How to Add Thumbnails to YouTube Shorts - Easy Steps to Stand Out

Creating catchy thumbnails is essential to standing out on YouTube Shorts. Our detailed guide will teach you how to add thumbnails to your YouTube Shorts and discuss the top strategies for making attractive thumbnails. CapCut is a great video editing software for creating YouTube Shorts with eye-catching thumbnails due to its custom text options and various filters and effects. Start exploring now!

What do you need to know about YouTube Shorts thumbnails

YouTube Shorts thumbnails are vital to attracting viewers to your videos. They give a good first impression and influence whether a user clicks on your content. A well-designed thumbnail can make your content unique in a crowded feed, increasing video views and engagement. Additionally, adding thumbnails to YouTube Shorts gives your videos a polished and professional look, helping them gain traction.

For best results, your YouTube thumbnails should follow the standard size. Here are the recommended ratios and resolutions:

Ratio: 9:16

Resolution: 1920x1080 pixels

How to add a thumbnail to YouTube Shorts

Step
1. Upload your video
2. To start, open the YouTube app and tap the "+" icon at the bottom center of the screen. After that, select a video you want to upload. You can choose a video from your phone or record a new one. Once the video is ready, tap "Done" to proceed.
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Step
4. Add a thumbnail
5. For YouTube Shorts, thumbnails can only be chosen from within the video. However, to upload a custom thumbnail, you can add it to the end of the image at the video and choose it. To do so, tap "Add" and select the thumbnail you want to enter. Once selected, tap the "tick" symbol. Then, edit the video and tap "Next." On the "Add details" interface, click the pencil symbol on the image and select the frame you want to include as a thumbnail.
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Step
7. Upload the YouTube Short
8. After that, tap "Upload Short" to upload the Shorts video. You can view the video in the "You" section.
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This is all about how to add thumbnails to YouTube Shorts. Designing and preparing an attractive thumbnail is quite essential to gain viewership. CapCut is the best software for making appealing videos with covers used as YouTube thumbnails.

How to make YouTube Shorts with a cover using CapCut

CapCut is versatile video editing software with powerful features for creating and enhancing videos, including making YouTube Shorts with covers. It offers customizable fonts and various filters and effects, which help you create attractive YouTube thumbnails. Besides, CapCut allows you to share videos directly on YouTube, which improves efficiency.

Download CapCut today and make YouTube Shorts thumbnails to make your Shorts stand out:



Key features

• Custom text options: You can easily adjust the text size, color, and position according to your YouTube video's theme.
• Plenty of filters and effects: The software provides many video filters and effects to improve your thumbnails.
• Support for custom covers: CapCut allows users to select a video cover from a video clip or local file and customize its style.

Steps to use CapCut to add thumbnails to YouTube Shorts

Step
1. Import the image/video
2. First, open CapCut and create a new project. Next, click "Import" to select an image or video from your PC for the YouTube thumbnail. You can also drag and drop the video onto your timeline. Once the video is on the timeline, it is ready for editing.
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Step
4. Create YouTube Shorts with a cover
5. Click "Ratio" below the image and resize it to fit the 9:16 YouTube Shorts ratio. After that, you can use CapCut's text tools to add titles or catchy phrases to your video. You can also use transitions, filters, effects, animations, and stickers to enhance the thumbnail by choosing them from the top-left toolbar.
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Step
7. Select the cover and export the YouTube Short
8. Once done, click "Cover" to select the video cover from the video or your device. You can add more elements like shapes and frames to it. Finally, click "Save" and export the YouTube video. You can directly share it on YouTube.
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Top 5 tips for adding thumbnails for YouTube Shorts

• Keep the thumbnail simple
• A cluttered thumbnail can overwhelm viewers, making it harder to grab their attention. Use only one or two key elements to represent your video. Simplicity helps the viewer understand the thumbnail easily, which increases their chances of clicking on the video.
• Use high-resolution images
• To make your thumbnail for Shorts stand out, use high-resolution photos for clarity. Pixelated or blurry images make your video seem unprofessional, discouraging the viewers. So, always use sharp, high-quality images to give a strong first impression.
• Place the logo strategically
• If you have a personal or brand logo, place it so it doesn't overwhelm the thumbnail's key focus. Ensure that the logo is easily visible and doesn't distort other elements. A well-placed logo builds recognition while keeping the main focus on content.
• Use bright colors and high-contrast
• To make impressive thumbnails for YouTube Shorts, use bright colors and high-contrast visuals. It will make your content prominent, especially in crowded feeds. Bright colors are catchy and make your thumbnail pop out, increasing the chances of being noticed by the viewers.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, making attractive thumbnails is crucial to stand out in a crowded feed. A well-crafted thumbnail can drive more clicks, helping you build a loyal audience. So, this article discusses how to add thumbnails to YouTube Shorts and the top tips to make your thumbnails unique. To make your thumbnails appealing, use CapCut. Its various text customization options and advanced features, like transitions, filters, and effects, make your YouTube video thumbnails different. Now, start using CapCut to create amazing videos with covers to gain viewership.

FAQs

1. Is it mandatory to add thumbnails to YouTube Shorts?
2. No, it isn't mandatory to add thumbnails to YouTube Shorts. However, adding thumbnails can enhance your video's visibility and engagement. Thumbnails create a strong first impression that encourages the viewers to click on the content. If you don't add a thumbnail, YouTube automatically generates one for your video. To make custom and attractive thumbnails for YouTube Shorts, use CapCut to create YouTube videos with covers.
3. Can I use the same thumbnail for multiple Shorts?
4. Yes, you can reuse the same thumbnail for multiple Shorts. However, it is recommended that new thumbnails be made to maintain appeal and relevance. Repeatedly using the same thumbnail causes your video to look less personalized. Using CapCut, you can reuse previous Shorts and add different effects using its rich editing features to make different thumbnails with minimum effort.
5. Why does YouTube keep removing my thumbnails?
6. YouTube may remove your thumbnails if the file is corrupted or they violate community guidelines. This happens mainly if the thumbnail contains inappropriate content. It could also be removed due to other issues, like unsupported format or resolution problems.