YouTube Shorts · 9:16 · 1080×1920
YouTube Shorts thumbnail maker
Shorts now get custom thumbnails, and a vertical one has to work where the Shorts player puts its buttons. Type your Short's title or paste its link, and CoverDrop makes four 9:16 thumbnails in four styles.
Shorts thumbnails made with CoverDrop
Script on a brush stroke
Steps with line icons
Magazine cover
Quiet caption
Split with a verdict
Receipt or notes list
Real covers made with CoverDrop. Where a person appears, the photo is a generated stand-in; your covers use your own title and, if you add one, your own photo.
See every styleMade for the vertical player, not cropped from a wide one
A YouTube thumbnail is 16:9; a Short is 9:16. Cropping one into the other cuts the title off or squeezes it. CoverDrop draws the Shorts thumbnail vertical from the start, with every word in the band the Shorts player leaves clear: below the top, above the title and channel line, left of the like, dislike, comment and share buttons.
If you also post a long video on the same topic, make its 16:9 thumbnail the same way, so your channel looks like one person made both.
From the video, not just the title
Paste the link of a public YouTube video and CoverDrop reads what it is about before designing, so the four thumbnails promise what the Short delivers in its first seconds. Or just type the title. Each cover comes in its own style, from bold statement to quiet photo, so you pick a direction instead of rerolling one picture.
How it works
- 01Type the title or paste a linkYour Short's title in English or Turkish, or its YouTube link. Add your own photo if you want to be on it.
- 02Get four thumbnailsFour 9:16 thumbnails in four styles, with the words clear of the Shorts buttons. You see the price before you start.
- 03Upload itDownload the one you like at 1080×1920 and upload it as the Short's thumbnail in YouTube Studio.
Questions
Does it work in Turkish?
Yes. CoverDrop is made in English and Turkish. Write the title in Turkish and the covers' words, the suggested post text and the whole interface are in Turkish too, with ğ, ş, ı and İ as you typed them. A cover that fails is drawn again, and if it still fails its credits come back.
Can I add a custom thumbnail to a YouTube Short?
Since July 2026, creators in the YouTube Partner Program can upload a custom thumbnail for a Short in YouTube Studio. Others can still use the cover on Instagram Reels and TikTok, where the same 9:16 file fits.
What size is a Shorts thumbnail?
Use 1080×1920 pixels, the same 9:16 frame as the Short. CoverDrop's covers are that size, with the words inside the area the Shorts player doesn't cover.
Can it read my video?
Paste the link of a public YouTube video and CoverDrop reads what it is about to design the covers. Private and unlisted videos can't be read; type the title instead.
Is it free?
Your first 2 sheets are free once your email is verified, with no card needed. After that you pay with credits, and the price is shown before you start.