Auto-Optimizing Thumbnails

Auto-Optimize analyzes your thumbnail and applies AI-powered improvements automatically. It's a one-click way to make any thumbnail more clickable.

How It Works

1. Open a thumbnail in the Editor
2. Look for the Auto-Optimize option in the editor tools
3. Click to start the optimization
4. The AI analyzes your thumbnail and applies improvements

What Gets Optimized

The AI looks at several factors that influence click-through rate:

Contrast and readability

• Enhances text contrast so it's readable at small sizes
• Adjusts foreground-background separation
• Improves visibility on both light and dark YouTube backgrounds

Color vibrancy

• Boosts colors that feel flat or muted
• Ensures the thumbnail pops in YouTube's feed
• Maintains natural-looking saturation (no over-processing)

Composition

• Checks element placement and balance
• Ensures key elements aren't in YouTube's UI overlay zones (timestamp, etc.)
• Optimizes for the 16:9 aspect ratio display

Mobile optimization

• Tests readability at small thumbnail sizes (120px wide)
• Ensures text and faces are visible on mobile screens
• Adjusts element sizing for small-screen clarity

When to Use Auto-Optimize

• After editing — run it as a final polish step
• On uploaded thumbnails — quickly improve thumbnails from other sources
• Before publishing — as a quick quality check
• When unsure — let the AI suggest what needs improving

Tips

• Auto-Optimize costs 1 credit per use
• You can undo the optimization if you prefer the original
• Combine with manual AI editing for the best results — auto-optimize handles the basics, then fine-tune specific elements
• Works especially well on thumbnails with text — the AI prioritizes text readability