Same Video, Different Designs: How YouTube Thumbnail Testing Can Get More Clicks

You spend three days filming, editing and cursing at your timeline. You upload it and it gets 40 views. Ouch. Don’t jump to the conclusion that it’s the algorithm or your cat (who presumably walked across the keyboard at some point) that’s to blame. Check your thumbnail. YouTube thumbnail testing is a very simple way of working out which image gets people to click on and it can go a long way to turning a fairly quiet video into a much busier one without you having to change a single second of the actual video.

What is a thumbnail and why does it matter so much?

(Source – OpenAI)

A thumbnail is the little picture that people see prior to them playing your video. Think of it as the cover of a book. People do in fact judge by it.

Your YouTube thumbnails work in conjunction with your title to answer that one key question in the viewer’s mind: “Is this worth my time?” If the answer is no they’ll just scroll on. Your video could be absolutely brilliant, but nobody will ever know.

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Why YouTube Thumbnail Testing Is Worth Your Time

Most creators will pick a thumbnail on a gut feeling. The problem is your gut isn’t your audience. What looks great to you might look absolutely bizarre on a phone screen.

Testing removes the guessing entirely. You show different versions of your thumbnail design to different audiences and see which one wins. It’s a bit like asking your friends which outfit they think looks best, only in this case your friends are thousands of strangers and they’re far more honest than your average friend.

The key metric to watch is your click through rate (CTR). That’s just the percentage of people who click on your video after seeing it. If 100 people see your thumbnail and 8 click, your CTR is 8%. A higher CTR generally indicates that your thumbnail is working.

What Is A/B Testing?

You’ll come across the term A/B testing all the time. It sounds rather posh really, but the concept is straightforward. You create two versions of something (A and B), show one version to one group and the other version to a different group and then you see which one performs better.

For instance thumbnail A might be your face looking absolutely gobsmacked. Thumbnail B would be the finished product with huge, bold text. Whichever one gets the most clicks is the winner. That’s it.

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How to Start YouTube Thumbnail Testing in YouTube Studio

Good news, you don’t need any extra software. YouTube have a built-in tool called Test & Compare within YouTube Studio (which is the dashboard you use to manage your channel).

Here is how it works:

• Open up YouTube Studio and head to your video’s details page.
• Upload up to three different thumbnails.
• Let YouTube show them to different viewers over time.
• Once the test is complete, check the results.

One thing to be aware of is that YouTube selects the winner on the basis of watch time (i.e. how long people actually spend watching). That makes perfect sense because a thumbnail that gets a lot of clicks but has people leaving after just five seconds is not really a winner. It’s just a good liar.

If you don’t see it yet then please check that advanced features are turned on for your channel. You may need to verify your account first.

What Should You Test?

Don’t change everything at once. If you swap in the colours, the text and the photo all at the same time you won’t know which change made the difference. Test one thing at a time, like a very careful scientist with a very nice ring light.

Here are some easy ideas:

• Facial expressions – a surprised face and a calm face can give quite different results.
• Text on the image. Three words rather than no words at all.
• Colours. Bright yellow can definitely stand out in a feed full of dark images.
• Close ups v wide shots. Sometimes less is more.
• Background clutter. A clean background generally looks better on small screens.

Tips for a Stronger Thumbnail Design

Even before you test, a few basics can help your custom thumbnail perform better:

• Keep it readable. Most people will be watching on their phones so don’t go for tiny text.
• Use contrast. Make the subject you’re interested in stand out from the background.
• Stay honest. If your thumbnail promises you a free car and your video is just about changing a tyre then people are going to walk away very quickly and your audience retention will be terrible.
• Be consistent. Having a similar style across the channel will help people to spot your videos at a glance.

How long should you run a test?

Patience is key here. If you stop after just one day the results could be down to random luck. YouTube requires a certain number of impressions (i.e. how many times your thumbnail is shown to people) in order to give you a proper answer. Many of the tests will take a week or two to complete depending on how many people are actually watching your videos.

Small channels can wait a bit longer and that’s perfectly fine. Slow and steady still wins the day over just guessing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

(Source – OpenAI)

• Testing too many things at once will result in confusing outcomes.
• Don’t end the tests too early. The early numbers can be very volatile.
• Copy other creators blindly. What works on a gaming channel is unlikely to work on a cooking channel.
• Ignore the results. Testing is only of any use if you actually use what you learn.

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Final Thoughts

Your video content is important, but your thumbnail is the gateway. If the gateway looks dull people are just going to walk past it, regardless of how good the content actually is. Through regular testing you learn what your audience like and you can then develop a thumbnail style that is natural and works.

Start small. Pick your next video and make 2 or 3 different thumbnails. Let the results tell you which one it is. You might be quite surprised by which one wins. Sometimes the rather odd photo you’d almost deleted is the one that the audience go absolutely mad for.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is YouTube thumbnail testing?

It’s the process of showing different thumbnail images for the same video to different viewers and then comparing the results to see which one works best.

2. Is thumbnail testing free on YouTube?

Yes. The Test & Compare tool in YouTube Studio is free for eligible channels.

3. How many thumbnails can I test at the same time?

YouTube currently allows you to test up to three thumbnails for a single video.

4. Can I test thumbnails on old videos?

Yes in many cases you can. A refresh of the thumbnail on an older video can give it a second chance at views.

5. What is a good click-through rate?

It varies by channel and topic, but many creators see rates between 2 and 10 percent. Instead of chasing a perfect number, aim to beat your own previous results.