How do I generate a thumbnail from a video?

Drop your video into the Video Thumbnail Generator, choose how many frames to capture and the format, then click Generate thumbnails. Several stills appear in a grid — click the one you want to download it. Everything happens on your own device.

Where in the video are the frames taken from?

The frames are spaced evenly across the entire clip and centred within each slice, so the very start and end — which are often black or a title card — are skipped and every candidate is a usable still.

What image format should I choose for a thumbnail?

JPG gives the smallest file and suits photographic frames, PNG is lossless and best for crisp text or graphics, and WebP offers the best balance of quality and size. You can pick per export.

Does this upload my video anywhere?

No. The Video Thumbnail Generator runs entirely in your browser. Your video is read from your device and the frames are captured locally — the file is never sent to ArrayKit or any server.

Can I capture one specific frame instead of a set?

Yes. If you want the exact frame you see rather than an evenly-spaced set, use the Screenshot from Video tool to scrub to the moment and grab that single frame.

Can I make a YouTube thumbnail with this?

Yes. Generate several frames, pick the strongest one, and download it as a high-quality PNG or JPG. You can then add text or crop it with an image tool before uploading.

Generate Video Thumbnails in Your Browser

Pull several evenly-spaced still frames out of any video and pick the best one as a thumbnail — right in your browser, with nothing uploaded.

The Video Thumbnail Generator runs entirely in your browser. Your video is read on your own device and the frames are captured locally — the file you load never leaves your computer and is never uploaded to ArrayKit.

Open the Screenshot from Video tool

About Video Thumbnail Generator

Video Thumbnail Generator turns a video into a handful of still frames so you can pick the perfect cover image without scrubbing by hand. Choose how many frames you want — 4, 6 or 9 — and it captures them at evenly-spaced points across the whole clip, skipping the black edges so every option is usable. Each frame appears in a grid; click the one you like to save it, or download several. Export as JPG for a small file, PNG for a crisp lossless still, or WebP for the best size-to-quality balance. It works on MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM and more, and your video is read straight from your device and processed locally — the file never leaves your computer. Ideal for YouTube covers, blog headers, or a poster frame for a shared clip.

Features

Automatically captures multiple frames spread evenly across the whole video
Choose 4, 6 or 9 candidate frames in one pass
Preview every frame in a responsive grid and pick your favourite
Export any frame as JPG, PNG or WebP
Skips the black opening and closing edges so every option is usable
Works with MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM and more
Runs entirely in your browser — your video is never uploaded
One-click download of the frame you choose

How to use the Video Thumbnail Generator

Drop a video file onto the page or click to choose one
Pick how many frames to capture and the image format
Click Generate thumbnails and wait for the grid to appear
Click the frame you like, or its Download button, to save it

Example

Input

6 frames · JPG

Output

0s · 15s · 25s · 35s · 45s · 55s

Six evenly-spaced stills from a one-minute clip — pick the best and download it.

Common errors & troubleshooting

Every frame looks similar or lands on a slow section. — Ask for more frames — 9 instead of 4 — to sample more points across the video, then pick the most representative still.
The generated thumbnails look soft or blurry. — The frame is captured at the source resolution, so a low-resolution or heavily compressed video yields a soft still. Start from a higher-quality source, and use PNG or WebP to avoid extra compression.
The video will not load or errors out. — The source may use an unsupported or DRM-protected codec. Try a standard MP4, MOV, MKV or WebM export.

Frequently asked questions

How do I generate a thumbnail from a video?: Drop your video into the Video Thumbnail Generator, choose how many frames to capture and the format, then click Generate thumbnails. Several stills appear in a grid — click the one you want to download it. Everything happens on your own device.
Where in the video are the frames taken from?: The frames are spaced evenly across the entire clip and centred within each slice, so the very start and end — which are often black or a title card — are skipped and every candidate is a usable still.
What image format should I choose for a thumbnail?: JPG gives the smallest file and suits photographic frames, PNG is lossless and best for crisp text or graphics, and WebP offers the best balance of quality and size. You can pick per export.
Does this upload my video anywhere?: No. The Video Thumbnail Generator runs entirely in your browser. Your video is read from your device and the frames are captured locally — the file is never sent to ArrayKit or any server.
Can I capture one specific frame instead of a set?: Yes. If you want the exact frame you see rather than an evenly-spaced set, use the Screenshot from Video tool to scrub to the moment and grab that single frame.
Can I make a YouTube thumbnail with this?: Yes. Generate several frames, pick the strongest one, and download it as a high-quality PNG or JPG. You can then add text or crop it with an image tool before uploading.

Related tools

Screenshot from Video — Capture the current frame of a video as a PNG, JPEG or WebP image, in your browser.
Video Trimmer — Cut a clip from a video by start and end time, in your browser — nothing uploaded.
Video to GIF — Turn a clip of a video into an optimized animated GIF, in your browser — nothing uploaded.
Video Resizer — Resize video for Reels, YouTube, square and more with letterboxing, in your browser.
Crop Video — Crop a video to square, vertical or landscape and trim the edges, in your browser.
Extract Audio from Video — Extract the audio from a video as MP3, WAV or M4A, in your browser — nothing uploaded.
Image Format Converter — Convert images between PNG, JPEG and WebP entirely in your browser.
Image Optimizer — Re-encode and shrink images (JPEG/WebP/PNG), optionally resizing.