YouTube Thumbnail Safe Zone
YouTube thumbnails upload at 1280×720 px (16:9), but the video's duration badge is stamped over the bottom-right corner, and across the site thumbnails shrink to tiny sidebar sizes. Keep your key text and faces centred and large, and clear of the bottom-right ~players where the timestamp sits.
| Placement | Pixels | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thumbnail upload Full file; min width 640 px, under 2 MB |
1280×720 | 16:9 | |
| Safe zone (text/face) Centred; clear of all corners and the duration badge |
~1120×560 | ~2:1 | |
| Duration badge Video length overlay — keep text out of this corner |
bottom-right ~ 60×30 | — | |
| Sidebar render Up-next list; test legibility this small |
168×94 | 16:9 | |
| Mobile feed render Most views happen here — big bold text wins |
~320×180 | 16:9 |
The bottom-right timestamp
Every thumbnail gets the video's duration badge stamped over its bottom-right corner. Put a face or key word there and the number sits on top of it. Keep that corner clear.
Design for the smallest render, not 1280×720
Most people see your thumbnail at ~320×180 in the mobile feed, or 168×94 in the up-next sidebar — not at full size. Use 3–4 big words max, high contrast, and one clear subject. Fine detail and small text vanish at feed size. Keep the important content inside a centred ~1120×560 safe zone, away from all four corners.
File specs
JPG, PNG or GIF, 1280×720 (16:9), minimum 640 px wide, under 2 MB. Use high contrast so the thumbnail reads on both light and dark UI.
FAQ
What is the YouTube thumbnail safe zone?
A centred ~1120×560 px region of your 1280×720 thumbnail, clear of all four corners — especially the bottom-right where the duration badge overlays.
Where does the duration show on a YouTube thumbnail?
In the bottom-right corner. Keep faces and text out of that corner so the timestamp doesn't cover them.
What size is a YouTube thumbnail?
1280×720 px (16:9), minimum 640 px wide, under 2 MB. Design for the small ~320×180 mobile-feed render too.