YouTube Thumbnail Preview
See your thumbnail and title in a home feed, search results and on mobile before you publish.
A generic approximation of common video-platform layouts — real layouts vary by device and change over time.
Runs in your browser — your files are not uploaded.
How to use the YouTube Thumbnail Preview
- Upload your thumbnail (1280 × 720 pixels is recommended).
- Type your video title, channel name and an example view count.
- Check the home grid, search results and mobile previews — try the dark theme too.
- Adjust your design or title until it reads clearly at small sizes.
Why use the YouTube Thumbnail Preview?
Most people see your thumbnail at a fraction of its real size, often on a phone, next to many competing videos. Text that looks bold in your editor can become unreadable, and important details can sit right under the duration badge. Previewing your thumbnail in realistic layouts — desktop grid, search list and mobile feed, in light and dark themes — helps you catch these problems before you publish. Your image is displayed from your device only; nothing is uploaded.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?
YouTube recommends 1280 × 720 pixels (16:9) with a minimum width of 640 pixels, saved as JPG, PNG or GIF within YouTube's file size limit.
Is this exactly what YouTube looks like?
It is a close, generic approximation of common layouts. YouTube changes its design and tests variations, so treat it as a guide.
Why does the bottom-right corner matter?
The video length is shown there, covering part of the thumbnail. Keep faces and text away from that corner.
How long can my title be before it is cut off?
It depends on the screen, but long titles are often cut after roughly 60–70 characters. Our YouTube Title Length Checker helps you test this.