Watch video
Sign in with GoogleYouTube Shorts
YouTube Shorts Thumbnail Update: What You Need to Know
The YouTube Shorts thumbnail update finally brings some options for YouTube Shorts thumbnails, but it’s not exactly what creators were hoping for. While the new features allow for some customization, the long-awaited ability to upload fully custom thumbnails is still missing.
Table of Contents
Introduction to YouTube Shorts Thumbnail Options
The recent updates to YouTube Shorts thumbnails have sparked interest among creators. While the features may seem limited (because they are), they offer a fresh perspective on thumbnail customization. This section will delve into the new options available and how they can be utilized effectively.
YouTube Shorts Thumbnail Update: New Features Explained
YouTube has introduced a few enhancements to the way creators can manage their Shorts thumbnails. The most significant change is the ability to select a frame from the video and add elements like text and emojis.
- Select a Frame: Creators can now choose a specific frame from their video to serve as the thumbnail.
- Add Text and Emojis: By tapping the pencil icon, users can incorporate text and emojis, adding a personal touch to their thumbnails.
- Filters: Various filters can be applied to enhance visual appeal.
- Edit After Upload: A game-changer, creators can now edit their thumbnails even after the video has been published.
Editing Thumbnails After Upload
One of the most welcomed features is the ability to edit thumbnails post-upload. This flexibility allows creators to refine their visuals based on performance analytics or personal preference.
How to Edit a YouTube Short Thumbnail
- Open the YouTube app and navigate to your uploaded Shorts.
- Select the video you wish to edit.
- Tap the pencil icon to access the editing options.
- Choose a new frame, add text, or apply filters as needed.
- Save your changes and watch for the impact on viewer engagement.
Give us Custom YouTube Shorts Thumbnails Already
These are good updates to YouTube Shorts thumbnails they’re not the solution many creators have been asking for: fully custom thumbnails. To get a truly custom thumbnail on YouTube Shorts still requires a hacky work-around.
Custom thumbnails provide an opportunity to create a unique brand identity and attract viewers effectively. Here are some reasons why custom thumbnails are essential:
- Brand Recognition: Custom thumbnails help establish a recognizable brand across videos.
- Increased Click-Through Rates: A well-designed thumbnail can significantly improve the chances of a viewer clicking on your video.
- Enhanced Storytelling: Thumbnails can convey a message or theme, setting the stage for the content that follows.
Understanding The Importance of Thumbnails in Shorts
On YouTube, Thumbnails don’t play as big a role in Shorts as they do in long form video. But Shorts thumbnails are important; they play an important role beyond the Shorts feed. So while most YouTube Shorts viewers might not even really see your thumbnail, Shorts thumbnails are vital in other contexts, such as YouTube search results and channel pages.
- Influencing Clicks: Thumbnails act as the first impression, enticing viewers to watch your content.
- Analytics Insight: Reviewing your analytics can reveal where your views are coming from, helping you strategize better.
- Search Visibility: Thumbnails can impact how your video performs in search results, making them a critical element of SEO.
The Future of YouTube Shorts Thumbnails
Looking ahead, YouTube has acknowledged the need for more and better thumbnail options in Shorts.
And if enough creators agree it’s an important feature, maybe one day YouTube will see fit to finally let creators upload custom thumbnails for Shorts.
Analytics Insights on Shorts Views
Understanding where your views come from is essential for optimizing your content strategy. Analytics provide valuable insights into viewer behavior, especially for YouTube Shorts.
The Shorts feed is what we tend to think of when considering Shorts but the Shorts feed is far from the only source of views. In fact, for a time on the TubeBuddy YouTube channel, the Shorts feed accounted for less than 10% of total Shorts views.
So while the feed is important, Shorts also receive substantial traffic from broader YouTube features, including search and suggested videos, depending on the creator’s content strategy and the video’s reach.
Outside of the Shorts feed, thumbnails play a crucial role, influencing clicks in search results and on channel pages.
