YouTube Thumbnail Downloader

Paste a YouTube video or Shorts link and get its thumbnail in every size YouTube makes, up to HD 1280×720.

How to get a YouTube video's thumbnail

Copy the link

In YouTube, press Share and copy the link. Shorts and Live links work too.

Paste it here

The thumbnails appear as soon as you paste.

Download

Pick the size you need and press Download.

Where thumbnails come from

YouTube stores every public video's thumbnail at a fixed address based on the video's ID, in several sizes. This tool reads the ID from your link and shows those images straight from YouTube's image server.

The HD size only exists for videos uploaded in HD. When it's missing, YouTube serves a small grey placeholder instead, so the tool hides that size and you'll see the largest one available.

Thumbnails are the creator's work. They're handy for reference, research, a link preview or recovering your own; ask the creator before reusing someone else's.

Features

Every link format

youtube.com/watch, youtu.be, Shorts, Live, embed and mobile links.

Up to HD

1280×720 when the video has it, plus 640×480, 480×360 and 320×180.

No placeholders

Sizes YouTube doesn't have for this video are hidden.

Nothing stored

Your links aren't sent to us; the images load straight from YouTube.

Frequently asked questions

Why is there no HD thumbnail?

The video wasn't uploaded in HD, so YouTube never made a 1280×720 thumbnail. The SD or high size is the largest there is.

Can I use someone else's thumbnail?

Thumbnails are copyrighted like any image. Using one for commentary or reference may be fine; republishing it as your own isn't. When in doubt, ask the creator.

Does it work for Shorts?

Yes. Shorts thumbnails come in the same sizes, though YouTube shows Shorts cropped to vertical in the app.

What size should my own thumbnail be?

1280×720, under 2 MB. The social media image resizer has a YouTube thumbnail preset.