YouTube Thumbnail Guide: 9 Ways to Boost Click-Through Rate

YouTube thumbnails act as mini-ads for your channel. They offer the first chance to catch someone’s eye in a busy feed. Without a strong image, your video might easily get overlooked on crowded search pages and never catch the right attention.

Read More: 12 Best YouTube Thumbnails Ideas People Love to Click On

That’s why you need stunning custom thumbnails to boost clicks and grow your channel. Mainly because…

• Click-through rates (CTR) can send positive or negative signals to YouTube’s video recommendation system.
• When people see your videos but decide not to click them, CTR drops.

How Thumbnails Affect Your Click-Through Rate

On YouTube, click-through rate is the percentage of people who clicked your video after seeing its thumbnail. Here’s an example: If 20,000 people see your video somewhere on YouTube, but only 400 people click, that’s a 2% click-through rate. In other words, 2% of people were interested enough to click on your video.

Number of clicks / Number of impressions x 100 = CTR

Thumbnails are the first thing many viewers see on YouTube. That’s why they're crucial for boosting CTR and why creators spend hours crafting thumbnail images.

Read More: 6 Powerful Tips to Get a Good Click-Through Rate on YouTube

Generally, a good CTR is any percentage that beats your channel average. So if 5% of people click your content, you should set a goal to reach 6%, 7%, 8%, and beyond.

Also, according to YouTube, 50% of channels have a 2-10% CTR. That’s another benchmark you can use to track your progress.

Understanding YouTube CTR Benchmarks

Before you start working on eye-catching thumbnails, it helps to know what a good click rate looks like. YouTube reports that about half of all channels have a CTR between 2% and 10%. But we can break that range down a bit further.

Based on our review of many channels, here’s a closer look:

• 1-2% CTR: This is below average. Your thumbnails could use a refresh.
• 3-4% CTR: This is common for many creators.
• 5-7% CTR: A strong result, beating many competitors.
• 8-10% CTR: Top-level performance seen in standout content.
• 10%+ CTR: Exceptional, usually seen in videos with a very clear target.

Keep in mind that CTR tends to drop as total impressions rise. A video with 1,000 views might have a high CTR of 12%, but when it reaches 100,000 views, the percentage might dip to around 5-6%.

Instead of focusing on the average, work on surpassing your own channel’s history. If your videos average 4%, try pushing for 5-6% with upcoming thumbnails. Small, steady improvements can add up.

The Psychology Behind High-CTR Thumbnails

Knowing what makes a viewer click is a key part of creating thumbnails that work. Research from Backlinko points out that thumbnails with certain features tend to perform best:

• Faces showing real emotion – Expressions like surprise, joy, or curiosity attract attention
• Thoughtful use of color – Warm hues like red and yellow add urgency, while blue can build trust, and contrasting colors help catch the eye
• Breaking the visual pattern – Images that stand out when compared to nearby thumbnails
• A clear visual order – Directing the viewer’s attention to the most important parts first

Successful YouTube creators know that a thumbnail isn’t just about looking good. It promises something interesting. It creates a gap that can only be filled by watching your video.

When people repeatedly spot your unique style in search results or suggestions, they begin to recognize it. Some studies even show that this consistency can boost click rates by up to 38%.

9 Best Practices for YouTube Thumbnails

How do you create enticing images that viewers can’t resist? We have a few suggestions – nine to be exact – to get more clicks from your thumbnails.

1. Use the Right YouTube Thumbnail Dimensions

YouTube’s thumbnail rules are pretty straightforward. To create the best image, aim for a 16:9 aspect ratio (rectangular shape) and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels (the standard YouTube thumbnail size). Also, use an accepted image format, like JPG, GIF, or PNG.

2. Take Clear, High-Resolution Photos

Have you ever seen a grainy, pixelated thumbnail that made you cringe? You’re not alone in feeling that. No one wants to watch a video after seeing a confusing preview image.

That’s why you should use high-quality photos for your thumbnails, like the one below.

People watch YouTube on various devices, such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets. So whether your thumbnail is stretching across a widescreen or shrinking into a small one, it makes sense to use high-resolution images.

3. Create a Simple Design

If your thumbnail has too many elements, people will keep scrolling in search of something simple. It makes sense when you think about it. How long would you spend analyzing something you don’t understand?

The key is to make attractive, uncluttered thumbnails.

The first step is simplifying your YouTube thumbnail background. Check out this image from Ben Johnson's video, "Lighting for Youtube Videos in Small Rooms and Spaces."

