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CreativeResize

YouTube Ad and Thumbnail Sizes

The image dimensions for YouTube thumbnails, Shorts and image ads, and a free tool that makes each from one picture.

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Three different jobs, three sets of sizes

Images on YouTube do three things. A thumbnail represents a video and is always 16:9. A Shorts image is vertical and full-screen, 9:16. Image ads, which run on YouTube through Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads, come in landscape, square and portrait.

The table below lists them together. CreativeResize produces all five from a single upload.

YouTube image sizes by use

YouTube image uses with the recommended size and ratio for each
PlacementRecommended or common sizeGood to know
Video thumbnail1280 × 720 (16:9)Common size. Minimum width 640 pixels; YouTube recommends up to 3840 × 2160. File limit 2 MB on mobile, 50 MB on desktop.
Shorts1080 × 1920 (9:16)Vertical and full-screen.
Image ad, landscape1200 × 628 (1.91:1)Demand Gen campaigns. The widest image ad shape.
Image ad, square1200 × 1200 (1:1)Demand Gen campaigns. Works in every feed placement.
Image ad, portrait1080 × 1350 (4:5)Demand Gen campaigns. Google recommends 960 × 1200 and accepts 4:5 from 480 × 600 upward.

Last updated: . Thumbnail figures were checked against YouTube Help, and image ad figures against Google Ads Help for Demand Gen, on 6 October 2026. Sizes shown are recommended or commonly used sizes unless a minimum is stated. Platform specifications can change. Check the platform's current advertising documentation before launching a campaign.

Reading the numbers

  • Thumbnails are viewed very small

    A 1280 × 720 thumbnail is often shown only a couple of hundred pixels wide in search results and suggestions. One clear subject and a few large words survive that. Detail does not.

  • Upload all three image ad shapes

    Google chooses the image that fits each placement. A campaign with landscape, square and portrait images can appear in more places than one with a single shape.

  • Shorts hide the edges

    The Shorts player places buttons down the right-hand side and the title and channel name across the bottom. Keep the subject in the centre of the frame.

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Creatives are processed directly in your browser and aren't uploaded to our servers. There is no account, no image storage and nothing to delete afterwards. Close the tab and they are gone.

Questions

What is the YouTube thumbnail size?

A 16:9 image, commonly 1280 × 720 pixels, saved as JPG or PNG. The minimum width is 640 pixels and YouTube recommends up to 3840 × 2160.

What image sizes do YouTube ads use?

Image ads in Demand Gen campaigns use 1200 × 628 (1.91:1), 1200 × 1200 (1:1) and a 4:5 portrait such as 1080 × 1350.

Can one image work for a thumbnail and a Short?

Not as it is, because one is wide and the other tall. Resize the same picture to both shapes and keep the subject in the centre so it survives each crop.

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