How to pick a video thumbnail that gets clicks
- Upload the finished video. Frames are pulled from across the whole clip, not just the start.
- Look for a frame with a clear face or subject, sharp focus, and no motion blur.
- Download the frame as a JPG.
- Add a few words of large text or crop it in your design tool if needed, then upload it as the thumbnail or cover.
Thumbnail and cover sizes by platform
| Where | Recommended size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube video | 1280 × 720 (16:9) | Under 2 MB |
| YouTube Shorts | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Picked from a frame in the app |
| Instagram Reels cover | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Grid shows a 3:4 center crop |
| TikTok cover | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Chosen from a frame when posting |
| LinkedIn / X video | 1920 × 1080 (16:9) | Match the video's ratio |
What makes a good thumbnail?
- One clear subject. Thumbnails are seen small; a single face or object reads better than a busy scene.
- Visible emotion or action. Frames mid-reaction or mid-movement tend to earn more clicks than neutral ones.
- Contrast. Pick a frame where the subject stands out from the background, especially in dark or light mode feeds.
- Honesty. The thumbnail should show what the video delivers. Misleading covers hurt watch time.
For every other image dimension, see the social media image sizes cheat sheet.