TokDown
YouTube · Thumbnails · HD

Download YouTube thumbnails
in full HD

Paste a YouTube link or video ID and grab the cover image in every size YouTube provides, up to 1280×720.

Works with watch, youtu.be, Shorts and embed links

  • 100% free
  • No login
  • All sizes
  • Instant
01 — 03

How it works

Link in, image out.

  1. 01

    Copy the video link

    Any YouTube URL works: watch?v=, youtu.be, Shorts, embed, or just the 11-character ID.

  2. 02

    Paste it above

    We list every thumbnail size YouTube has for that video, with a live preview.

  3. 03

    Download or copy

    Save the JPG you need or copy its direct URL to use in your own designs.

In depth

Download YouTube thumbnails in full HD

Paste a YouTube link or video ID and grab the cover image in every size YouTube provides, up to 1280×720.

YouTube generates up to five thumbnail sizes for every video: 120×90, 320×180, 480×360, 640×480 and the full HD 1280×720 version called maxresdefault. All of them are public JPG files served from YouTube’s image servers. TokDown builds the exact URLs from the video ID, checks which sizes exist and shows a preview of each, so you can pick the resolution you need without guessing.

Creators use this to recover a thumbnail they no longer have the source for, to build playlists and channel pages, or to compare how competitors design their covers. Designers paste the direct URL into Figma or Canva. Because only the image is fetched, the tool is fast, works for Shorts and regular videos alike, and never touches the video stream itself.

Link to this tool

Found it useful? Paste this snippet into your blog, forum post or docs so others can find it too.

<a href="https://tokdown.org/youtube-thumbnail-downloader">Download YouTube thumbnails in full HD – TokDown</a>
Tools

Why creators use it

The quickest way to get a clean cover image.

Full HD when available

The 1280×720 maxres image is shown first whenever the channel uploaded one.

All five sizes

HD, SD, HQ, MQ and default sizes, each with a preview and its own download button.

Direct URL copy

Need it in Figma or Canva? Copy the image link in one click.

Shorts too

Shorts links and youtu.be short links are parsed just like normal videos.

FAQ

Thumbnail FAQ

Quick answers.

YouTube only generates the maxres thumbnail when the uploaded video and custom thumbnail are high resolution. Older or low-res videos only have the smaller sizes.

Need a cover image?

Paste the YouTube link and pick a size.

Paste your link