YouTube Thumbnail URL Generator
Build the direct thumbnail URL for any YouTube video, in every available size.
Video ID:
How to use this tool
- Select your file, drag it onto the box above.
- Processing starts automatically — there is nothing to configure.
- Check the result panel, which shows the original size, the final size and the page count.
- Click Download to save it.
YouTube thumbnails follow a fixed pattern: img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/SIZE.jpg. Once you know the video ID, every size is predictable — useful for embedding thumbnails in a page, a feed, or a spreadsheet.
The specification
| Pattern | https://img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/SIZE.jpg |
|---|---|
| Sizes | maxresdefault, sddefault, hqdefault, mqdefault, default |
| Alternative host | i.ytimg.com serves the identical paths |
| WebP variant | Replace .jpg with .webp on vi_webp/ for smaller files |
Why uploads get rejected
Meeting the size is only part of it. These are the failures that actually come up:
- The URL is not recognised — paste a watch, youtu.be, Shorts or embed link, or the bare ID.
- You used maxresdefault for a video that has none, giving a broken image. Fall back to hqdefault, which always exists.
How it works
The video ID is extracted from whatever URL form you paste — watch links, youtu.be short links, Shorts, embeds, or a bare ID — and the thumbnail URLs are built from it. YouTube publishes thumbnails at fixed, predictable paths, so no API call is needed.
Images load directly from YouTube's servers into your browser. Nothing passes through us.
Who uses this
Developers embedding video thumbnails without calling the YouTube API, and anyone building a list of thumbnail URLs in bulk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the URL pattern?
https://img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/hqdefault.jpg, substituting the size you want. i.ytimg.com serves the same paths identically.
Which size is always available?
hqdefault, mqdefault and default exist for every video. sddefault usually does. maxresdefault only when the uploader supplied an HD thumbnail.
Do I need the YouTube API for this?
Not for thumbnails — the URLs are predictable from the video ID alone. You would need the API for titles, descriptions, tags and statistics.
Is there a limit on how many files I can process?
No. There is no daily cap, no account, and no watermark. Because the work happens on your device rather than our servers, there is nothing for us to ration.
Is this tool really free?
Yes — no account, no trial, no watermark, and no cap on usage. It runs on your own device rather than our servers, so there is no cost for us to pass on.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The interface adapts to phone and tablet screens, and everything runs in the browser, so there is no app to install.
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Your files stay on your device. This tool runs entirely in your browser. No file is uploaded, transmitted, or stored. You can verify this by opening your browser's Network tab while using the tool.
Disclaimer. Specifications published by exam boards, governments and platforms change without notice. We verify and date every specification on this site, but you should always confirm against the official source before submitting an application. See our full disclaimer.