# Hermoso: How to Download a YouTube Thumbnail in HD, Free (Videos and Shorts)

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# How to Download a YouTube Thumbnail in HD, Free (Videos and Shorts)

Download any YouTube thumbnail in 1280 by 720 HD for free: paste a link, pick a size, save. Includes Shorts, the URL pattern, and a tester to preview yours.

By the Hermoso team · Published October 31, 2026 · 4 min read

To download a YouTube thumbnail in HD, paste the link into [Hermoso's free thumbnail downloader](https://hermoso.ai/tools/youtube-thumbnail-downloader/). It shows every size the video has, from the 1280 × 720 image down to 120 × 90, each with a download button. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

## The sizes YouTube keeps

File Size Notes

maxresdefault.jpg 1280 × 720 HD, exists only when the video has one

sddefault.jpg 640 × 480 4:3, with black bars on a 16:9 video

hqdefault.jpg 480 × 360 4:3, with black bars on a 16:9 video

mqdefault.jpg 320 × 180 16:9

default.jpg 120 × 90 4:3

The tool also greys out the sizes a video does not have, lists WebP versions, and for a Short offers the vertical frame (oar2.jpg).

## Do it by hand

Every thumbnail lives at `i.ytimg.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpg`. The video ID is the 11 characters after `v=` in the link. Swap `maxresdefault` for another file name from the table for a smaller size. Our tool does that lookup for you and checks which files exist.

## Then test your own

The same page previews your thumbnail the way YouTube shows it: in the home feed, search results, the suggested sidebar and on a phone, in light and dark mode, with your title and channel beside it. Put the competitor's thumbnail next to yours before you publish. Need a new one? [Make a YouTube thumbnail](https://hermoso.ai/youtube-thumbnail-maker/) with Hermoso.

A thumbnail belongs to whoever made it. Use grabs for reference and comparison, not as your own artwork.

**[Start free at app.hermoso.ai](https://app.hermoso.ai/?src=blog-download-youtube-thumbnail&intent=create)**, no card.

## Questions people ask

### How do I download a YouTube thumbnail?

Paste the video link into Hermoso's free thumbnail downloader, choose a size and press Download. Or open i.ytimg.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpg in your browser.

### What is the best YouTube thumbnail size?

YouTube's HD thumbnail is 1280 by 720 pixels in a 16:9 shape.

### Can I download a thumbnail from a YouTube Short?

Yes. The downloader lists the Short's vertical frame as well as the usual sizes.

### Is the YouTube thumbnail downloader free?

Yes. It is free, needs no sign-up and runs in your browser.