YouTube Sizes & Dimensions Guide
Every YouTube size in one place: long-form video, Shorts, thumbnails, the channel banner, and the channel icon. PostFast uses these specs when you schedule.
All YouTube Sizes at a GlanceUpdated 2026
Every YouTube content type with its recommended dimensions, aspect ratio, and limits. Tap any content type for the full specification.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio | Max File Size | Max Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shorts | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | 256GB | 3 minutes |
| Thumbnail | 3840×2160 | 16:9 | 50MB | n/a |
| Banner | 2560×1440 | 16:9 | 6MB | n/a |
| Video | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | 256GB | 720 minutes |
| Profile Picture | 800×800 | 1:1 | 15MB | n/a |
Why YouTube sizes matter
YouTube serves your channel across phones, tablets, TVs, and desktops, and each surface crops the banner and thumbnails differently. Long-form video lives in a 16:9 frame while Shorts use vertical 9:16, so the same clip rarely fits both. Sizing each asset correctly keeps thumbnails sharp, banners uncropped, and video filling the player.
YouTube content specificationsUpdated 2026
Shorts
Updated 2026Shorts are vertical 1080x1920px (9:16) or square, and up to 3 minutes. A 16:9 landscape clip is not categorized as a Short, so export vertical to fill the full-screen player.
Thumbnail
Updated 2026Thumbnails are 16:9, and YouTube recommends 3840x2160px with a minimum width of 640px, as JPG or PNG. This is the single biggest driver of click-through, so use bold, legible text and high contrast.
Banner
Updated 2026Channel art is uploaded at 2560x1440px (16:9), but only the central safe area is guaranteed to show on every device: YouTube gives it as 1235x338px at the 2048x1152px minimum size (about 1544x423px at 2560x1440). Keep logos and text inside it.
Video
Updated 2026Standard YouTube video is 1920x1080px (16:9, 1080p). 4K is supported, but 1080p is the safe baseline that looks clean on every device.
Profile Picture
Updated 2026The channel icon is uploaded around 800x800px and shown in a circle at small sizes, so keep it simple and recognizable.
YouTube best practices and common mistakes
Best practices
- ✓Upload long-form video at 1920x1080px (16:9) or higher.
- ✓Design thumbnails at 3840x2160px (16:9), at least 640px wide, as JPG or PNG.
- ✓Keep banner text and logos inside the central safe area so they show on TV and mobile.
- ✓Make Shorts vertical at 1080x1920px (9:16).
- ✓Use a simple channel icon that reads at thumbnail size.
Common mistakes to avoid
- ✗Putting important banner detail near the edges, where it gets cropped on phones.
- ✗Uploading a thumbnail over 2MB from the YouTube mobile app, which rejects it (computer uploads allow up to 50MB).
- ✗Posting landscape clips as Shorts.
Developer Resources
YouTube API Guides
Learn how to schedule YouTube content programmatically via API
Frequently asked questions about YouTube sizes
What are the YouTube image and video sizes in 2026?
YouTube sizes by content type: Shorts 1080×1920px, Thumbnail 3840×2160px, Banner 2560×1440px, Video 1920×1080px, Profile Picture 800×800px. See the table above for the aspect ratio, file size, and supported formats of each one.
What is the best image size for YouTube?
The recommended image size for YouTube is 3840×2160px (16:9), used for thumbnails. Upload at this size to avoid cropping and limit compression.
What aspect ratios does YouTube use?
YouTube uses 9:16 for shorts, 16:9 for thumbnails, banners, and videos, and 1:1 for profile pictures.
How long can YouTube videos be?
On YouTube, Shorts up to 180 seconds (3 minutes) and Video up to 720 minutes.
What file formats does YouTube support?
Across its content types, YouTube supports MP4, MOV, JPG, PNG, BMP, and GIF. Use JPG for photos, PNG for graphics with text, and MP4 for video.
What is the best resolution to upload YouTube videos in?
1080p (1920x1080) is the reliable baseline and looks sharp on most screens. YouTube supports up to 4K and 8K, and a higher source resolution survives YouTube's re-encoding better, but 1080p is the practical minimum for a clean result.
What is the YouTube banner safe area?
Upload the channel banner at 2560x1440px and keep logos and text inside the central safe area, which YouTube gives as 1235x338px at the 2048x1152px minimum size (about 1544x423px at 2560x1440). That central strip is the only part guaranteed to show on phones, tablets, desktops, and TVs.
Sizes for other platforms
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