How to Do a YouTube Giveaway: Rules, Ideas & Picking a Winner
Step-by-step guide to running a YouTube giveaway: clear rules, YouTube’s contest policies, prize ideas, and how to pick a random winner from comments fairly.
YouTube Thumbnail Downloader
Paste any YouTube video or Shorts link and save its thumbnail in every size YouTube offers — up to HD 1280×720.
Available thumbnails
Open on YouTube“Not available” means YouTube never generated that size — usually because the video was uploaded below 720p. Learn why.
Instant, no waiting screens
No sign-up, no tracking of links
Works with Shorts & mobile links
Honest sizes — up to 1280×720
Free creator toolkit
More free YouTube tools
No API keys, no uploads — every tool runs right in your browser.
Shorts Thumbnail Downloader Save the cover image of any YouTube Short. YouTube comment picker Pick random giveaway winners from video comments. YouTube app link (deep link) Links that open in the YouTube app, not the browser. Thumbnail Preview Tool See your thumbnail in the home feed, search & mobile. YouTube thumbnail checker Test a thumbnail against YouTube’s rules before uploading. Thumbnail Resizer Resize any image to 1280×720 and compress under 2 MB. Embed Code Generator Responsive embed code with start time, autoplay & loop. Timestamp Link Generator Share a link that starts the video at an exact time. Subscribe Link Generator Create a link that pops up “Subscribe to this channel”. Chapters Generator Format timestamps into valid YouTube chapters. Title & Tag Counter Check title, description & tag limits with live preview. YouTube Money Calculator Estimate daily, monthly & yearly earnings from views. Thumbnail Size Checker Check every size YouTube stores, plus the 1280×720 rules. Video ID Extractor Pull video IDs from many links at once, export CSV.
How it works
Download a YouTube thumbnail in 3 steps
- Copy the video linkIn the YouTube app tap Share → Copy link. On desktop, copy the address bar.
- Paste it aboveDrop the link in the box and press “Get thumbnails”.
- Pick a size & saveChoose HD, SD or a smaller size and hit “Download”.
No fake “1080p”
Every thumbnail size YouTube really provides
YouTube automatically makes several copies of every thumbnail. We show exactly which ones exist for your video and grey out the rest — YouTube doesn’t store 1080p or 4K thumbnails, so we never pretend it does.
Read the size guide| Quality | Resolution | Available |
|---|---|---|
| HD maxresdefault | 1280 × 720 | HD uploads |
| SD sddefault | 640 × 480 | Most videos |
| High hqdefault | 480 × 360 | Always |
| Medium mqdefault | 320 × 180 | Always |
| Small default | 120 × 90 | Always |
Use cases
What creators use thumbnails for
Competitor research
Collect the thumbnails ranking for your topic and compare colours, faces and text.
Recover your artwork
Lost the original file for one of your videos? Grab the 1280×720 copy in seconds.
Blogs & newsletters
Show a linked preview when you write about a video.
Teaching & slides
Show examples of good (and bad) thumbnail design.
Thumbnails belong to their creators — see when it’s okay to reuse one.
From the blog
Latest guides
Growth
Design
Best Fonts for YouTube Thumbnails (and How to Make Text Readable)
Which fonts work on YouTube thumbnails, how big text should be, and the outline, shadow and colour tricks that keep 3–5 words readable on a small phone screen.
Monetization
How Much Does YouTube Pay per 1,000 Views? RPM Explained
What YouTube really pays per 1,000 views, the difference between RPM and CPM, why earnings vary so much by niche and country, and how Shorts revenue works.
How-to
How to Add Chapters to YouTube Videos (and Why They Don't Show)
Add chapters to a YouTube video with timestamps in the description. The four rules chapters must follow, automatic chapters, and fixes when they don't appear.
How-to
How to Set or Change a YouTube Shorts Thumbnail
How to choose a thumbnail frame for YouTube Shorts when uploading, what you can change afterwards, and why Shorts thumbnails download as landscape images.
How-to
How to Change a YouTube Thumbnail (Desktop, iPhone and Android)
Change a YouTube video thumbnail in YouTube Studio on a computer or in the Studio app on your phone, plus what to do when custom thumbnails are greyed out.
Frequently asked questions
Is this YouTube thumbnail downloader free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no download limit and nothing to install. The tool runs in your browser and loads the images straight from YouTube’s own image server.
What is the highest quality thumbnail I can download?
The largest image YouTube generates is 1280×720 pixels (called “maxresdefault”). YouTube does not store 1080p or 4K thumbnails, so any site offering a “1080p thumbnail” is simply upscaling the 720p file.
Why is the HD (1280×720) thumbnail not available for some videos?
YouTube only creates the 1280×720 version when the video was uploaded in HD (720p or higher). Older or low-resolution uploads only have the 640×480 and smaller sizes.
Does it work with YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Paste a youtube.com/shorts/… link and you’ll get the same set of thumbnail sizes. The saved images are landscape (16:9 or 4:3), because that is how YouTube stores Shorts thumbnails.
Can I download thumbnails on my phone?
Yes. Tap “Download”. If your mobile browser opens the image in a new tab instead, long-press the image and choose “Save image” or “Download image”.
Am I allowed to reuse a thumbnail I download?
Thumbnails are owned by the channel that made them. Using them for reference, research, commentary or restoring your own artwork is generally fine; re-uploading someone else’s thumbnail as your own is not. When in doubt, ask the creator.