Quick answers about quality, formats and fair use.
What sizes can I download?
YouTube stores up to five sizes for most videos: Full HD 1280×720 (maxresdefault), 640×480 (sddefault), 480×360 (hqdefault), 320×180 (mqdefault) and 120×90 (default). This tool lists every size with its exact dimensions so you can pick the one you need.
Why does it say Full HD is not available for my video?
Not every video has a 1280×720 thumbnail. Older videos, low-resolution uploads and some Shorts only have smaller versions. When that happens YouTube returns a tiny 120×90 placeholder instead — this tool detects that automatically, marks Full HD as not available, and features the largest real thumbnail instead.
Is this tool free? Do I need an account or API key?
Yes, it’s completely free with no sign-up and no API key. It runs entirely in your browser and loads the images directly from YouTube’s public image CDN — the same files YouTube itself serves on video pages.
Can I reuse someone else’s thumbnail?
Thumbnails are copyrighted artwork owned by the video’s creator. Downloading your own thumbnails for backup, editing or re-uploading is fine. If you want to reuse another creator’s thumbnail — for example in a video, blog or design — get their permission first or create your own version inspired by it. Don’t pass off someone else’s work as yours.
Which links does it accept?
Regular watch links (youtube.com/watch?v=…), short links (youtu.be/…), /shorts/, /live/ and /embed/ links, as well as a bare 11-character video ID on its own. Extra parameters like &t= or ?si= are ignored automatically.