Display Dimensions by Placement
| Placement | Display Size | Device |
|---|---|---|
| Search results | 360 × 202 px | Desktop |
| Search results | 168 × 94 px | Mobile |
| Suggested videos sidebar | 168 × 94 px | Desktop |
| Homepage feed | 360 × 202 px | Desktop |
| Homepage feed | 328 × 184 px | Mobile |
| Subscriptions feed | 210 × 118 px | Desktop |
| Video page (below player) | 120 × 90 px | Any |
| Channel page featured | 780 × 439 px | Desktop |
| Playlist thumbnail | 168 × 94 px | Any |
The Critical Insight: Design for the Smallest Size
Since over 70% of YouTube watch time happens on mobile, and mobile search results display your thumbnail at just 168 × 94 pixels, this is the size that should pass your legibility test — not the full 1280×720 canvas you design on.
Rule of thumb: if you can't read your thumbnail text or recognize the subject at 168×94px, redesign it.
Source Resolution vs. Display Resolution
You always upload at 1280×720 (the source). YouTube's CDN then automatically generates and serves the smaller display resolutions on demand — you never manage these manually. This is also why downloading thumbnails from existing videos returns multiple sizes: YouTube pre-generates all of them at upload time.
Retina & High-DPI Displays
On Retina/high-DPI screens, YouTube serves 2x pixel density images where available, meaning the 360×202 display slot may actually render a 720×404 image. This is why uploading at full 1280×720 resolution — rather than a smaller size — produces visibly sharper results on modern displays.
Tools to Verify Your Dimensions
Use ThumbnailsFast to pull the exact dimensions of any published thumbnail, confirming what resolution YouTube actually generated for that specific video.