YouTube Shorts thumbnail size
1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16. A Shorts thumbnail is a frame chosen from the video, not a separate upload. So the rules are about where you put things in that frame.
Where do Shorts get cropped?
Visible in this crop.
The full vertical frame is shown, with the title laid over the bottom.
The 9:16 frame. The bright window is what this surface shows.
Shorts vs. regular thumbnails
| Regular video | Short | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame size | 1280 × 720 (16:9) | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) |
| Custom image upload | Yes (verified channels) | No, pick a frame in the mobile app |
| Text safe area | Avoid bottom-right (timestamp) | Middle third of the height |
| File limit | 2 MB | n/a (frame from the video) |
Making a cover frame
- Design your cover as a 1080 × 1920 image with a face and 2–3 words in the middle third.
- Add it to your Short as a clip of well under a second at the start or end.
- In the YouTube app, open the upload (or the Short in your content list), tap the thumbnail and choose that frame.
For regular 16:9 videos use the thumbnail maker, and check the full YouTube thumbnail size guide.
Questions
What size is a YouTube Shorts thumbnail?
A Short is a vertical 9:16 video, usually 1080 × 1920 pixels, and its thumbnail is a frame from that video. Plan the cover frame for 1080 × 1920.
Can I upload a custom thumbnail for a Short?
Not as a separate image file. In the YouTube mobile app you pick a frame from the Short as its cover, during upload or later in the app. So a good Shorts thumbnail is a frame you design into the video itself, for example a title card in the first or last second.
How do I make a title frame for a Short?
Design a 1080 × 1920 image with your text in the middle third, add it as a very short clip at the start or end of the Short, then select that frame as the cover in the YouTube app.
Where should text go on a Shorts cover?
In the middle third of the height. The bottom is covered by the title and channel name on the Shorts shelf, and some layouts crop the frame to a square or 16:9 window around the centre.