Laden Sie Ihr Vorschaubild hoch und sehen Sie, wie die Zeitmarke, die Fortschrittsleiste und die Wiedergabetaste von YouTube es abdecken - im Startbildschirm, auf Mobilgeräten und in der Seitenleiste.
YouTube thumbnails are displayed at 1280x720 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio), but the YouTube UI overlays several elements on top of your image. The most critical is the timestamp badge - a black box with white text in the bottom-right corner that shows the video duration.
The timestamp box width depends on the video length: a short video like "3:45" produces a narrow box (~44px), while a long video like "1:23:45" produces a wider box (~62px). In all cases, the box is positioned 4px from the bottom-right corner, with approximately 2px of border-radius.
Additionally, if a viewer has partially watched your video, a red progress bar appears at the very bottom of the thumbnail. This can obscure text or important details placed near the bottom edge.
| UI Element | Position | Size | When Visible |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timestamp Badge | Bottom-right (4px inset) | ~44-62px wide × 20px tall | Always in feed |
| Progress Bar | Full width at bottom | 1280px × 4px | Partially watched videos |
| Play Button | Center | ~52px circle | Desktop hover only |
| Watch Later | Top-right (on hover) | ~24px icon | Desktop hover only |
YouTube shows your thumbnail at different sizes depending on where it appears. Text that's readable on the Home Feed may be unreadable in the Sidebar. Always test your thumbnail at the smallest display size - the Sidebar / Up Next view at ~168px wide.
| Context | Display Width | Aspect Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Feed (Desktop) | ~360px | 16:9 | Largest view, most detail visible |
| Mobile Feed | ~280px (varies) | 16:9 | Full-width on small screens |
| Sidebar / Up Next | ~168px | 16:9 | Smallest - text must be large to read |
| Search Results | ~360px | 16:9 | Similar to Home Feed |
Professional YouTubers use the "squint test" to validate their thumbnails: blur the image by 3-5 pixels and see if the text is still readable. If it's not, your thumbnail won't work on mobile or in the sidebar where it's displayed at a fraction of the original size.
Our Blur Test button applies a 3px Gaussian blur to all preview sizes simultaneously, letting you instantly check if your text "pops" at every size.
YouTube recommends 1280×720 pixels (16:9 ratio) with a minimum width of 640 pixels. File size should be under 2MB.
Use high contrast, large text, expressive faces, and bright colors. This tool lets you preview how it looks against real YouTube results.
Yes! The tool shows your thumbnail in desktop search, suggested sidebar, and mobile feed layouts.