The 20 Different Thumbnail Types… and How to Use Them

The 20 Types of YouTube Thumbnails Broken Down by Focus

Subject-Focused Thumbnails

Person of Interest – A person, usually a channel personality, is next to or in front of a screenshot of an item or scene, usually a screenshot. These are popular in the lifestyle and commentary niches.

Perspective – A person in the foreground looks at a scene in the background. This is different from “Person of Interest” because the scene in the background isn’t just a screenshot. It’s often more polished and intentional.

Holding Object(s) – A person holds an object or objects out to the camera.

V Formation – 3+ people form the shape of a “V” or pyramid. Typically, the most important person is in the center of the thumbnail.

Super Zoom – A tight close up of an object or person, usually with shock, fear, or another emotion in his or her eyes.

Box Text – This is as simple as text on top of a rectangular box. This text is usually paired with a personality and similar to the “Object(s) & Text” type. Many podcasts and interviews use this thumbnail type.

Dramatic Text – If you want to be big, bold, and in your face about a topic, then use dramatic text. This is bigger text, usually one word, to give extra weight to a topic.

Stylized – This is an overly-creative thumbnail with an art style that looks more like a movie poster than a traditional thumbnail. These are often used for documentary-style videos by channels who enjoy making “movies” over making “videos.”

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Moment-Focused Thumbnails

Exaggerated Visualization – You likely know these as the as the “MrBeastified” thumbnails on YouTube. They are hyper realistic visuals of a scene within the video. They can also be very subject-focused thumbnails. But, if you switched out the subject, the moment itself would still be interesting regardless of the subject.

Raw – These visuals are usually real photos or screenshots, sometimes lightly polished, with no additional elements. Often, these thumbnails give a sense of relatability or deep emotion. These can also be subject-focused.

Raw with Context – These are “Raw” thumbnails but with additional context, such as text. This type is popular for vlogs, cooking, lifestyle, music.

Real Scene (Entertainment) – A Real Scene is often “raw.” The difference is that these are strictly for real-world content like movies, tv clips, trailers, sports, podcasts, shows, music, commercials, or news. And there is usually one additional contextual element.

Fake Scene (Entertainment) – Showing a fake scene from a real tv show, movie, or event isn’t necessarily bad or clickbait, but they are often close to it. You’ll see a lot of AI used in this thumbnail type.

Blurred – Censor or blur an object to create additional curiosity for a click.

Clickbait – These thumbnails, oftentimes AI or very fake-looking, make a promise but fail to deliver on it. YouTube penalizes these videos in the algorithm.

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Idea-Focused Thumbnails

Object(s) & Text – It’s simple, an object or person next to a single word or text block.

Non-Contextual Arrow – An arrow, often red, and sometimes a circle are used to zoom or give additional attention to a focal point.

Contextual Arrow – An arrow, often red, and sometimes a circle are used to zoom or give additional attention to a focal point but with additional context.

Side-by-Side (by Side) – To compare two outcomes, ideas, or quantity variances, split your thumbnail in half, with a person or object on either side. You can also try a less common three-way split.

Graphics – This is a visual depiction of information, oftentimes financial, numerical, or analytical. These are charts, maps, apps, or infographics meant to educate a viewer.