YouTube launches thumbnail split testing: Get more views!

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Upload three different thumbnails for any of your videos and YouTube tells you which gets more watch time!

Get more views by testing different thumbnails, but this has not been enabled on all YouTube channels yet.

0:38 Is it enabled on your channel?
1:20 How it works
2:28 See the test results
4:30 Viki on thumbnail split testing
7:08 Gallery of YouTube Test & compare
7:40 Heartbeat Photos
9:09 R to rotate
9:37 Dua Lipa on Heartbeat
10:29 Sexy women on Heartbeat
10:50 He-Man tips for kids
11:35 Conan O’Brien on Heartbeat
12:52 Best of George on Heartbeat
13:16 More Heartbeat
14:36 Heartbeat Payday #3
15:15 Final words by George

To start a thumbnail test, hover over your thumbnail and click the 3-dots when editing a video in YouTube Studio.

If thumbnail testing is enabled on your channel, you will see Test & compare in the 3-dot menu.

This is thumbnail split testing running on my video.

Upload three thumbnail to test and YouTube will tell you which performs best after a day or two.

Be patient, you will not see results for at least 24 – 48 hours.

For me, it took 36 hours to show results (1.5 days) and there was a clear winner, so I clicked Stop & set.

You cannot resume the test after clicking Stop but you can start a new test anytime.

To start a new test, click View test report in your thumbnail 3-dot menu and click New test.

Alternative titles and descriptions

YouTube Thumbnail Split Testing: Boost Your Clicks and Views
Learn how to increase your video engagement by using YouTube’s thumbnail split testing feature to optimize your thumbnails and attract more clicks and views.

Optimize YouTube Thumbnails: Increase Clicks with Split Testing
Discover how to improve your video’s click-through rate by implementing thumbnail split testing on YouTube, allowing you to compare and choose the most effective thumbnails for your content.

Boost Video Performance with YouTube’s Thumbnail Split Testing
Enhance your video’s visibility and engagement by leveraging YouTube’s thumbnail split testing, enabling you to identify the best-performing thumbnails and maximize your click-through rate.

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