Notice how Ben removed the original background to insert a clean, colorful backdrop. He also made proper use of positive and negative space.

Overall, the best thumbnail designs have elements that take up space without suffocating the entire image.

4. Use Bright, Inviting Colors

Nothing attracts people more than vibrant colors. We love the golden arches at McDonald’s as much as we love Christmas lights in December. Why should thumbnails be any different?

To make those images pop, create a bright design. Also, try to stick to three colors – two “contrasting” hues and one “base” color.

Pro tip: Contrasting colors appear on opposite sides of the color wheel and complement each other well: purple and yellow, blue and orange, red and green, etc.

5. Add Text to Your Thumbnail

Imagine this. You’ve filmed your dog jumping from couch to couch, and the thumbnail you want to use shows your dog soaring mid-flight. Did you know that adding even one word to the image will encourage clicks?

For example, why was the dog launching itself like a rocket? Did it make it to the other side? These are questions you can answer in a few words.

In response, you might type, “Ate lunch, got the zoomies” on your thumbnail. That's similar to what the The Pet Collective channel did for the image below, which is from the video, "Zoomies! The Fastest Pet Compilation." As you can see, a little text makes the thumbnail relatable, clickable, and fun.

When you're picking a text font, make sure it's:

• Bold
• Easy to read
• Not common or overused

6. Communicate One Idea with Your Thumbnail

This tip is for all video creators but especially those making list content. If you film a video along the lines of "10 Ways to [Insert Action Here],” your thumbnail doesn’t need to represent 10 different tips, reasons, or strategies. That would make for a busy, confusing thumbnail.

Instead, choose one thing you want to express. Build your thumbnail around that one tip or the emotional aspect of your video.

7. Compare Your Thumbnail Competitors

What kind of thumbnails do competitors use in your YouTube niche? If you’re not sure, it’s time to discover what those images look like and compare yours against theirs. Then, you can make thumbnail changes (if needed) to increase your CTR.

Trying out different thumbnail versions is a smart move if you want more clicks. YouTube now offers a built-in tool in Studio where you can compare two images. Upload two different designs and see which one attracts more clicks and impressions.

To make the most of this tool, consider these steps:

• Use two clearly different thumbnail designs
• Run the test for at least 24 hours so you get enough data
• Look at which features (colors, text spots, facial expressions) drive more clicks
• Use these findings for your next designs

Or you can simply download vidIQ to get real-time feedback on your thumbnails and also see the various versions of an existing video's thumbnail.

8. Create a YouTube Thumbnail Template for Better Branding

Branding your content doesn’t stop with choosing a channel name or YouTube banner. Each video and its thumbnail provide another chance to advertise your brand on YouTube. Eventually, viewers will do less thinking and simply say, “Oh, that’s from a new video such and such’s channel.”

Getting to that point is easier if you create a thumbnail template for your channel. It will help you save time and build brand recognition on YouTube.

9. Creating Thumbnails for Different Content Types

YouTube features a variety of content, and each type benefits from its own style of thumbnail. Adjust your approach based on what you’re showing:

Tutorial/How-To Videos: Use images that clearly show a before-and-after scenario or highlight the result. Adding text like 'Easy Method' or 'Quick Results' can make a big difference.

Entertainment/Vlog Content: Capture spontaneous moments with lively expressions. Genuine reactions often work better than overly posed images.

Gaming Videos: Focus on exciting moments from gameplay. Show clear, dramatic scenes and add text that points out interesting details like 'Hidden Easter Eggs' or 'Secret Ending.'

Product Reviews: Display the product clearly, along with your reaction. Strong color contrasts help the product pop, and simple graphics like star ratings or percentage scores add context.

News/Commentary: Use bold text headlines that build a sense of urgency or curiosity. Pair them with relevant images while keeping a consistent look for your channel.

Changing your thumbnail style based on the video type sends the right signals to your viewers. This approach makes your visual cues more direct, helping to boost clicks and keep viewers watching longer.

The Best YouTube Thumbnail Makers

Now that you know how to make a thumbnail, here are a few services (free and paid) to help you create one:

• Canva
• Placeit
• PicMonkey
• Adobe Spark
• Snappa
• Fotor
• Pixlr
• PixelLabs
• Thumbnail Maker

The right thumbnail will take you from zero views to several thousand, and while the ones above can make really nice thumbnails, they aren't specialized for YouTube. The vidIQ Thumbnail tool is made for and by YouTube-obsessed educators like us; it will give you an edge in every aspect of thumbnail creation. Try it now!