YouTube Thumbnail Size and Banner Size Checker
Drop in a thumbnail, a channel banner or a profile picture. You see its size, shape and file size against YouTube's current rules, and a preview of what YouTube covers or crops.
Pick what the image is for, then drop it in. You see its size, shape and file size against YouTube's rules, and a preview with the parts YouTube covers or crops. The image stays in your browser. Nothing uploads.
Video thumbnail rules
- Recommended
- 3840 x 2160
- Minimum
- 640 wide
- Shape
- 16:9
- File size
- Up to 50 MB
Shows in: search results, the home feed and suggested videos.
Short answer
The YouTube thumbnail size is 3840 x 2160 pixels, in a 16:9 shape. That is YouTube's recommendation. The minimum width is 640 pixels, and the file can be up to 50 MB from a computer or 2 MB from the mobile app. The YouTube banner size is 2560 x 1440 pixels, with a minimum of 2048 x 1152 and a limit of 6 MB. Keep banner text inside the middle 1235 x 338 pixels, which every device shows. This checker measures your image against those rules in your browser. Nothing uploads.
YouTube thumbnail size and dimensions this checker uses
YouTube changed its thumbnail advice. For years the number was 1280 x 720 and 2 MB. The help page now recommends 3840 x 2160 and accepts files up to 50 MB from a computer. Many size guides still quote the old numbers.
| Rule | Video thumbnail | What the checker does |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended size | 3840 x 2160 pixels | Amber when your file is smaller |
| Minimum width | 640 pixels | Red when your file is narrower |
| Shape | 16:9 | Red when the shape is off by more than one percent |
| File size, computer | 50 MB | Red when the file is larger |
| File size, mobile app | 2 MB | Amber when the file is larger |
| Format | JPG or PNG | Amber for anything else |
A 1280 x 720 thumbnail still works. It is 16:9 and well over the minimum. The checker marks it amber because it sits under the new recommendation. On a phone nobody will see the difference. On a 65 inch TV they might.
The preview adds a badge in the bottom right corner. YouTube prints the video length there, over your image. Text or a face in that corner gets covered.
YouTube Shorts thumbnail size, profile picture size and every other image
The checker covers five images. Pick one above the drop box and the rules switch. All five sit in this table.
| Image | Recommended | Minimum | Shape | File size limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 3840 x 2160 | 640 wide | 16:9 | 50 MB (2 MB on mobile) |
| Shorts thumbnail | 2160 x 3840 | 640 tall | 9:16 | 50 MB |
| Channel banner | 2560 x 1440 | 2048 x 1152 | 16:9 | 6 MB |
| Profile picture | A square image | 98 x 98 | 1:1 | 15 MB |
| Video watermark | A square image | 150 x 150 | 1:1 | 1 MB |
A Shorts thumbnail is tall, not wide. If you put a 16:9 thumbnail on a vertical video, YouTube swaps it for an auto-made 4:5 image on the home page. Make a 9:16 one.
A profile picture shows as a small circle beside every video and comment. YouTube renders it at 98 x 98 pixels. Upload a much larger square so it stays sharp on a big screen, and keep the face or logo in the middle. The preview shows the circle crop.
The video watermark is the small square in the corner of your videos. It needs to be at least 150 x 150 pixels, square, and under 1 MB.
YouTube thumbnail dimensions, aspect ratio and file size: how to fix each
Three different things go wrong with an image, and each has its own fix. The checker names which one you have.
| Problem | What you see on YouTube | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Too small | A blurry or rejected image | Export again at the recommended size. Do not stretch a small file. |
| Wrong shape | Black bars, or the edges cut off | Set the canvas to 16:9 in your editor, then re-place the artwork |
| File too large | The upload fails | Export as JPG at 80 to 90 percent quality |
| Wrong format | The upload fails, or colours shift | Save as JPG or PNG |
Size rules decide whether the image uploads cleanly. They do not decide whether anyone clicks. For that, drop the same file into the YouTube thumbnail tester. It shows your thumbnail in a feed of real outlier videos from your niche, at the size a viewer scrolls past.
A correct file is the floor
How to check a YouTube thumbnail size before you upload
Five steps, and no account. Most checks take under a minute.
- 01
Pick what the image is for
Choose Video thumbnail, Shorts thumbnail, Channel banner, Profile picture or Video watermark. Each one has its own rules, and the checker switches to them. - 02
Drop the image in
Drag the file onto the box, or click the box and choose it. The image opens in your browser only. It is never sent to a server. - 03
Read the line at the top
It says how many things to fix before you upload. Red checks are rules YouTube enforces. Amber checks are worth knowing but will not block the upload. - 04
Look at the preview
A thumbnail shows the badge where YouTube prints the video length. A banner shows the box that every device displays. A profile picture shows the circle crop. - 05
Fix the file and drop it in again
Each check that fails says what to change, with the exact size to aim for. Export a new file from your editor and check it again.
