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For YouTubers and creators

YouTube thumbnailAI YouTube thumbnail maker

The photo $500 car?! started fromPhoto in
$500 car?!, a real run on Leap
$500 car?! A real run, made from the photo beside it.

Add a selfie, say what the video is about, and get a 16:9 thumbnail at 4K: your face mid-reaction, lit like the channels that get the clicks, with your headline set big and spelled as you typed it.

from $0.60 an imageA $5 top-up is enough for about 8 thumbnails.

Pick a reactionShock
Pick a cameraLow-angle hero
Make yours
Make yours
  1. 01Add a clear selfie, or leave it out for a made-up presenter.
  2. 02Say what the video is about, pick a reaction and an angle, and add a headline if you want one.
  3. 03Get up to four thumbnails in about a minute.

Real runs

What it has made

Each one came back as you see it. The people are generated: no real person's face is on this page.

  • $1 vs $1,000 brisket, a real run on Leap

    $1 vs $1,000 brisket

  • My HOA sued me, a real run on Leap

    My HOA sued me

  • The neighbor knew, a real run on Leap

    The neighbor knew

  • Don't buy this fridge, a real run on Leap

    Don't buy this fridge

  • $0 to $100K at 26, a real run on Leap

    $0 to $100K at 26

  • I ate like a sumo, a real run on Leap

    I ate like a sumo

  • Cheapest truck in Texas, a real run on Leap

    Cheapest truck in Texas

  • It worked?, a real run on Leap

    It worked?

Who it's for

YouTubers
A thumbnail with your face for every upload, without a photo shoot or an hour in an editor.
Creators testing what gets clicked
Four reactions for the same video in one run, to try against each other.
Podcasts and shows with a host
The host in a new reaction for each episode, still looking like the host.

What you get

1 to 4 thumbnails a run
Each one priced on its own. Pick A mix and each one gets a different reaction.
16:9 at 4K
YouTube's shape, large enough to crop or to add your own text later.
Ten reactions, three angles
Shock, joy, disgust, fear, smug, confused, determined, crying laughing, rage or awe, from a low hero angle, an extreme close-up or a wide, tilted frame.
Your face, kept
The recipe holds your face shape, eyes, skin tone, hair and age to your photo; only the expression and the pose change.

Next

Take it further

Every recipe

Questions

YouTube thumbnail, answered

Do I need a photo of myself?
No. Without one, the thumbnail casts a made-up presenter who looks like no real person. With one, it's your face.
Whose photo can I use?
Your own, or a photo of someone who agreed to it. Leap's Acceptable Use Policy forbids impersonating anyone or making deceptive fakes of real people.
Is the headline spelled right?
A headline of up to 30 characters is set exactly as you type it, and nothing else is written on the image. Image models still slip now and then, so read it before you upload. Leave it empty and the thumbnail keeps a calm space for your own text.
What does YouTube thumbnail make?
A 16:9 thumbnail at 4K with your face in one of ten big reactions, shot from one of three angles under a YouTube light rig, with your headline spelled exactly or room left for it.
What do I need to bring?
Such as "I ate nothing but gas-station sushi for a week".
How does it work?
Add a clear selfie, or leave it out for a made-up presenter. Say what the video is about, pick a reaction and an angle, and add a headline if you want one. Get up to four thumbnails in about a minute.
What can I choose?
Reaction: A mix, Shock, Joy, Disgust, Fear, Smug, Confused or Determined, and 3 more. Camera: Low-angle hero, Extreme close-up or Wide, tilted.
How much does it cost?
From $0.60 an image, and you see the exact price before you press go. A run that fails costs nothing, there is no subscription, and your first top-up has no card fee.
Can I use the result commercially?
Yes. You own what you make on Leap, so you can use it commercially, and we never train AI on it. The people and brands shown in a result can still have rights in it; the Terms say more.
Can I run it from code?
Yes. Developers run it as leap/youtube-thumbnail through the Leap API, at the same price, with the same choices.

It runs on Nano Banana Pro, with the prompting done for you. Rather write your own? Open a model's page and start from there.

Building an app? Run YouTube thumbnail from the API

Your next thumbnail, with your face on it.

A $5 top-up is enough for about 8 thumbnails. Every run shows its price before it starts.

Make yours