---
title: 'A/B Test YOUR YouTube Thumbnails For FREE! [A/B Testing Tutorial]'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=U0S-TuEaLwE'
video_id: 'U0S-TuEaLwE'
date: 2026-06-14
duration_sec: 354
---

# A/B Test YOUR YouTube Thumbnails For FREE! [A/B Testing Tutorial]

> Source: [A/B Test YOUR YouTube Thumbnails For FREE! (A/B Testing Tutorial)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=U0S-TuEaLwE)

## Summary

YouTube has released a free thumbnail A/B testing tool that allows creators to test up to three thumbnail options to see which performs best based on watch time. This tool helps creators move beyond guessing and use data to optimize their thumbnails for higher click-through rates and viewer retention.

### Key Points

- **Importance of Thumbnails** [00:18] — 90% of best-performing YouTube videos use custom thumbnails.
- **Testing Over Guessing** [00:33] — The best thumbnail is the one your audience likes, not necessarily the one you like. Mr. Beast creates up to 50 thumbnails per video and tests them.
- **How A/B Testing Works** [01:04] — Upload thumbnails, YouTube shows each to different viewers, tracks performance, and automatically updates to the winner based on watch time.
- **Watch Time as Metric** [01:28] — YouTube picks the winner based on watch time, not just clicks, ensuring viewers actually watch the content.
- **Setup Requirements** [02:05] — Available on desktop, requires advance verification (free). Not available for made-for-kids or age-restricted content.
- **Setting Up a Test** [02:21] — For new uploads: click create, upload video, find A/B testing option near title area. For existing videos: go to edit page, click A/B testing in title or thumbnail section.
- **Test Options** [02:47] — Three options: title only, thumbnail only, or title and thumbnail. Minimum two thumbnails needed; can add a third for A/B/C testing.
- **Making Different Thumbnails** [03:20] — 95% of click decisions are subconscious. Make thumbnails noticeably different in colors, expressions, angles to avoid prolonged tests.
- **Using Adobe Express** [03:55] — Adobe Express allows quick creation of multiple thumbnail versions with brand colors and fonts, accessible across devices.
- **Interpreting Results** [04:56] — Results can take up to 2 weeks. If no clear winner, check analytics under reach tab or use Ask Studio feature. If insufficient data, switch to new thumbnail and study results in a week.

### Conclusion

YouTube's free A/B testing tool empowers creators to make data-driven thumbnail decisions, improving click-through rates and viewer retention. Consistent testing helps creators learn what resonates with their audience.

