Check your thumbnail
See it the way viewers will: under the timestamp, in the feed, on a phone and as a tiny sidebar card.
Drop a thumbnail here
or click to choose a file, or paste with ⌘V / Ctrl V.
Add up to 3 versions to compare them side by side.
Your image stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded.
Safe zones
What sits under the overlays on
Timestamp, home feed (~360 px wide)
Timestamp, sidebar (168 px wide)
Square crop (chat link previews)
1.91:1 crop (social link cards)
Home feed
Dark and light, next to other videos.
Dark
Light
Phone
Full-width in the feed, then small in the list under a playing video.
Sidebar
The smallest common size: 168 px wide. If the text doesn't read here, it's too small.
When you share the link
Chat apps and social sites crop the thumbnail. Every app crops a little differently, so treat these as a guide.
Social link card · 1.91:1![]()
Center crop, a thin strip off the top and bottom.
Chat preview · square![]()
youtube.com
Center square. Faces and text near the left or right edge get cut.
These previews are drawn from YouTube's current layout and sizes as of late 2026. YouTube changes its layout often, so use them to catch problems, not as a pixel-perfect copy. Not affiliated with YouTube.