YouTube now recommends thumbnails at 3840 x 2160 px (16:9), at least 640 px wide. Channel banners should be 2560 x 1440 px, at least 2048 x 1152 px, with text inside a 1235 x 338 px safe area. Encode standard video at 1920 x 1080 px, and Shorts can run up to 180 seconds.
| Placement | Size | Aspect ratio | Max file size | Copy or link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 3840 x 2160 px | 16:9 | 50 MB | |
| Channel banner (recommended) | 2560 x 1440 px | 16:9 | 6 MB | |
| Channel banner (minimum, with safe area) | 2048 x 1152 px | 16:9 | 6 MB | |
| Video (1080p HD) | 1920 x 1080 px | 16:9 | Not published | |
| Shorts | up to 3 minutes | Not published | Not published |
Every row links to the full spec below, with its source. "Not published" means YouTube doesn't state it, so we don't either. Download all 14 specs as CSV.
3840 x 2160 px · 16:9
The file limit is 50 MB from a computer but 2 MB from a phone.
Source: YouTube Help, Add custom thumbnails on YouTube. Checked 2 October 2026.
2160 x 3840 px · 9:16
Custom Shorts thumbnails can only be added in YouTube Studio on a computer.
Source: YouTube Help, Add custom thumbnails on YouTube. Checked 2 October 2026.
1920 x 1080 px · 16:9
Source: YouTube Help, Video resolution & aspect ratios. Checked 2 October 2026.
3840 x 2160 px · 16:9
Source: YouTube Help, Video resolution & aspect ratios. Checked 2 October 2026.
up to 3 minutes
Square or vertical videos up to three minutes long are categorised as Shorts.
Source: YouTube Help, Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts. Checked 2 October 2026.
2560 x 1440 px · 16:9
Source: YouTube Help, Manage your channel branding. Checked 2 October 2026.
2048 x 1152 px · 16:9
The banner is cropped differently on phones, computers and TVs; only the centred safe area shows everywhere.
Source: YouTube Help, Manage your channel branding. Checked 2 October 2026.
98 x 98 px
Animated GIFs are not accepted.
Source: YouTube Help, Manage your channel branding. Checked 2 October 2026.
min 150 x 150 px
Source: YouTube Help, Manage your channel branding. Checked 2 October 2026.
1920 x 1080 px · 16:9
Google recommends 15 seconds for skippable in-stream and in-feed ads, and 6 seconds for bumper ads.
Source: Google Ads Help, Video ads specs and format requirements. Checked 2 October 2026.
1080 x 1920 px · 9:16
Source: Google Ads Help, Video ads specs and format requirements. Checked 2 October 2026.
1080 x 1080 px · 1:1
Source: Google Ads Help, Video ads specs and format requirements. Checked 2 October 2026.
1280 x 720 px · 16:9
Source: Google Ads Help, Video ads specs and format requirements. Checked 2 October 2026.
300 x 60 px · 5:1
Companion banners only show on desktop.
Source: Google Ads Help, Video ads specs and format requirements. Checked 2 October 2026.
This page was first checked on 2 October 2026. When YouTube changes a spec, the old one is kept here with the date.
YouTube recommends 3840 x 2160 px (3840 by 2160 pixels) at a 16:9 ratio, with a minimum width of 640 px. From a computer the file can be up to 50 MB; from a phone the limit is 2 MB.
Upload at 2560 x 1440 px for TVs. The minimum is 2048 x 1152 px, and at that size text and logos should sit inside a 1235 x 338 px safe area. Keep the file at 6 MB or less.
YouTube recommends 2160 x 3840 px at a 9:16 ratio, with a minimum height of 640 px.
Square or vertical videos up to 180 seconds (three minutes) are categorised as Shorts.
For the standard 16:9 ratio, YouTube lists 1920 x 1080 px for 1080p and 3840 x 2160 px for 4K. Upload the highest resolution you shot in.
It renders at 98 x 98 px. YouTube accepts JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG files up to 15 MB, but not animated GIFs.