Want to measure a thumbnail that is already live? The YouTube thumbnail downloader saves it in every size YouTube stores. Drop the largest file in here.
A viewer reads the thumbnail and the title together. When the image is ready, the title generator inside OutlierKit writes titles grounded in real outlier videos. If your channel is small, our growth strategy for small channels shows where packaging fits in the bigger plan.
What this YouTube thumbnail size checker handles
Five image types
Video thumbnail, Shorts thumbnail, banner, profile picture and watermark
Current rules
3840 x 2160 thumbnails and the 50 MB limit, not the old 2 MB figure
Size and shape
Pixel dimensions and aspect ratio, with the exact size to aim for
File size and format
Checked against the computer and mobile upload limits
Banner safe area
The 1235 x 338 box drawn over your own banner
Duration badge preview
See the corner of your thumbnail that YouTube covers
Circle crop preview
See your profile picture the way viewers do
Private by design
The image stays in your browser. Nothing uploads.
Where this YouTube thumbnail size checker stops
Frequently asked questions
What is the YouTube thumbnail size?
YouTube recommends 3840 x 2160 pixels for a video thumbnail, in a 16:9 shape. The smallest it accepts is 640 wide pixels wide. The file can be up to 50 MB when you upload from a computer and 2 MB from the mobile app. Use JPG or PNG.
Is 1280 x 720 still a good YouTube thumbnail size?
It still uploads. 1280 x 720 is 16:9 and clears the 640 wide pixel minimum. YouTube now recommends 3840 x 2160, because more people watch on TVs. The checker marks a 1280 x 720 file amber, not red. If your editor exports larger, use the larger file.
What is the YouTube banner size?
YouTube recommends 2560 x 1440 pixels for a channel banner. The smallest it accepts is 2048 x 1152, in a 16:9 shape. The file must be 6 MB or smaller. Phones show only the middle of the banner, so keep your name and logo in the 1235 x 338 pixel safe area.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?
It is the middle strip of the banner that shows on every device. On a 2048 x 1152 banner, the safe area is 1235 x 338 pixels in the centre. Phones show only that strip. Computers show a wider strip, and TVs show the whole image. The checker draws the safe area over your banner.
What is the maximum YouTube thumbnail file size?
50 MB when you upload from a computer. The YouTube mobile app accepts 2 MB for a video thumbnail. The old limit was 2 MB everywhere, and many guides still quote it. The checker marks a file over 2 MB amber so you know to upload it from a computer.
What size is a YouTube Shorts thumbnail?
YouTube recommends 2160 x 3840 pixels for a Shorts thumbnail, in a 9:16 shape. The smallest it accepts is 640 tall. You can add a custom Shorts thumbnail in YouTube Studio on a computer.
What size is a YouTube profile picture?
YouTube shows the profile picture at 98 x 98 pixels, as a circle. Upload a larger square image so it stays sharp. The file must be 15 MB or smaller. JPG, PNG, BMP and still GIF files work. Animated GIFs do not.
Why does my YouTube thumbnail look blurry?
The file is probably too small. A thumbnail under 640 wide pixels gets stretched. A 1280 x 720 file can also look soft on a TV. Export at 3840 x 2160 if your editor allows it. Heavy JPG compression blurs text too, so raise the export quality.
Why does YouTube crop my thumbnail?
The image is not 16:9. YouTube fits a thumbnail into a 16:9 frame, so a square or 4:3 image gets cropped or shown with bars. The checker tells you the exact height that makes your width 16:9.
Does this thumbnail size checker upload my image?
No. Your browser opens the file and measures it on your own machine. Nothing is sent to our servers, so an unpublished thumbnail stays private. It also means the checker has no run limit.
What image format should a YouTube thumbnail be?
JPG or PNG. Those are the two formats YouTube's help page names for thumbnails. Use PNG for flat graphics and sharp text, and JPG for photos. The checker marks other formats, such as WebP, amber.
Can I check a thumbnail that is already on YouTube?
Yes. Download it first with our free YouTube thumbnail downloader, then drop the file in here. YouTube stores its own copy at 1280 x 720 or smaller, so the file you get back can be smaller than the one the creator uploaded.
See which thumbnails win in your niche with OutlierKit
A thumbnail at the right size is the start. OutlierKit finds the videos that beat their own channel's average, so you can study the thumbnails that earned the click. New accounts start with 30 free credits, with no card.