YouTube Thumbnail Text Generator
Describe your video and get 8 short thumbnail overlay text ideas — the big bold words on the image itself, separate from your video title.
This tool calls an AI model to generate suggestions, so it's rate-limited to keep it free for everyone.
How it works
- 1Describe your video topic in a sentence or two.
- 2Optionally add your niche for more tailored options.
- 3Click Generate and pick the phrase that reads clearly at thumbnail size.
When to use this
- You've picked a thumbnail image but it feels empty without a short text callout.
- You're stuck rewording the same 2-3 words fifteen different ways and want fresh angles.
- You want text that adds new information rather than repeating your title.
A worked example
Describe "I tried living on $1 a day for a week" and you might get back options like "$1 A DAY", "I SURVIVED?", "$7 TOTAL", and "WORST IDEA EVER" — short, punchy fragments rather than full sentences, each one testing a different angle: the constraint, the outcome, the cost, or the regret.
Frequently asked questions
How much text should a thumbnail actually have?+
As little as possible — 2-4 words is the practical ceiling for something a viewer can read at a glance on a phone screen. More than that and it just becomes noise.
Should this text repeat my title?+
No — thumbnail text works best when it adds a different angle or emphasis than the title, not a shortened copy of it. Together they should tell slightly more of the story than either alone.
What font and size should I actually use?+
A heavy, bold weight (not a thin or script font) at roughly 60pt+ relative to a 1280px-wide canvas holds up best once shrunk to feed size — check it with the Thumbnail Preview Tester before finalizing.
Can I use this for Shorts covers too?+
Yes — the same short, punchy phrasing works for a vertical Shorts cover; just compose the text within the vertical frame rather than the horizontal one.