YouTube Shorts thumbnail maker

Reframe a photo, a video still or an existing cover for Shorts, long videos or square posts. Adjust each crop before downloading.

1080 × 1920

Choose JPG, PNG or WebPCover shapeCover headlineText treatmentShow the text margin

The guide marks a design margin. It is not a YouTube interface overlay and does not appear in downloads.

File format

Your image and headline stay in this browser.

How to use the download

For Shorts, YouTube recommends a 9:16 image. Its current desktop instructions say a verified account can upload it under Content → Shorts → Thumbnail in YouTube Studio.

Use 16:9 for a standard YouTube video. Square is a general design export. YouTube’s native title and thumbnail A/B testing is not available for Shorts.