How to create a video thumbnail

Open Advanced settings and turn on Create thumbnail when you make a video. We create an image with text from your video content and add it to the start of the video for about a tenth of a second.


UGC Reaction Hooks do not need a separate thumbnail. The hook is already the opening, so this option is not shown for that video type.


AI Clips do not create a thumbnail in the clip form. If your video has a Publish screen with Create thumbnail, you can create one there later.


How do I choose the text and look?


  1. Open Advanced settings in the video form and turn on Create thumbnail.
  2. To guide the result, fill in Thumbnail instructions. You can ask for exact words, a look, or no text.
  3. Leave the field empty to let us choose from your video content.
  4. Check the credit total before you create the video.


We choose one main idea from your script and a short headline. This can be a question the video answers, a result it shows, or a phrase that fits its story or music. We use your video style and the first available reference image to guide the look. You can change that look in your instructions. Check the image and spelling before you publish.


The thumbnail uses the language of your script. Each instruction applies to that request only. It does not become a saved setting.


How does it work in Autopilot?


Autopilot creates thumbnails by default. This also applies to existing Autopilots that have no saved thumbnail choice. If you turned thumbnails off, they stay off.


To turn them off or on, open Pick the look → Advanced settings in Autopilot setup or edit and change Create thumbnails. Each thumbnail uses extra credits. Check the updated estimate.


Each future video gets a new thumbnail from its own script, language, and look. The credit estimate includes the extra cost for each video. You can turn it off in the same place. Older videos do not change.


Autopilot waits for thumbnail creation before it prepares the video for posting. If thumbnail creation fails, the video can still finish and the failed thumbnail charge is returned. You can try again from Publish. On YouTube Shorts, you still choose the cover in YouTube after each upload.


Where can I see it?


Your generated video card in My Videos shows the thumbnail once it is ready. If no thumbnail is available, the card uses its existing preview.


How do I change a thumbnail?


In the video editor, select the Thumbnail image. You can move, resize, or remove it. To change the words inside the image, use Regenerate and give new instructions. The words are part of the image, so you cannot edit them as a text layer.


On the Publish page, you can also click Regenerate below Thumbnail. Check the cost before you start. Your current image stays in place until the new image is ready. Wait for the new thumbnail to finish before you publish.


Does a new thumbnail change my video?


Yes. The thumbnail appears in the video. On first use, it adds about a tenth of a second before the video body. Your audio and captions start with the body. If you change the thumbnail before you publish, we prepare an updated video file when needed.


How do I set the thumbnail on YouTube Shorts?


Choose your Shorts thumbnail in YouTube after AITuber uploads the video. After your Short is uploaded:


  1. Open the YouTube app on your phone.
  2. Go to your channel, then Your videos.
  3. Find your Short. Tap the three dots, then Edit.
  4. Tap the pencil on its thumbnail.
  5. Move the slider to the very start and select your cover image.
  6. Tap Done, then Save.


If you move the image in the video editor, use the time shown in Publish to find it. YouTube does not always choose your cover on its own. Some YouTube accounts also have an option to upload a thumbnail image on desktop.


The short opening can still appear as a brief flash. If it is hard to select in YouTube, make the Thumbnail image longer in the video editor and export again. Existing covers keep their saved length until you edit them.


What if thumbnail creation fails?


Your completed video stays available. Your previous thumbnail stays in place, if you had one. Failed thumbnail work returns its reserved credits. You can try again from Publish.



Updated on: 23/09/2026

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