YouTube thumbnail downloader. Every size, one paste.

How to use the YouTube Thumbnail Downloader

This tool finds the thumbnail images of any YouTube video and lets you save them. It reads the 11 character video ID from the link you paste and builds the address of each standard thumbnail size on YouTube's image server, i.ytimg.com. It is useful for creators checking their own thumbnails, and for designers or writers who need a video's image for a mockup or a review.

Step by step

1. 1
   Paste a link or an ID

   Paste into YouTube URL or video ID. Watch links, youtu.be short links, Shorts, embed and live links all work, and so does a bare 11 character ID such as dQw4w9WgXcQ. The link can include extra parts such as a playlist or a start time.

2. 2
   Load the thumbnails

   Press Get thumbnails, or press Enter in the box. If no video ID can be found in what you pasted, a message asks for a full link or the ID instead.

3. 3
   Pick a size

   Under Thumbnails you see up to five cards: Max resolution (HD) at 1280 × 720, Standard definition at 640 × 480, High quality at 480 × 360, Medium quality at 320 × 180 and Default (small) at 120 × 90. Each card shows a preview and the file name YouTube uses.

4. 4
   Download or copy the link

   Press Download on a card to save that size as a .jpg named after the video ID and size, for example dQw4w9WgXcQ-maxresdefault.jpg. Press Copy URL to copy the direct image address instead.

Reading the result

• The line next to Thumbnails shows the video ID the tool found, so you can check it picked up the right video.
• A missing card means YouTube has no image at that size for this video. The HD and standard sizes are hidden automatically when YouTube returns only a small placeholder, which often happens with older or low resolution uploads.
• The 4:3 sizes (640 × 480, 480 × 360 and 120 × 90) usually carry black bars above and below a widescreen picture. For a clean 16:9 image, use Max resolution (HD) or Medium quality.

Tips and common mistakes

• If Download opens the image in a new tab instead of saving it, your browser or network blocked the direct download. Right click the image in that tab and choose to save it.
• Copy URL gives a stable address you can paste into a document or a design tool, but the image changes if the creator later uploads a new thumbnail.
• The tool works from the video ID alone, so it cannot tell whether a video is private or deleted. In that case the cards disappear because YouTube has no image to send, or YouTube's gray placeholder shows instead.
• Thumbnails belong to the video's creator. Use them for reference, review or with permission, not to republish someone else's work as your own.

Privacy and limits

The link is read in your browser and is not sent to this site. To show and save the images, your browser loads them directly from YouTube's image server at i.ytimg.com, so Google receives a request for that video ID's thumbnails, as it would from any page showing the video. Nothing is saved by the tool.

Back to the tool

Everything a grabber should do.

• Download in HD, pull the maxresdefault (1280×720) image whenever the creator uploaded one.
• All five resolutions at once, maxres, SD (640×480), HQ (480×360), MQ (320×180) and the 120×90 default thumb.
• Paste any YouTube URL format, watch links, youtu.be short links, Shorts, embed, live, or a bare 11-character video ID.
• One-click download, saves the .jpg to your device, or opens it in a new tab if your browser blocks direct saves.
• Copy the direct CDN URL for any size to drop into your own projects.
• Zero upload, fully private, your link never leaves your browser; images come straight from i.ytimg.com.

Frequently asked questions.

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