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Thumbnails appear here after you paste a YouTube link.

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YouTube thumbnail grabber

Paste a YouTube link into this thumbnail grabber and download the JPG in every public size. No signup.

What is a YouTube thumbnail grabber?

A YouTube thumbnail grabber turns a video link into the preview JPG YouTube shows before playback. Paste a watch, Shorts, or youtu.be URL and download the public sizes, from 120×90 through 1280×720 when that file exists. Free, with no signup.

YouTube thumbnail grabber features

Public thumbnail JPGs from a video link.

  • Link or video id

    Watch, Shorts, live, embed, youtu.be, or an 11-character id.

  • Every public size

    From 120×90 up to 1280×720 when that file exists.

  • JPG download

    Save a size directly, or grab the 480×360 file from the sidebar.

  • Sample link

    Load a known public video if you want to see the sizes first.

How to download a YouTube thumbnail

From a link to a JPG.

  1. Paste the link

    Use the address bar URL from YouTube or youtu.be.

  2. Check the sizes

    Each published size shows a preview. A missing size is named in text instead of a broken image.

  3. Download the JPG

    Save the size you want. 480×360 is available for almost every video.

Tips for thumbnail downloads

Get the file YouTube actually published.
  • 01

    Start with 480×360

    That high thumbnail exists for typical videos. Use it when the larger files are absent.

  • 02

    Shorts use the same id

    A Shorts URL still contains an 11-character video id. Paste the full link.

  • 03

    Custom thumbnails are resized

    YouTube fits an uploaded thumbnail to these sizes and may add bars to keep the aspect ratio.

  • 04

    Respect the owner

    The image belongs to the uploader. Use it the way their license and YouTube rules allow.

Great for

When you need the thumbnail image itself.

  • Reference boards

    Save a video’s preview image next to notes about the title or layout.

  • Design comps

    Drop the JPG into a mockup at the size YouTube serves.

  • Checking a custom thumbnail

    See which resolutions YouTube published after an upload.

Why grab thumbnails here

A direct YouTube thumbnail download.

  • Free

    Unlimited lookups with no signup.

  • No API key

    Uses the public thumbnail image URLs for the video id.

  • Several sizes

    Preview and save each size YouTube published.

  • JPG

    The download matches the file YouTube hosts.

Technical notes

How the thumbnail URLs are chosen.
Video id
11 characters from a watch, Shorts, live, embed, or youtu.be URL.
Image host
Files load from i.ytimg.com/vi/{id}/ for the standard size names.
Sizes
default 120×90, medium 320×180, high 480×360, standard 640×480, maxres 1280×720.
Missing files
A size is hidden when the image is absent or smaller than that tier.

Sources & References

YouTube thumbnail sizes and custom thumbnail guidance.
  • “A thumbnail resource identifies different thumbnail image sizes associated with a resource.”
    — Google for Developers — YouTube Data API thumbnails

    YouTube Data API — Thumbnails: The size names on this page match the thumbnail resource: default, medium, high, standard, and maxres. developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/thumbnails

  • “The highest resolution version of the thumbnail image. This image size is available for some videos and other resources that refer to videos, like playlist items or search results. This image is 1280px wide and 720px tall.”
    — Google for Developers — YouTube Data API thumbnails

    YouTube Data API — maxres: Why 1280×720 appears for some videos and is omitted for others. developers.google.com/youtube/v3/docs/thumbnails#properties

  • “Custom video and Shorts thumbnails let your audience view a quick snapshot of your content.”
    — YouTube Help — Add custom thumbnails

    YouTube Help — Custom thumbnails: What the downloaded JPG represents: the snapshot YouTube shows for the video. support.google.com/youtube/answer/72431

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about this tool—open a question to read more.