keyboard. Finally, scroll down and hit the “Post” tab to make your video public on Facebook.

Extra Tip: Facebook Video Tips for more Views and Shares

You have to play your cards well when it comes to posting and sharing your videos on Facebook. These tips are all you need.

- Catch viewer’s attention within the shortest time possible

Here, your main aim is to convince your viewers. So, don’t let them spend so much time before you catch their attention. You can bring up a point about some latest news or adventures that let your viewers connect immediately.

- Add captions to the video

It is not necessarily possible that viewers will watch your videos with the sound on. Some like it when it’s silent and might disable the sound auto-play. Add some captions so that viewers will understand your video, even on silent mode.

- Emphasize on one key-point

Focus on one key point so that your viewers are not swayed away. Your video is highly sharable if it is easy to understand.

- Add a Call To Action

Including a call-to-action will encourage your viewers to subscribe to your channel. Ensure you include it at the end of your video to tell viewers what to do next. You could also include a link to your blog post to let your viewers read and find more content from your other channels.

- Facebook ads can make a great difference

Facebook is a great place for running ads that reach a wider audience. Adverts are great ways to target a specific audience. They explain your products and services more straightforwardly.

- Embed your videos on blog posts

Numerous people get to access guest posts and blog posts. You can embed your Facebook videos on such posts to reach more people. Just get the embed code from your video, then copy and paste it to a guest or blog post.

Frequently Asked Question about Facebook video

Both viewers and content creators have a few concerns about YouTube and Facebook videos. Here are some frequently asked questions that will be of benefit to you.

YouTube is just one platform where content creators showcase their productions. Yes, it is legal to share your content on other forums like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

2) What is the best time to post to your Facebook page?

The best time to post on a Facebook page depends on your time zone. Generally, viewers access Facebook late in the evening and early in the night. Perhaps they are off work and now want to relax by checking the day’s updates.

3) What are Facebook business accounts and personal accounts?

Facebook business accounts are designed for users who want to use Facebook to administer their pages and advert campaigns. This account cannot be found in searching or receiving friend request apps. Nonetheless, personal accounts are used at basic and casual levels. You can search for friends and send requests. Personal accounts are also easy to manage.

Yes, it is possible to let others share what you have posted. Just ensure they know your intention by constant reminders. Some popular ways that are proven to be effective include the use of “Call to Action,” using an image or video with your Facebook status update and offering some incentive to your fans for sharing.

Of course not! What you pull from your YouTube channel is the kind of video that will be watched from Facebook. The quality cannot deteriorate. However, it is good to ensure you compose quality videos on YouTube before sharing them. Several video editing apps like Filmora can help you compose quality videos with high resolution.

Conclusion

● Facebook is a great platform that is accessed by a wide audience. More so, you can share your content from other platforms easily. The article has covered how to share YouTube videos on Facebook and hook your audience. You can use your computer or share directly from your mobile device in simple steps. It is also better to play some tricks on your effort to reach a wider audience. These include a CTA, embedding your Facebook videos to blogs posts, among other options.