YouTube Video thumbnail size — 1280 × 720 px
1280×720 is the documented baseline and the minimum width is 640 px. Larger is fine on desktop uploads.
Drop an image here or click to choose a file
It is centre-cropped and resized to exactly 1280 × 720 px in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
YouTube Video thumbnail specifications
1280×720 is the documented baseline and the minimum width is 640 px. Larger is fine on desktop uploads.
Why the exact size matters
When you upload something bigger than the platform expects, it is resized on their servers — usually with a fast algorithm that softens edges and introduces artefacts around text. Resizing to the exact pixel dimensions first means the platform has nothing to change, and what you approved is what appears.
The tool above centre-crops to 16:9 and then scales to exactly 1280 × 720. If your source has an important element near an edge, crop it yourself with the image cropper first.
Other YouTube sizes
Every platform
YouTube Video thumbnail — FAQ
What is the YouTube video thumbnail size?
What file format should I use?
Does this tool upload my image?
Can I get a PNG instead of a JPG?
More image tools
All 12 other tools in this collection — free, no sign-up, nothing uploaded.