Frequently Asked Questions

Copy the video's link (from the address bar or the Share button) and paste it into the thumbnail downloader. The tool shows every standard size YouTube has for the video. Press Download under the size you want. If your browser blocks the download, the image opens in a new tab: right-click it, or long-press on a phone, and choose Save image.

Normal watch links (youtube.com/watch?v=…), short youtu.be links, Shorts links (youtube.com/shorts/…), embed links, live links, mobile links (m.youtube.com) and bare 11-character video IDs.

YouTube's image server has up to five standard sizes per video: 1280 × 720 (maxresdefault), 640 × 480 (sddefault), 480 × 360 (hqdefault), 320 × 180 (mqdefault) and 120 × 90 (default). The two 4:3 sizes usually include black bars above and below the picture. See thumbnail sizes explained.

YouTube doesn't create every size for every video. The largest sizes are often missing for older or low-resolution uploads. When a size doesn't exist, YouTube sends a 120 × 90 grey placeholder. Our tool detects that placeholder and labels the size as not available. Details are in why maxresdefault is missing.

Not from YouTube's public image addresses: the largest standard copy is 1280 × 720, even though YouTube now recommends creators upload thumbnails at 3840 × 2160. The full-size original is only available from the creator.

Yes. Paste the Shorts link. The standard image files for Shorts are landscape (for example 1280 × 720), with the vertical picture in the middle and blurred sides, so for a clean vertical image you'd need the creator's original.

That usually means the video is private, deleted or blocked, or the ID is mistyped. Check the link opens on YouTube, then try copying it again from the Share button.

Not automatically. Thumbnails are normally protected by copyright and belong to the creator (or whoever made the image). YouTube's Terms of Service also restrict copying content without permission unless the law allows it. Ask the creator for permission, or embed the video with YouTube's player instead. Our guide to using thumbnails legally explains UK fair dealing and US fair use. It isn't legal advice.

Yes. That's one of the most common uses, for example after losing an original design file. The copy you get will be at most 1280 × 720, so keep your original artwork in future.

No. GrabYTthumb is an independent site run by Rob Falconer at The AI Barn. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by YouTube or Google. YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC.

No. All our tools run in your browser and don't send what you type to our server. The thumbnail downloader loads images directly from YouTube's image server, which means YouTube receives those requests. See our privacy policy.

Ads from Google AdSense pay for running the site and keeping the tools free. Visitors in the UK, EEA and Switzerland see a consent message first and can choose how their data is used for ads. You can change your choice at any time from the privacy and cookie settings link that the consent message provides.

Everything is free and there are no accounts. There's no limit on how many thumbnails you look up.

We retired them in October 2026 because they produced generic output that we didn't think was genuinely useful. The tools page explains why. The old Subtitle Downloader is now called the Transcript to SRT converter, which describes what it actually does.

YouTube only shows chapters if the timestamp list starts at 00:00, has at least three entries in ascending order, and every chapter is at least 10 seconds long. Paste your list into our chapter checker to find the problem.