## Transcript

YouTube thumbnails matter a lot when it 
comes to getting people to watch your  
videos. Adobe Express sponsored this video so I 
can show you what YouTube has finally released,  
which is their own free thumbnail testing tool, so 
that way we can see which thumbnails perform best.  
YouTube built this tool because thumbnails are one 
of the most important factors in whether someone  
clicks through to watch your video. YouTube even 
says 90% of the best performing videos on YouTube  
use custom thumbnails. The problem myself and 
other creators run into is that it's really  
hard to reliably predict what thumbnail will 
work well for our specific audience. The best  
thumbnail isn't always the one you like, it's the 
one your audience likes, and the only way to know  
it is to test it. What looks great for me might 
not work for you or my audience. even Mr. Beast  
has a team that creates up to 50 thumbnail options 
per video, and that's why his tool, ViewStats.com,  
tracks when videos change their thumbnail. Mr. 
Beast doesn't guess, he tests. You don't need 50  
thumbnails, but you might need more than one. I 
always joke that A/B testing stands for "always  
be testing," and I'm glad that YouTube has 
given us this feature for free. Here's how  
A/B testing YouTube thumbnails works. You add the 
thumbnails that you want to test. YouTube shows  
each option to different viewers and tracks which 
one performs best. Results can take up to 2 weeks,  
though I've seen them sooner, and when the 
test is done, YouTube should automatically  
update your video to the winning thumbnail. Of 
course, you can also manually verify that the  
winning thumbnail has been selected. YouTube also 
isn't just tracking clicks here, they're tracking  
watch time. Great YouTube thumbnails don't just 
get people to click, they help viewers understand  
what the video is about so they don't waste time 
clicking on the wrong video. So that's why YouTube  
picks the winner based on watch time, not just 
clicks. So the winning thumbnail isn't just the  
one that people click on, it's the one that brings 
in viewers who actually watch our content. Heck,  
I've been recommending YouTube thumbnail A/B 
testing for years. Back when I (Andrew Kan) worked  
at TubeBuddy, it was one of the biggest claims 
to fame of the tool. So whether you're just  
starting or you've been A/B testing for years 
like me, YouTube's A/B testing means you can  
stop wondering what works and start knowing. 
Here's how to set up A/B testing. This feature  
is currently available on desktop and does require 
advance verification. If you don't have that yet,  
don't worry, it's free and only takes a few 
minutes. I also want to mention that A/B testing  
is not available for made-for-kids content or age 
restricted 18+ content at the time of this video.  
To set up an A/B test, you can test it on either 
a new or existing content. For a new upload,  
click create in the top right-hand corner, then 
upload video. While the video is uploading, you'll  
see the A/B testing option near the title area and 
in the thumbnail selection. For existing videos,  
go to the video's edit page. For titles, click 
A/B testing in the same spot. For thumbnails,  
scroll down to the thumbnail section and click 
on the 3 dots to reveal the A/B testing options.  
When you click here, you'll see 3 options, 
title only, thumbnail only, and title and  
thumbnail. These are all worth exploring, and I 
plan on making dedicated videos for each one. You  
can subscribe to be notified when those drop. 
For now, we're just gonna be picking thumbnail  
only. You only need 2 thumbnail options for 
this to work, but there is an option to add a  
third thumbnail. That's sometimes called "A/B/C 
testing." This is the same idea as A/B testing,  
just with 3 options instead of 2. Now, I 
know what you might be thinking, "Andrew,  
it's hard enough to make one good thumbnail, how 
am I supposed to make 2 or 3?" Here's the thing,  
you and I, we can't reliably predict what will 
work for our audience. 95% of click decisions  
happen before people even consciously 
think about it. That's why we test. So,  
when you're making your second or third thumbnail, 
make them noticeably different, different colors,  
different expressions, different angles. YouTube 
even says testing thumbnails that are too similar  
can cause the test to run longer because there's 
not enough difference to pick a winner. I've seen  
people in our KDCC Discord server say they've 
A/B tested, but really all they did was change  
punctuation on the text of the thumbnail. Sadly, 
that's not gonna cut it. So, how do you actually  
make multiple thumbnails without spending hours on 
each one? Any tool can do it, but not every tool  
makes it easy. That's why I like Adobe Express. 
All you have to do is set up your brand colors  
and the fonts once. Then, from there, you can 
quickly swap colors, try different templates,  
and create multiple versions without starting from 
scratch. Plus, you can start a thumbnail on your  
phone and finish it on your computer, or the other 
way around, start it on your computer and finish  
it on your phone. I was using Adobe Express before 
I was a brand ambassador, and actually recommend  
and use it. I even made versions of the thumbnails 
for this video using Adobe Express. If you want to  
try it out, head to adobe.com/express or use my 
affiliate link in the description to support the  
YouTube channel. Once you got your thumbnails 
ready, here's how to set it up. Click add  
thumbnail to upload your first option, then click 
add thumbnail again for your second. If you want  
to do an A/B/C test, add a third one. Once they're 
uploaded, click set test, and make sure you  
actually save your changes on the video. I've seen 
people forget this step. Your A/B testing results  
can take up to 2 weeks, and sometimes YouTube 
won't have enough data to pick a clear winner. If  
YouTube picks a winner, go with that. If YouTube 
says not enough impressions to declare a winner  
or the YouTube thumbnails perform the same, go to 
that video's analytics and look under the reach  
tab for more data. You can also use YouTube's own 
Ask Studio feature on desktop to help read the  
data. Do your best to pick the thumbnail that's 
getting people to click and watch your content  
based on the data that you do have. If there 
wasn't enough data on an existing video you're  
testing, consider switching to the new thumbnail 
and study the results in about a week, since  
there was a reason you wanted to test in the first 
place. Either way, keep testing on future videos.  
The more you test, the more you learn what works 
for your audience. In the description, I've got  
more A/B testing tips, an Adobe Express affiliate 
link so you can give this a try, and a link to the  
KDCC Discord server if you need more help. If 
you found this video helpful, consider checking  
out that video on screen. I'm Andrew Kan, and if I 
Kan A/B test YouTube thumbnails, then you Kan too!