Thumbnail text ideas that work with your title, not against it
Thumbnail text has to be read in a split second, at the size of a stamp, next to your title. This prompt has your todo.is agent write short text options that add curiosity or clarity to your title, then place the best ones on your own frame so you can compare mockups side by side.
The prompt
- Give me 15 thumbnail text ideas for my YouTube video titled [VIDEO TITLE]. The video is about [WHAT HAPPENS IN THE VIDEO] for [YOUR AUDIENCE]. Rules: 2 to 4 words each, no repeating the title, readable at small size. Mix types: an emotion or reaction, a number or result, a before/after, a question, and a warning. For each, say which part of the image it should sit on and why it pairs with the title. Then take the frame I attached ([THUMBNAIL IMAGE]) and make mockups of the top 3: big bold text in [FONT STYLE AND COLORS], with an outline so it stays readable, at 1280x720 as PNG. Also show a small-size preview of each so I can check it on a phone.
What to change
- [VIDEO TITLE]: Your title, e.g. "I Tried Living on $10 a Day for a Week".
- [WHAT HAPPENS IN THE VIDEO]: One or two lines, e.g. "I cook every meal on $10 a day, it goes wrong on day 4 and I learn 3 tricks".
- [YOUR AUDIENCE]: e.g. "students", "budget shoppers" or "beginner gamers".
- [THUMBNAIL IMAGE]: Attach a frame or photo for the thumbnail (JPG or PNG). Write "no image" to get text ideas only.
- [FONT STYLE AND COLORS]: e.g. "heavy white sans-serif with a black outline" or "yellow on dark". Write "you choose" if unsure.
Example result
- Video
- Title: I Tried Living on $10 a Day for a Week. On day 4 the plan falls apart; the video ends with 3 tricks that worked. Audience: students.
- Emotion or reaction
- • DAY 4 WAS BAD (top right, next to your tired face). Adds a story the title doesn't tell.
- • NEVER AGAIN? (top left). Creates doubt about the ending.
- • I WAS SO HUNGRY (bottom). Honest and relatable for students.
- Number or result
- • $70 TOTAL (big, top right). Makes the challenge concrete.
- • $1.40 DINNER (next to the plate). Specific numbers make people curious.
- • 7 DAYS, $70 (top). Clear, but close to the title. Use only if the image is busy.
- Before and after
- • DAY 1 vs DAY 7 (split image). Shows change over the week.
- • FULL FRIDGE → EMPTY (across the fridge photo).
- Question
- • WORTH IT? (top right). Short and curious.
- • COULD YOU? (bottom). Invites the viewer into the challenge.
- Warning
- • DON'T BUY THIS (pointing at instant noodles). Hints at a lesson.
- • BIG MISTAKE (top left).
- • (and 3 more in the file)
- Top 3 mockups
- 1. DAY 4 WAS BAD: tells a story, pairs with the title as "what happened?". Placed top right, away from the video length label in the bottom right corner.
- 2. $1.40 DINNER: a strange, specific number next to the plate makes people want to see the meal.
- 3. WORTH IT?: works if your face shows a strong reaction.
- Readability check
- • At phone size, all 3 are readable with the black outline
- • NEVER AGAIN? was hard to read on the bright kitchen background, so it was left out of the mockups
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt, add your title, a short video summary and your audience.
- Attach a frame or photo for the thumbnail and send it to your agent in todo.is.
- Get 15 text ideas plus PNG mockups of the top 3 at 1280x720, with a small-size preview.
- Ask for changes like "bigger text" or "try yellow", then upload your favorite to YouTube yourself.
Tips for a better result
- Don't repeat the title. The thumbnail and title are read together, so each should add something.
- Use 2 to 4 words. If you need a sentence to explain, the thumbnail is doing too much.
- Keep text away from the bottom right corner, where YouTube shows the video length.
- Check it at phone size. Most viewers see your thumbnail smaller than a postage stamp.
thumbnail text ideas: FAQ
- Should a YouTube thumbnail have text? Not always. A strong image can work alone, but a few words help when the image doesn't explain the video or when you want to add curiosity.
- What size should a YouTube thumbnail be? YouTube recommends 1280x720 pixels, a 16:9 ratio. Your agent makes mockups at that size.
- What font works best for thumbnails? A thick, simple sans-serif font with high contrast and an outline or shadow. Thin or script fonts are hard to read at small size.
- Will the text be spelled correctly on the image? Yes. Your agent adds the text afterwards with an image tool instead of having AI draw it, so the words come out exactly as written.
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