YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
Paste a YouTube link or video ID to see every thumbnail size YouTube serves, from 1280 × 720 down to 120 × 90, and download the one you need as a JPG.
Sizes YouTube keeps
Each video has up to five landscape sizes. Shorts also have a portrait cover.
- HD1280 × 720 · 16:9
- SD640 × 480 · 4:3
- High480 × 360 · 4:3
- Medium320 × 180 · 16:9
- Small120 × 90 · 4:3
- Shorts cover1080 × 1920 · 9:16
Why it works
Every thumbnail size, without guessing image links
Each size, checked
See every size YouTube keeps for a video with its exact dimensions. Sizes the video doesn't have are marked, so you never save YouTube's grey placeholder by mistake.
Shorts covers in portrait
Paste a Shorts link to also get the 1080 × 1920 vertical cover, not just the landscape versions.
Up to 10 videos at once
Paste a list of links to collect thumbnails from a topic or a channel in one go and compare them side by side.
Thumbnail sizes
The sizes YouTube serves
YouTube makes several copies of every thumbnail. The largest one it serves is 1280 × 720, even when the creator uploaded a bigger image.
Making your own? YouTube recommends uploading thumbnails at 3840 × 2160. The YouTube sizes guide lists every upload size.
A thumbnail works together with the title next to it. Draft a few with the YouTube title generator.
Source: YouTube Data API: Thumbnails. Source: YouTube Help: Add video thumbnails.
- HD · 1280 × 720
- 16:9. Only some videos have it, for example ones uploaded in HD.
- SD · 640 × 480
- 4:3, so a 16:9 thumbnail gets black bars. Only some videos have it.
- High · 480 × 360
- 4:3, so a 16:9 thumbnail gets black bars.
- Medium · 320 × 180
- 16:9, a quarter of the HD width.
- Small · 120 × 90
- 4:3, the smallest size.
- Shorts cover · 1080 × 1920
- 9:16 portrait cover, shown for Shorts.
When to use it
Good reasons to save a thumbnail
- Back up your own thumbnails
Keep a copy of the thumbnails you've published, for a portfolio, a media kit or a redesign.
- Study what works on a topic
Collect thumbnails from the top videos on a topic and look for patterns in text, faces and color.
- Preview a video in a post or slides
Use the thumbnail as a preview image next to a link to the video.
A thumbnail is its creator's work. Use your own freely. For anyone else's, link to the video or ask the creator before reusing it.
How it works
Download a YouTube thumbnail in three steps
Copy the video link
On YouTube, select Share and copy the link, or copy the address from your browser. Shorts links work too.
Paste it here
Paste one link per line, up to ten, and select Get thumbnails.
Pick a size and download
HD is the sharpest. If a video doesn't have HD, SD or High is the next largest.
YouTube thumbnail FAQ
Can I download a YouTube thumbnail in 4K?
No. YouTube recommends uploading thumbnails at 3840 × 2160, but the largest copy it serves is 1280 × 720, so that's the biggest size any downloader can get.
Why is the HD size missing for some videos?
YouTube only makes the 1280 × 720 and 640 × 480 copies for some videos. An HD video may have larger thumbnails than one that isn't HD. When they're missing, 480 × 360 is the largest size available.
Why do some sizes have black bars?
The 640 × 480 and 480 × 360 copies are 4:3. YouTube resizes thumbnails without cropping them, so a 16:9 image gets black bars above and below. For a clean 16:9 image, use HD or Medium.
Does it work with Shorts and live streams?
Yes. Paste a Shorts, live or embed link the same way as a regular one. For Shorts, you also get the 1080 × 1920 portrait cover when YouTube provides one.
Can I get thumbnails from private or unlisted videos?
Unlisted videos work if you have the link. If YouTube doesn't serve a thumbnail for a video, for example because it's private or deleted, you'll see a message that no thumbnail was found.
Can I reuse someone else's thumbnail?
A thumbnail is its creator's work, so treat it like any other image you didn't make. Download your own freely. For someone else's, link to the video or ask the creator before using it in your own video, ad or product. This isn't legal advice.
What file format are the downloads?
JPG, the format YouTube serves. Each file name includes the video ID and the size, so several downloads stay easy to tell apart.
Is this YouTube thumbnail downloader free?
Yes. It's free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser. Thumbnails load straight from YouTube, and nothing you paste is stored.
YouTube toolkit
