Guide
YouTube Shorts thumbnail: size, format and how to set one
For a YouTube Shorts thumbnail, the size YouTube recommends is 2160 × 3840 pixels at 9:16, as a JPG or PNG, and the channel has to be verified to use a custom one. Here is how to add a thumbnail to a YouTube Short and what is not allowed.
The numbers: size of a YouTube Shorts thumbnail
Recommended resolution: 2160 × 3840 pixels for Shorts and 3840 × 2160 for regular videos. The smallest width YouTube accepts is 640 pixels.
Shape: 9:16 is recommended for Shorts, 16:9 for videos.
Format: JPG or PNG.
File size: up to 2 MB when you upload from a phone and up to 50 MB from a computer. That gap matters: a crisp 4K-tall image is easier to upload on a desktop.
Verification comes first
Custom thumbnails need a verified account, for videos and Shorts alike. If your channel isn’t verified, the option isn’t there.
Until then YouTube picks a frame from the video itself, so choose a clear moment to be the first thing seen.
What is not allowed
Thumbnails must follow the Community Guidelines. YouTube names nudity or sexually provocative content, hate speech, violence and harmful or dangerous content.
There is also a daily cap on custom thumbnails. If YouTube says the daily limit was reached, wait 24 hours and try again.
Setting one through Dripost
Dripost sets your custom thumbnail if YouTube has verified the channel. If it hasn’t, the video still goes up and you are told the thumbnail was skipped, so a missing thumbnail never holds the post back.
Sources
Questions
What size is a YouTube Shorts thumbnail?
2160 × 3840 pixels (9:16) is recommended, with a minimum width of 640 pixels, as JPG or PNG.
Why can’t I add a custom thumbnail to my Short?
The channel has to be verified first. Without that, YouTube chooses a frame itself.
How to change the thumbnail on YouTube Shorts?
Add it while you upload, or afterwards in YouTube Studio. A custom thumbnail needs a verified channel, and YouTube’s help page lists what is allowed. Dripost can set the thumbnail when it uploads.
How to add a thumbnail to a YouTube Short?
Add it when you upload, or afterwards in YouTube Studio. In Dripost, attach the image in the YouTube tab of the composer.
Post it with Dripost
- YouTube title generator and video previewCheck the title and description against YouTube's limits before you upload.
- Upload a video to YouTubeSchedule videos and Shorts with title, description and thumbnail; Dripost shows the link once it's live.
- YouTube from Claude or ChatGPTLet your AI assistant draft and schedule YouTube uploads. You approve before anything goes out.