YouTube: Create thumbnail - how to do it

Instead of a standard image, you can also create your own thumbnail for your YouTube video. However, for this you need an additional program, which you can usually use for free on your computer or smartphone. Read also how to upload a created thumbnail afterwards.

YouTube thumbnail: What to consider when creating

Thumbnails are small mini images that are used as previews for larger images or videos. If you have uploaded a video to YouTube, you have the choice of using an automatically generated thumbnail that shows a still image from your video or creating your own thumbnail. To create your own thumbnail, you'll need an additional tool like Vlogit or Canva. Also, when creating the thumbnail, make sure to create it in 16:9 aspect ratio and choose at least a resolution of 1280 X 720 pixels.

To insert a created thumbnail into a YouTube video

To insert a thumbnail you created yourself into a YouTube video, first log in to your YouTube account. If you don't have a YouTube account yet, or if you haven't confirmed it yet, please do so first.

1. Then click the "gear icon" in the top right corner of your YouTube account and select "Video Manager" from the context menu.
2. Suchen Sie nun nach dem Video, in das Sie das Thumbnail einfügen möchten und klicken Sie auf die Schaltfläche „Bearbeiten“.
3. Wählen Sie dort die Option „Benutzerdefiniertes Thumbnail“ aus und laden Sie Ihr Thumbnail hoch. Um alle Änderungen zu speichern, klicken Sie abschließend noch auf „Änderungen speichern“.
4. Möchten Sie Ihr Thumbnail später ändern, ist das im Video-Manager unter „Bearbeiten“ > „Benutzerdefiniertes Thumbnail“ > „Öffnen“ möglich.