How do I change the thumbnail image for my video?

This article discusses how to change the thumbnail image for your video. When you create or upload a video, a frame from your video is automatically selected to serve as the thumbnail image.

After the video has been uploaded and optimized, you can manually change the thumbnail on the video settings page. 

To add or edit the thumbnail image for your live event, refer to How to add a thumbnail for a live event. 

In this article:

• Video demonstration
• How to add a new thumbnail to your video
• How to select a thumbnail 
• How to download or delete a thumbnail from your video
• Uploading recommendations for custom thumbnails

Video demonstration

Watch the video below to learn how to select and change the thumbnail image for your videos. 

How to add a new thumbnail to your video

1. Navigate to the Library and select the video you want to change the thumbnail for. 
2. Scroll under the video player to the Thumbnail section.
3. Here, you can select a pre-selected thumbnail, upload a custom thumbnail, or select a thumbnail from the video. 
   
4. To choose a thumbnail from the video, start by playing it in the video player. Once you find a frame you wish to use as your thumbnail, click the Select this frame button located in the top-left corner of the video player. 
   
5. Once you upload or choose a frame, select the newly created thumbnail from the thumbnails list to designate it as your video's new thumbnail image. The chosen frame will shift to the top of the list, signaling that it is now the new thumbnail. 

How to select a thumbnail

After adding or uploading a thumbnail for your video, you can choose the thumbnail you want to use from the list of available options. 

The thumbnail you select will move to the front of the list, outlined by a thin blue line, indicating that it is the current thumbnail for the video. 

How to download or delete a thumbnail from your video

After adding a thumbnail, you can download or delete it from the video settings page. You may also download the default thumbnail.

1. Scroll down to the Thumbnail section on the video settings page.
2. Hover over a thumbnail image and select the options menu (...) in the upper left-hand corner.
3. Select Download or Delete. The first thumbnail cannot be deleted.  
   

Uploading recommendations for custom thumbnails

If you are adding a custom thumbnail for your video, please follow these recommendations:

• Supported file types include: JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, and PNG. 
  • While GIF files are supported, animated GIF files are not currently supported.
• Custom thumbnails uploaded undergo slight compression. For the best results, we recommend uploading an image with the exact dimensions of your video.
  • Example: If your video's dimensions are 1280x720, we recommend uploading an image that is 1280px x 720px. 

• At a minimum, 80% of the image must have an alpha (transparency) level above 250. Google does not permit transparent thumbnails for video indexing. For further details, refer to Google Support at URL Inspection Tool: Video Indexing.