YouTube Thumbnail Downloader

YouTube Video URL

Getting a Thumbnail, Step by Step

Copy the video link. On a computer, copy it from the address bar. In the YouTube app, tap Share, then Copy link.
Paste it into the box above. Links work with or without https:// at the start. You can also paste only the 11-character video ID, such as dQw4w9WgXcQ.
Click "Get Thumbnails" or press Enter. The page shows the video ID and five images, from the largest to the smallest.
Check which sizes appear. If a video has no HD or SD thumbnail, the tool hides that card. So the largest image you see is the best one this video has. The section below explains why.
Save the one you want. Click "Open Full Size" to open the image in a new tab, then right-click it and choose "Save image as". On a phone, press and hold the image, then choose the save option.

The page reads the video ID from your link and asks YouTube's public image server, img.youtube.com, for the five standard thumbnail files. The images come straight from YouTube, not from our server.

The Five Sizes

YouTube keeps several copies of each video's thumbnail. Each copy has a fixed file name. This tool shows all five:

Label on this page	YouTube file name	Pixels	Shape	Does it always exist?
HD	`maxresdefault.jpg`	1280 × 720	16:9, no bars	No. Usually there for videos uploaded in HD. Often missing on old or low-quality uploads.
SD	`sddefault.jpg`	640 × 480	4:3, black bars on a wide video	No. Also missing on many old videos.
HQ	`hqdefault.jpg`	480 × 360	4:3, black bars on a wide video	Almost always.
MQ	`mqdefault.jpg`	320 × 180	16:9, no bars	Almost always.
Default	`default.jpg`	120 × 90	4:3, black bars on a wide video	Almost always.

Most videos today are wide (16:9). The SD, HQ, and Default files are 4:3, so YouTube fills the top and bottom with black bars. If you need a clean wide image, use HD. If HD is missing, MQ is also wide, but it is small. You can crop the black bars off the HQ or SD image with an image editor.

Why the HD Image Is Sometimes Missing

When a size does not exist, YouTube does not return an error page. It returns a small 120 × 90 gray picture with three dots in the middle. The browser treats this as a normal image. So this tool checks the width of every larger size. If it comes back only 120 pixels wide, it is the gray placeholder, and the tool hides that card.

This is common for old videos. For example, the first video ever posted on YouTube, "Me at the zoo" from 2005, has no HD or SD thumbnail. Its largest real image is HQ at 480 × 360.

If only the small Default image appears and it is a gray box, the problem is the video ID, not the size. The link may be cut short or mistyped, or the video may have been removed.

Which Links Work

We tested these link formats with the tool:

Work: youtube.com/watch?v=ID, including links with extra parts such as &t=42s, &list=... or ?si=.... Also youtu.be/ID, youtube.com/shorts/ID, youtube.com/embed/ID, live stream links youtube.com/live/ID, youtube.com/v/ID, the mobile site m.youtube.com, music.youtube.com watch links, and a plain 11-character video ID. Links typed by hand without https:// at the start also work.
Do not work: channel pages, playlist pages without a video, and search pages. These have no single video, so there is no thumbnail to get.

Saving the Image on a Computer or Phone

There is no separate download button. "Open Full Size" opens the image from YouTube in a new tab. From there:

Windows or Mac: right-click the image and choose "Save image as". This also works on the preview on this page.
Android: press and hold the image, then choose "Download image".
iPhone or iPad: press and hold the image, then choose the option to save it to Photos.

The browser will suggest a file name like maxresdefault.jpg or hqdefault.jpg. That name is the same for every video, so rename the file when you save it. Otherwise you will soon have ten files with the same name.

Copyright: Whose Thumbnail Is It?

Anyone can view a thumbnail, but that does not make it free to reuse. The image belongs to the person who made the video, or to whoever made the artwork in it. This is general guidance, not legal advice. The rules differ by country.

Uses that are usually fine:

Getting back the thumbnail of your own video, for example when you lost the original file.
Saving examples for private study, such as comparing thumbnails in your niche.
Showing a thumbnail in a review, news story, or article about that video, with the creator's name and a link to the video.

Uses that can get you into trouble:

Using someone else's thumbnail on your own video. YouTube can remove it after a copyright complaint.
Selling the image, or putting it on products.
Editing out the creator's name or logo and posting it as your own work.

If you are not sure, ask the creator.

Tips If You Design Your Own Thumbnails

When you make your own thumbnail, keep these points in mind:

Size 1280 × 720 pixels, 16:9. This matches the HD file above. YouTube asks for at least 640 pixels wide.
Check the file size limit. YouTube limits the file size of custom thumbnails. Check the current limit in YouTube Help before you export.
Test at small size. On a phone, a thumbnail is only a few centimeters wide. Zoom your design out to about 320 × 180, the MQ size. If you cannot read the text, use fewer words and bigger letters.
Keep the bottom-right corner clear. YouTube places the video length there, on top of your image.
Use strong contrast. Light text on a dark area, or dark text on a light area. Thin text on a busy photo is hard to read.

Common Mistakes

Saving a small size by mistake. Check the pixel size next to the card title before you save. If HD is missing, the largest card may be HQ at 480 × 360.
Picking SD because it is "bigger". SD is 640 × 480 but includes black bars. The real picture area is smaller than it looks.
Stretching a small image. Enlarging the MQ or HQ image to 1280 pixels wide makes it blurry. If HD is missing, none of the five files is sharper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no HD image for some videos?

The video has no HD (1280 × 720) thumbnail. When a size is missing, YouTube sends a small 120 × 90 gray picture with three dots instead of an error. The tool detects this picture and hides that card, so the largest image you see is the best one the video has. This happens most with old videos.

Which YouTube links can I paste?

These forms work, with or without https:// at the start: youtube.com/watch?v=, youtu.be/, youtube.com/shorts/, youtube.com/embed/, youtube.com/live/ and youtube.com/v/. Extra parts such as a start time or a share code are fine. You can also paste only the 11-character video ID.

How do I save the thumbnail?

There is no separate download button. Click Open Full Size to open the image in a new tab. On a computer, right-click it and choose Save image as. On a phone, press and hold the image and choose the save option. The file name will be something like maxresdefault.jpg, so rename it to something you will recognize.

Why do some sizes have black bars at the top and bottom?

The SD (640 × 480), HQ (480 × 360) and Default (120 × 90) files are 4:3. Most videos are wide 16:9, so YouTube adds black bars to fill the space. The HD (1280 × 720) and MQ (320 × 180) files are 16:9 and have no bars.

Can I use a downloaded thumbnail on my own video or website?

The thumbnail belongs to the creator of the video. Common uses that are usually fine: getting back the thumbnail of a video you made, saving it for private study, or showing it in a review of that video with credit and a link. Putting someone else's thumbnail on your own video, or selling it, can lead to a copyright complaint. This is general guidance, not legal advice. If you are not sure, ask the creator.

Is the link I paste sent to your server?

No. JavaScript in your browser reads the video ID from the link. Your browser then loads the images directly from YouTube's image server, img.youtube.com. We do not store the links you paste or the images you save.