How to Use This Tool
Every YouTube video stores its cover image at a small set of predictable addresses on Google's image servers. Knowing the video ID is enough to reach all of them — no API, no key, no account. This page builds those addresses, checks which actually exist, and shows each one at its true size so you can pick the right one rather than guessing from a filename.
Getting the thumbnails
Paste any YouTube link. Watch links, youtu.be short links, Shorts, live links and a bare eleven-character ID all work. Press Fetch and the six candidate addresses are tested in parallel. Each result shows its real pixel dimensions and file size, with a download button that saves directly from YouTube's servers.
Which size to actually use
maxresdefault at 1280×720 is what you want for anything that will be seen at size — a blog post, a presentation slide, a video reaction. hqdefault at 480×360 is the reliable fallback, but note that it is 4:3 with black bars added top and bottom, so a naive crop will include them. mqdefault at 320×180 is correctly 16:9 and is the best small option. The two tiny sizes exist for YouTube's own interface and are rarely useful.
The frame grabs
Below the main sizes are three stills numbered 1, 2 and 3. These are automatic frame captures taken at roughly a quarter, half and three quarters of the way through the video — the images YouTube uses for the hover preview and offers the uploader as thumbnail candidates. They are genuinely useful when you want a shot of the actual content rather than the designed cover art, and almost no other tool surfaces them.
Why some sizes show as unavailable
maxresdefault only exists if the source video was uploaded at 720p or above. Older uploads, phone recordings from a decade ago and some Shorts simply do not have one, and YouTube returns a placeholder instead of an error. This tool detects that placeholder by its known dimensions and marks the size unavailable rather than handing you a grey image and letting you find out later.
Copyright, briefly
A thumbnail is part of the video and belongs to whoever uploaded it. Using one for commentary, criticism, a review or a link preview is normally fine under fair dealing. Using one as your own cover art, in an advert, or on merchandise is not. The tool does not check this for you, and neither will YouTube until someone complains.
