48 YouTube thumbnail & Reels cover templates · from 2 credits a cover
Pick one look.
Make your cover in it.
Each one comes in both formats. Choose the frame you want to start from: the wide one for YouTube, the tall one for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. You can switch later.
Hook: The payoff
The catch the cover is built around. Templates built for it come first; none are hidden.
AnyThe payoffShow the best second of the video before they click.Out of placeOne ordinary thing where it should not be.The big numberOne figure so large (or small) it stops the scroll.The tiny detailSomething too small to make out, marked.Before and afterTwo states of one thing, split by a hard cut.Head to headTwo things and a verdict still to come.The correctionA claim struck through and the truth written over it.Too strong to be trueAn absolute claim, with a footnote that admits the twist.The unfinished sentenceA line that stops just before the answer.Cut openThe inside of something nobody has seen.The questionOne short question that promises a verdict.Where does it landA ranking the viewer wants to argue with.15 of 48 templates · 3 built for the payoff
Clear filtersTemplates
Blank pageanything
Then → Nowrestorations · makeoversAlso serves the payoff
Year 3000future · predictionsAlso serves the payoff
Before / Afterrenovations · restorationsAlso serves the payoff
Blueprinttech · engineeringNot built for the payoff
Correctionmyths · moneyThe crossed-out word is the cover without words.
Footnoteexplainers · scienceThe footnote is the cover without words.
The Questiontech reviews · product testsThe question is the cover without words.
Cross-Sectionfood · teardownsNot built for the payoff
Versuscomparisons · reviewsNot built for the payoff
The Rankingtier lists · rankingsThe tier letters are the cover without words.
Big Numbermoney · challengesThe number is the cover without words.
Day One of Thirtyseries · challengesThe day number is the cover without words.
Quiet Desktutorials · essaysNot built for the payoff
Rejecteddon't buy · honest reviewsNot built for the payoff
Cutoutproducts · foodNot built for the payoff
What the templates are for
Each template is a finished design: the layout, the type and the colours are set, in 16:9 for YouTube and 9:16 for Shorts, Reels and TikTok. You bring the title, and a photo when the template takes one.
- Bold
- Loud colour, giant words and big shapes, for videos that have to win at a glance: reactions, versus matches, glow-ups, the one thing circled in red.
- Gaming
- Boss fights, loot drops, rank-ups, speedrun timers, day counters and game-over moments, drawn the way gaming covers look.
- Sci-fi
- Alien craft, robots, holograms, warp jumps and the year 3000: for science fiction, space, technology and any video about the future.
- Fantasy
- Dragons, quests, portals, spells, treasure maps and hoards: for fantasy, adventures, stories and games.
- Classic
- Quieter, editorial designs, each built on one idea: a big number, a before and after, a correction, a ranking, a front page, a tiny detail circled, the best second frozen. They suit almost any subject.
Want a cover that is only the picture? Show the templates that work without words. The others keep their words, because there the words are the design.
Not sure which to pick? Choose a hook on the shelf, the promise your cover should make, and the templates built for it come first.