YouTube thumbnail downloader

Paste a YouTube link and download the video's thumbnail at the highest resolution it was published in, up to 1280×720. Every link format works — watch pages, youtu.be, Shorts, embeds and live streams — and the image comes straight from YouTube, with nothing in between.

YouTube video link

Works with watch pages, youtu.be short links, Shorts, embeds and live streams.

Using thumbnails

Thumbnails belong to the creator of the video. Downloading your own channel’s thumbnails, referencing a video in a review, or collecting examples for internal research is common practice; republishing someone else’s thumbnail as your own is not.

For a new thumbnail of your own, YouTube recommends 1280×720 pixels under 2 MB. The social media image resizer exports that size from any image.

Questions

How do I download a YouTube thumbnail?

Copy the video's link from the address bar or the Share button, paste it above, and select Download. The highest available resolution is shown first.

Why is there no Full HD version for some videos?

YouTube only generates the 1280×720 thumbnail when the video was uploaded at 720p or higher, or when the creator uploaded a custom thumbnail at that size. Older and low-resolution videos stop at 640×480.

Does it work with YouTube Shorts?

Yes. Paste the Shorts link. Shorts thumbnails are stored at the same sizes as regular videos.

Is anything uploaded or logged?

No. Your browser loads the images directly from YouTube's image server. The link you paste is not sent to this site.

What size is a YouTube thumbnail?

1280×720 pixels at a 16:9 ratio, under 2 MB, in JPG, PNG or GIF.

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