🕹️ Add Custom Thumbnails To Your Videos

Customize how your videos appear on social media by adding your own custom video thumbnails in SmarterQueue.

Instead of relying on an automatically generated thumbnail, you can upload an image from your computer or choose one from your Media Library to represent your video on supported social platforms.

You can customize video thumbnails when creating or editing posts in the Post Editor, or directly in your Media Library.

📌 In This Article

• How To Add Custom Video Thumbnails
• Platform-Specific Video Thumbnail Support
• Recommended Thumbnail Size And Dimensions
• Common Questions

How To Add Custom Video Thumbnails

The video thumbnail is an image used to represent your video in previews on social media.

With SmarterQueue, you can select your own thumbnail to give you more control over how your video appears.

Adding Custom Video Thumbnails In The Post Editor

To customize a video thumbnail when creating or editing a post:

1. From the "Publish" view of your SmarterQueue dashboard, click "New Post" in the upper-right corner.
2. Add a video to your post. Learn more about media options and guidelines.
3. Click the "Edit Media Properties" icon (✏️) in the bottom-right corner of the video.
4. Click the "Add Custom Thumbnail" button to upload a thumbnail image from your computer or choose an existing image from your Media Library.
5. Crop and resize your thumbnail as needed.
6. Click "Save" to save your changes.

Adding Custom Video Thumbnails In The Media Library

You can also add custom thumbnails directly to videos stored in your Media Library, so they're ready to use whenever you add those videos to new posts.

1. Open your Media Library and find the video you'd like to customize.
2. Hover over the video and click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the bottom-right corner.
3. Select "Edit Media".
4. Click the "Add Custom Thumbnail" button to upload a thumbnail image from your computer or choose one from your Media Library.
5. Crop and resize the thumbnail as needed.
6. Click "Done" to save your changes.

Platform-Specific Video Thumbnail Support

📝 Important Notes:

• Instagram: Custom thumbnails are only supported for Feed posts and Reels when Direct Publishing is enabled, and the post will be published directly. They aren't supported for Stories or posts published through mobile notifications.
• YouTube: Your channel must have Intermediate features enabled, which requires verification. Custom thumbnails aren't supported for YouTube Shorts.
• Unsupported Platforms: If you select a custom thumbnail for an unsupported platform, your selection won't be retained when saving the post. The video will use its original thumbnail instead.

Recommended Thumbnail Size And Dimensions

• Maximum File Size: 8MB
• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 9:16 for vertical videos, although the ideal ratio depends on your video's orientation.

SmarterQueue automatically adapts the thumbnail editor to match your video's orientation.

For example, if you're uploading a vertical video, you'll be able to crop and resize your thumbnail within a vertical frame. For landscape videos, the thumbnail editor will use a corresponding landscape frame.

This means you don't need to prepare all your thumbnails in the same dimensions. You can adjust them to suit the video you're publishing.

Common Questions

1. Why Can't I Add A Custom Thumbnail To My Video?

Not all social platforms support custom video thumbnails, and availability also depends on the post type and publishing method.

Check the platform compatibility table above to see which options are supported for your selected profiles.

2. Why Isn't My Custom Video Thumbnail Being Saved?

If your selected social platform doesn't support custom thumbnail uploads, SmarterQueue will revert to the video's original thumbnail when you save your post.

For Instagram, make sure you're using Direct Publishing for a Feed post or Reel. For YouTube, make sure your channel has completed the verification required to enable Intermediate features.

3. Can I Use Different Thumbnails For Different Social Profiles?

You can customize media for individual social profiles in the Post Editor, subject to each platform's limitations.

4. Will Changing A Thumbnail In My Media Library Update Existing Posts?

No. Changes made to video thumbnails in your Media Library won't affect posts you've already created, even if you haven't customized their thumbnails in the Post Editor.

The updated thumbnail will be available when you use that video in future posts, wherever custom thumbnails are supported.