The New Features: Pros and Cons
The newly introduced features for YouTube Shorts thumbnails come with both advantages and disadvantages. Let’s break them down:
- Pros:
- Improved customization with the ability to select a frame and add text or emojis.
- Editing thumbnails post-upload provides flexibility for creators to refine their content.
- Filters can enhance the visual appeal of thumbnails easily.
- Cons:
- The lack of fully custom thumbnails limits creativity and branding opportunities.
- Default frame options may not always represent the best moments from the video.
- Thumbnails may still not capture attention effectively in certain contexts.
The Need for Attention-Grabbing Thumbnails
Thumbnails serve as the first impression of your content. An attention-grabbing thumbnail can make a significant difference in viewer engagement. And while you’ll have to rely on somewhat labor-intensive work-arounds, it is possible to add a custom thumbnail to Shorts.
Here are some key strategies for creating effective thumbnails:
- Use Bold Text: Ensure any text added is easily readable, even on smaller screens.
- Incorporate Emojis: Emojis can add a fun element and draw attention to key points.
- Select Dynamic Frames: Choose frames that showcase action or emotion to pique interest.
Future Functionality for Thumbnails
The conversation around thumbnails is evolving. YouTube has a track record of listening to creators. Which makes sense; it’s a very symbiotic relationship. So, if enough creators say that custom YouTube Shorts thumbnails are important, YouTube is willing to listen.
And in the meantime, if you want to upload a custom thumbnail on YouTube Shorts, we go through the steps to do that in our blog post titled, appropriately, How to Add a Custom Thumbnail to YouTube Shorts.
YouTube Finally Adds Thumbnail Options for Shorts – But It’s Not What We Expected: Video transcript
YouTube finally added new options for YouTube shorts thumbnails but it’s not exactly what we were hoping for if you’ve uploaded a YouTube short recently you might have noticed this new message you can change the thumbnail on the YouTube mobile app which is great because creators have been begging for the option to upload custom thumbnails since the launch of YouTube shorts but all YouTube gave us was the option to choose a frame from the video and let’s be honest all of those options look trash but now YouTube has introduced a
new feature text filters and emojis while uploading a short tap the pencil icon on the top left slide through and pick a frame add text emojis or filters by tapping their icons then hit the check mark to save it but that’s not all you can now go back and edit your shorts thumbnails after the video’s been uploaded so if you want to update or tweak it later that’s no problem now while all of these updates are great they are still not what we all want and that’s the ability to upload completely
custom thumbnails completely custom the majority of shorts views happen in the shorts feed where thumbnails don’t even show up so why are we talking about this well thumbnails are still crucial in other places like YouTube search your channel page and even Google search results in these places thumbnails influence clicks instead of swiping up like in the the shorts feed thumbnails are what gets viewers to stop scrolling and actually watch your video when I looked at Art analytics less than 10% of our shorts views actually come from the
shorts feed the majority come from YouTube searches in a source called external which when you look into it is actually Google search traffic now you can go and check your own analytics to see if there is a similar Trend so yeah these new features being able to pick a frame and throw in some text or emojis are a nice Improvement especially if you want a quick simple way to customize your thumbnails without starting from scratch but at the end of the day you still cannot upload a completely custom thumbnail and I don’t know if you saw
but Google’s even got this new section dedicated to short videos but right now the default thumbnails just don’t grab attention imagine how much better it would be if we could actually design and upload something that stands out out these features are definitely a step in the right direction they’re super useful for creators who want a easy boen way to make their shorts thumbnails look better without much effort but if you’re like me and you want full control custom thumbnails are still missing and that’s
what many of us really need to take our shorts to the next level the good news is that YouTube did mention this we’re exploring bringing additional functionality to shorts thumbnails next year and we’re curious to better understand what you’d like so leave us your thoughts in the comments specificity is appreciated so this is where you guys come in drop a comment below letting YouTube know exactly what you want whether that’s the ability to upload a completely custom thumbnail or something else entirely whatever you
want drop it in the comments below and if you want to know some tips on how to grow your YouTube channel from a ex YouTube employee then watch this video right here
