YouTube Thumbnail Grabber

How It Works (YouTube Thumbnail Grabber)

This free YouTube Thumbnail Grabber extracts the video ID from any YouTube link you paste - whether it's a standard watch URL, a Shorts link, an embed URL, or just the raw 11‑character video ID. Once the ID is detected, the tool instantly generates direct thumbnail URLs such as https://img.youtube.com/vi/VIDEO_ID/maxresdefault.jpg. These images are hosted on YouTube’s CDN and are never stored or processed on our servers, making the tool fast, private, and secure.

Why Download a YouTube Thumbnail?

• Recreate or recover lost original thumbnails
• Use thumbnails for social media previews or blog embeds
• Analyze high‑performing thumbnails for inspiration
• Maintain consistent branding across videos
• Download Shorts thumbnails for reuse or editing

YouTube Thumbnail Sizes Explained

• maxresdefault.jpg - Highest available resolution (1280×720 or more)
• sddefault.jpg - Standard definition (640×480)
• hqdefault.jpg - High quality (480×360)
• mqdefault.jpg - Medium quality (320×180)
• default.jpg - Small preview (120×90)

FAQs

Can I download thumbnails from YouTube Shorts?

Yes. Shorts thumbnails are generated the same way as regular videos. Simply paste the Shorts link and this tool will fetch all available sizes.

Why is maxresdefault.jpg not loading?

Some creators don’t upload a high‑resolution thumbnail. In that case, YouTube returns a lower‑resolution version or a 404. Try hqdefault.jpg or sddefault.jpg.

Are YouTube thumbnails free to use?

YouTube thumbnails belong to their respective creators. You can download them for personal use, inspiration, backups, or previews, but you shouldn’t republish them commercially without permission.

Does this tool store thumbnails?

No. All thumbnails come directly from YouTube’s public CDN. We do not store, proxy, or track any images.

Does this work on mobile?

Yes. The tool is fully mobile‑optimized and works on any modern mobile browser.