Image Specs
Video Thumbnail
| Dimensions | 3840 × 2160 px recommended (4K); 1280 × 720 px baseline |
|---|---|
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Max File Size | 2 MB (mobile) / 50 MB (desktop); podcast thumbnails 10 MB (mobile) / 50 MB (desktop) |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG |
| Notes | Minimum width 640 px; 16:9 is the most common aspect ratio on YouTube. Shorts thumbnails: 2160 × 3840 px (9:16) recommended, minimum height 640 px, up to 50 MB on desktop. In September 2026 YouTube raised the recommended resolution to 4K and the desktop file-size cap to 50 MB (previously 2 MB / 1280×720). GIF is not accepted for thumbnails (it is accepted for the separate Channel Icon asset) |
Channel Art (Banner)
| Dimensions | 2560 × 1440 px |
|---|---|
| Max File Size | 6 MB |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP |
| Displayed As | Safe area: 1546 × 423 px |
| Notes | Minimum upload 2048 × 1152 px (16:9); design within the 1546×423 safe area (1235×338 at minimum size) — it's visible on all devices |
[Ad]
Video Specs
Standard Upload
| Max File Size | 256 GB or 12 hours (whichever is less) |
|---|---|
| File Formats | MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, WEBM, MPEG, MPG, 3GPP, ProRes, HEVC |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 px recommended (1080p) |
| Notes | H.264 + AAC audio recommended for best compatibility |
YouTube Shorts
| Aspect Ratio | 9:16 |
|---|---|
| File Formats | MP4, MOV |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 px |
| Max Duration | Up to 3 minutes |
| Notes | Vertical format required; keep text within the safe zone to avoid UI overlap |
Text & Character Limits
Video Title
| Character Limit | 100 characters |
|---|---|
| Notes | Titles are truncated in search results at around 70 characters |
Video Description
| Character Limit | 5,000 characters |
|---|---|
| Notes | Only the first 2–3 lines are shown without expanding |
Tags
| Character Limit | 500 characters total across all tags |
|---|
Channel Description
| Character Limit | 1,000 characters |
|---|
Channel Name
| Character Limit | 100 characters |
|---|
Comment
| Character Limit | 10,000 characters |
|---|
Playlist Title
| Character Limit | 150 characters |
|---|
Profile & Cover Assets
Channel Icon
| Dimensions | 800 × 800 px |
|---|---|
| Max File Size | 15 MB |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP |
| Displayed As | 98 × 98 px on channel page |
| Notes | Displayed as a circle; upload at 800×800 for best quality; animated GIFs are not accepted |
Channel Art / Banner
| Dimensions | 2560 × 1440 px |
|---|---|
| Max File Size | 6 MB |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG |
| Displayed As | Safe area 1546 × 423 px |
| Notes | Minimum upload 2048 × 1152 px; safe area 1235 × 338 px at minimum size |
Ad Specs
Skippable In-Stream Ad
| File Formats | MP4, MOV, AVI |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 px recommended |
| Max Duration | Any length (under 3 minutes recommended); skippable after 5 seconds; Reservation buys 12 seconds – 6 minutes |
Non-Skippable In-Stream Ad
| File Formats | MP4, MOV |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 px |
| Max Duration | Up to 15 seconds (up to 30 seconds for the Connected TV variant; up to 60 seconds in Reservation campaigns) |
Bumper Ad
| File Formats | MP4, MOV |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080 px |
| Max Duration | Maximum 6 seconds |
| Notes | Non-skippable |
Display Ad
| Dimensions | 300 × 250 px |
|---|---|
| Max File Size | 150 KB |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG, GIF |
Companion Banner
| Dimensions | 300 × 60 px |
|---|---|
| Max File Size | 150 KB |
| File Formats | JPG, PNG, GIF |
| Notes | Non-animated GIF only; desktop only, not shown on mobile apps |