Download a thumbnail and you will be offered a menu of sizes with names like maxresdefault, sddefault and hqdefault. What do they mean, which one should you use, and why do some videos have more sizes than others? This guide explains every YouTube thumbnail size, where each one appears, and the exact dimensions YouTube recommends if you upload thumbnails of your own.
Maxresdefault — 1280 x 720 (or Higher)
This is the largest standard thumbnail YouTube stores, and the one you want for almost everything. 1280 x 720 is YouTube’s recommended upload size, with a 16:9 aspect ratio. If the creator uploaded a bigger custom image — some upload 2560 x 1440 or even larger originals — the maxresdefault file can be larger still. Maxres thumbnails appear on high-resolution displays, in embeds, and anywhere quality matters. One catch: a video only has this size if a suitably large image was provided, which is why very old videos sometimes lack it.
Sddefault — 640 x 480
The “standard definition” size is 640 x 480, a 4:3 image. It often looks slightly different from the maxres version because it is generated at a different aspect ratio, sometimes with small black bars. It is a decent middle option when maxres is missing.
Hqdefault — 480 x 360
High quality, 480 x 360. For years this was the size shown in most places around the web, and it is the largest size that virtually every video has. If a video offers nothing bigger, hqdefault is your best real file — anything labelled bigger for such a video is a stretched fake.
Mqdefault — 320 x 180
Medium quality, 320 x 180, back in 16:9. This is the size used for small previews like end screens and compact lists. Useful for tiny placements, too small for design work.
Default — 120 x 90
The smallest thumbnail, 120 x 90. It is also — importantly — the size YouTube returns as a placeholder when you ask for a bigger file that does not exist. That double role is why honest tools check for it: a 120 x 90 image wearing an “HD” label is a warning sign.
The Storyboard Frames — hq1, hq2, hq3
YouTube also generates three still frames taken from the video itself (beginning, middle and end), each 480 x 360. On our tool these appear as Storyboard Frames. They are handy when a creator’s custom thumbnail is not what you need and a genuine frame from the video serves your purpose better.
Aspect Ratios: Why Two Shapes?
You may notice the sizes come in two shapes: 16:9 (1280 x 720, 320 x 180) and 4:3 (640 x 480, 480 x 360, 120 x 90). The 4:3 sizes are survivors from YouTube’s early years, when videos themselves were 4:3, and YouTube still generates them today. The 4:3 versions are sometimes centre-cropped or letterboxed versions of the same artwork, which is why an sddefault can look slightly different from the maxresdefault of the same video. For anything new you create, 16:9 is the shape that matters — it is what the modern player, embeds and search results use.
What About Shorts Thumbnails?
Shorts are regular videos underneath, so they use exactly the same size system: the same maxres, hq and default files exist for a Short’s video ID. The twist is only in what image was set — many Shorts rely on an auto-picked frame rather than a designed thumbnail. Downloading a Short’s sizes works just like any other video, and our Shorts downloader page handles the links the app gives you.
If You Upload Your Own Thumbnails
YouTube’s official recommendation: upload an image of 1280 x 720 (minimum width 640), in a 16:9 ratio, under 2 MB, as a JPG, PNG or GIF. Keep important text and faces away from the bottom-right corner, where the duration badge sits, and make sure the design still reads clearly when shrunk to the size of a postage stamp — most viewers first meet your thumbnail at a very small size.
Why Sizes Differ Between Videos
YouTube generates the smaller sizes for every video, but the larger ones depend on the source image. A creator who uploads a crisp 1280 x 720 custom thumbnail gives you the full menu. A video from 2009 with an auto-generated image may offer only the basics. The video’s age, the creator’s habits, and whether the thumbnail was ever replaced all leave their fingerprints in the size list — which is exactly what our downloader shows you, honestly labelled, every time.