AI YouTube thumbnail maker for long-form video
Make the thumbnail your title deserves
YouTube Thumbnail Maker turns a video topic, working title, exported key frame, portrait, product photo, or channel look into a 16:9 YouTube thumbnail. You get three design directions and a 2K thumbnail of the one you want, with one clear hero subject, readable hierarchy, headline space kept clear, and title-matching notes. YouTube Thumbnail Maker works in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and other agents that run Skills.
Install YouTube Thumbnail Maker and tell me when I need to sign in: https://beatra.ai/skills/youtube-thumbnail-maker/install.md
For agents:Install guideMarkdown version
Send it to WorkBuddy, Codex, Claude Code, or another agent to install. Sign in once the first time you use it.GitHub ↗Docs ↗Use it on your phone: WeChat mini program
One video, one cover that carries the title
Three directions, then one render
Compare three distinct approaches in words — subject, contrast, text area, background — and render only the one you pick.
Built for the small size
One hero subject with real separation from the background, so the image still reads when it is a card on a phone.
A look you can repeat
Leave with a channel rule, so the next thumbnail is recognizably from the same channel without starting over.
How it is made
Bring the topic, the title, and an image if you have one
Share the promise the video makes, who it is for, and the subject that has to survive into the thumbnail.
Topic and working title · Exported key frame, portrait, or product photo · Channel look and destination · Must-keep subject and words to avoid
Three design directions, one recommendation
Each direction names its focal subject, contrast approach, text area, relationship to the title, and background treatment.
Three distinct visual directions · One recommended route · Title-matching notes · A safe text hierarchy
16:9, one hero subject, headline space kept clear
The selected direction is rendered at 16:9 from your frame or as an original concept, and handed back with its actual dimensions and format.
16:9 thumbnail at its actual output size · Faces, products, and logos treated as must-keeps · Headline area kept clear · A channel rule for the next one
Thumbnails for explainers, reviews, tutorials, and series
Explainers and essays
Give a long-form idea a single visual anchor that matches the title's promise instead of restating it.
Reviews and comparisons
Put the product where the eye lands first and keep the comparison legible at card size.
Tutorials and how-to
Show the result or the moment of difficulty, with clear space for the step count or the outcome.
Gaming and vlogs
Keep the face and the scene readable together, with the expression carrying the hook.
Podcasts and series
Hold one layout across episodes so the series is recognizable in a subscription feed.
Inputs and outputs
Input · Text — The video topic, working title, or script
Input · Image — Exported key frame, portrait, product photo, or channel reference (optional)
- Formats
- JPG, PNG
- Specifications
- up to 4 images per request
Output · Text — Three design directions with one recommendation and title-matching notes
- Specifications
- editable
Output · Image — Thumbnail with one hero subject and headline space kept clear
- Formats
- PNG, JPG, WEBP
- Specifications
- 1 image per request; 2K; aspect ratios 16:9
| Input or output | Type | Formats | Specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input | Text — The video topic, working title, or script | — | — |
| Input | Image — Exported key frame, portrait, product photo, or channel reference (optional) | JPG, PNG | up to 4 images per request |
| Output | Text — Three design directions with one recommendation and title-matching notes | — | editable |
| Output | Image — Thumbnail with one hero subject and headline space kept clear | PNG, JPG, WEBP | 1 image per request; 2K; aspect ratios 16:9 |
Specifications last checked · Sources: Model catalog · Documentation · Terms of Service
Questions
Can I start from just a title?
Yes. A title and the promise behind it are enough to shape directions; a key frame or portrait gives the hero subject something real to build on.
Can you use a frame from my video?
Export the frame or take a screenshot and share it, and it becomes the hero subject the thumbnail is built around.
Can I put text in the image?
Yes. Give the exact wording and where it should sit, and the layout is built around it, or keep a clear headline area and set the title yourself.
Can I keep one look across a series?
Yes. The direction you use becomes a channel rule covering subject placement, contrast, and text area, for later episodes to follow.
Related Skills
