YouTube recommends 1280x720:

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72431?hl=en

either 1920*1080 or 1280*720 (if cropped)

Is there any benefit to using 1080 when the max for thumbnail is 720?

I currently make my thumbnails at 720 in Inkscape / GIMP / Krita.

1920x1080.

YouTube doesn't consider 720p HD anymore and neither do I.

1280 x 720 pixels. I edit them with Affinity Photo

1280x720 PNG, every single time.

1920x1080 often gets over-compressed due to the file size (and the thumbnail is only ever seen in full as a video is loading)

In case anyone doesn't know, 1920x1080 is the same ratio/shape as 1280x720. weird shapes with different ratios will result in black bars at the sides or top/bottom.

My usual method is to find a great screenshot in the video and capture it at 1920x1080, and then shear off pixels to create a well-framed 1280x720 version within the original screenshot as the thumbnail. Most people view thumbnails at a relatively small size (i.e. scrolling on their phones), so you want to cram a big image into a relatively small frame so it looks good on all platforms.

Always 1080 - as I sometimes use the thumbnail image at full screen in other videos later on. Just use decent compression, and you'll be fine. No one can tell the difference.

Most people go for 720p, because 1080p saved in PNG will often be over the 2MB maximum file size you can upload.

Sure, you could save file size by saving as a JPG, but then you're losing detail which can be noticeable at larger resolutions.

Yes, It matters a lot, Your custom YouTube thumbnail Size should be as large as possible. It will be used as the preview image in the video or embedded player use on any website. YouTube recommends that your YouTube custom thumbnail size may Have a resolution of 1280x720 (with a minimum width of 640 pixels). JPG, GIF, or PNG. are the Supported format for YouTube Thumbnail and the size will be 2MB max,

If your YouTube Thumbnail Size is not in proper format then the User attraction on your Video will go low and affect your your video as well as YouTube Channel. So don't take it lightly.

Canva has a preset for 16:9 which is the proportions for 1920x1080... I think... Makes it very easy, anyway.

1080p .jpgs. Don’t use .PNG or something else, as they can often be too large in file size.

Just use canva. It's simple and easy. Just press the create design button and options will come up and just type youtube and then press the youtube thumbnail option and you are good to go

1280x720 its the recommended

1920 by 1080 always works great for me. I use Canva for thumbnails.

I usually do 1920x1080 and convert to .jpg if it's over the limit.

I usually use 1080 x 1920 (16:9 ratio)

I also use pixlr

1920x1080 is the size I usually opt for.

If you are looking for a program GIMP is a great FREE alternative to Photoshop and you can learn it in no time with YouTube tutorials so I would recommend that.

Use the website Canva to make them . It’s free

Just google it ! Jes. ........

From google search :

"Optimize your YouTube thumbnails with these dimensions: 1280 pixels wide by 720 pixels tall, with a minimum width of 640 pixels. A ratio of 16:9 is ideal as it's used most often in YouTube players and previews."

i dont even think you need guides

If you're designing a YouTube thumbnail, I'd obviously suggest 1280x720 as the size, but beyond that, I don't think you need guides or such! Just follow a good thumbnail design method, make sure it engages and gets the viewer to click. A lot of times, people over-complicate a good CTR thumbnail!

Why would the thumbnail be squared?

Thank you! 3000x3000 ended up working great 🙌

I usually make them in 1920x1080 then scale them back to 1280x720 when done because the size is usually too large to upload.

Depends of the size of your thumb

There's a template from YouTube/Google if you search it up. It's on a help page.

1920x1080 is the way to go for thumbnails

Does anyone know? It looks great in the suggested videos section but when I do a search its cropped with brown borders covering most of the image.

In my case, it changed back to four yesterday. It's a little better, but the thumbnails for the shorts have gotten ridiculously large.

I have a 34" ultra wide monitor and I can fit FOUR videos per row, why are they actively trying to turn away users? Make it make sense...

A known, heavily disliked update. Most likely a testing phase, seems like they’re reverting back to default though.

I rather decided to move away from YouTube.

I really don't see a problem, it's only just 3, it doesn't bother me.

Yeah, you’re definitely not alone—YouTube’s been testing different UI layouts lately, and it’s messing with how thumbnails show up, especially on ultrawide monitors. Super frustrating when it wastes screen space like that. Hopefully enough feedback gets them to roll it back or add layout settings.