YouTube Image Sizes & Dimensions in 2026
Complete guide to YouTube thumbnail, banner, and video dimensions. Optimal sizes for thumbnails, channel art, Shorts, and end screens.
All YouTube Image & Video Sizes
| Format | Dimensions | Aspect Ratio | Max File Size | File Types |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||||
Profile Photo | 800 × 800px | 1:1 | 4MB | JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP |
Watermark / Branding | 150 × 150px | 1:1 | 1MB | PNG |
| Feed & Posts | ||||
Video ThumbnailRecommended | 1280 × 720px | 16:9 | 2MB | JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP |
| Covers & Banners | ||||
Channel Banner | 2560 × 1440px | 16:9 | 6MB | JPG, PNG |
| Video | ||||
Standard Video (1080p) | 1920 × 1080px | 16:9 | 256GB | MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, WebM |
4K Video (2160p) | 3840 × 2160px | 16:9 | 256GB | MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, WebM |
Shorts | 1080 × 1920px | 9:16 | 256GB | MP4, MOV |
| Ads | ||||
End Screen Element | 1920 × 1080px | 16:9 | — | JPG, PNG |
YouTube Size Comparison
YouTube Image Size Tips
Thumbnails are everything
Custom thumbnails at 1280 × 720px with high contrast and readable text dramatically improve click-through rates. YouTube recommends staying under 2MB.
Safe area for channel banners
While banners are 2560 × 1440px, the visible area varies by device. Keep text and logos within the center 1546 × 423px safe zone.
Use 16:9 for standard videos
YouTube natively displays 16:9 video (1920 × 1080px). Other aspect ratios will get black bars, reducing the professional appearance of your content.
Shorts must be 9:16
YouTube Shorts require a 9:16 vertical format (1080 × 1920px). Videos under 60 seconds in this ratio are automatically categorized as Shorts.
Upload in the highest quality
YouTube re-encodes all uploads anyway. Upload at the highest resolution available (up to 4K at 3840 × 2160px) for the best viewer experience.
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