What size is a YouTube thumbnail?

1280 × 720 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio, under 2MB. YouTube recommends a minimum width of 640px.

Why was my thumbnail rejected?

Usually because the file exceeds 2MB or uses an unsupported format. Resizing, then compressing if needed, resolves both.

JPG and PNG are both accepted. JPG is smaller for photographic thumbnails; PNG is better if your thumbnail has sharp text or flat graphics.

YouTube thumbnails are 1280 × 720 pixels (16:9). Uploading the correct dimensions keeps your thumbnail crisp on every device.

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JPG, PNG, WEBP, HEIC · min 16×16px · max 10MB

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1280 × 720 matches the 16:9 aspect YouTube expects, so nothing is cropped unexpectedly.

YouTube caps thumbnails at 2MB. Resizing usually brings a photo well under that on its own.

The same thumbnail is shown from tiny sidebar previews up to full width — starting at 1280px keeps it sharp throughout.

What size is a YouTube thumbnail?: 1280 × 720 pixels, 16:9 aspect ratio, under 2MB. YouTube recommends a minimum width of 640px.
Why was my thumbnail rejected?: Usually because the file exceeds 2MB or uses an unsupported format. Resizing, then compressing if needed, resolves both.
Does the format matter?: JPG and PNG are both accepted. JPG is smaller for photographic thumbnails; PNG is better if your thumbnail has sharp text or flat graphics.