How to check thumbnail sizes
Five sizes, checked live.
- 1Paste a YouTube video or Shorts link.
- 2The tool checks each standard thumbnail size YouTube can serve.
- 3See which sizes are available and whether the HD version exists.
HD check
YouTube Thumbnail Size Checker
Paste a YouTube video link to check which of the five standard thumbnail resolutions really exist for it — from 120 × 90 up to the 1280 × 720 max-resolution version — and whether a true HD thumbnail is available.
FreeNo signupInstant results
Sizes checked
YouTube’s standard thumbnail files
- Max resolution · 1280 × 720
- Standard · 640 × 480
- High · 480 × 360
- Medium · 320 × 180
- Small · 120 × 90
The 1280 × 720 file only exists when the source video or uploaded thumbnail was high resolution enough to generate it.
Why HD goes missing
Older videos and low-resolution uploads often have no maxresdefault file. Lower sizes are generated for almost every video.
Checked live
Each size is requested directly from YouTube’s image server, so the result reflects what exists right now.
Fix it at the source
If your own video lacks an HD version, upload a high-resolution custom thumbnail in YouTube Studio — YouTube recommends 3840 × 2160.
Common questions
YouTube thumbnail size FAQ
Resolutions, file names, and missing HD versions.
What thumbnail sizes does YouTube create?
YouTube serves standard files named default (120 × 90), mqdefault (320 × 180), hqdefault (480 × 360), sddefault (640 × 480), and maxresdefault (1280 × 720) when available.
Why is there no HD thumbnail for a video?
The maxresdefault image is only generated when the video or custom thumbnail is high enough resolution. Many older or low-resolution uploads do not have it.
Why do some sizes have black bars?
The 480 × 360 and 640 × 480 files use a 4:3 frame, so a 16:9 thumbnail is letterboxed with black bars at the top and bottom.
How do I download the available sizes?
Use the YouTube Thumbnail Downloader to view and save every size that exists for a video.
Save or preview the thumbnail
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