YouTube US · Placement v1
YouTube custom thumbnail
3,840 × 2,160 pixels · 16:9 aspect ratio.
Specification
Build to the exact placement.
This page is generated from the versioned Catalog record used by Retake Skills and examples.
- Canvas
- 3,840 × 2,160 px
- Aspect ratio
- 16:9
- Allowed formats
- PNG, JPEG
- Maximum bytes
- 50.00 MB
- Content type
- thumbnail
- Verification
- 2026-08-24
Safe-area note
3,456 × 1,872 px working area.
Insets: top 144px, right 192px, bottom 144px, left 192px.
Internal five-percent title-safe inset; YouTube specifies 16:9 but no exact thumbnail safe zone.
Placement preferences
- Use one expressive focal subject and a short high-contrast headline readable at small size.
Official source record
Claims remain connected to their evidence.
Add custom thumbnails on YouTube
YouTube currently recommends custom thumbnails at 3,840 by 2,160 pixels, minimum width 640, JPG/GIF/PNG, 16:9; device-specific upload limits apply.
Accessed 2026-08-24.
Related Skills
Deliverables that use this placement.
FAQ
Before you export.
What size is YouTube custom thumbnail?
YouTube custom thumbnail is stored in Retake Catalog V1 as 3840 × 2160 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Is the safe area an official platform rule?
Internal five-percent title-safe inset; YouTube specifies 16:9 but no exact thumbnail safe zone.
Should I recheck the platform before publishing?
Yes. This version was verified on 2026-08-24. Platform requirements can change.