AI YouTube Thumbnail Prompts That Get More Clicks

Creating effective YouTube thumbnails used to take a considerable amount of time, but AI tools can save time while delivering professional results. However, in 2025, AI tools will have made it significantly easier. Three AI tools that use natural language processing— ChatGPT, Nano Banana, and SeeDream, can help you create professional thumbnails in just minutes.

This guide gives you the exact ChatGPT prompts you need to come up with strong thumbnail ideas. You’ll get examples you can copy and paste, simple formulas to follow, and templates that actually work. When you’re  ready to turn those ideas into actual images, we’ve got separate guides for Nano Banana and SeeDream with prompts built for each tool.        

Why thumbnails matter

Videos with custom thumbnails get up to 80% more views. Most YouTube videos achieve a 0.65% click rate, but high-quality thumbnails can increase this to 8% to 12%. With over 51 million YouTube channels, your thumbnail is what makes people click on your video instead of someone else’s.

Using ChatGPT for thumbnail ideas

ChatGPT helps you generate ideas, write explanations, and create detailed instructions that Nano Banana and SeeDream can utilize. By using large language models, you can quickly brainstorm concepts, write catchy text, and turn your ideas into prompts.

We’ve already written about using ChatGPT to write YouTube scripts, including helpful prompts you can use.

Step 1: Start with the basics

Every time you start a new thumbnail project, use this as your first command to ChatGPT:

I’m creating a YouTube video about [TOPIC]. My target audience is [AUDIENCE]. I need thumbnail concepts that are [STYLE/MOOD]. The thumbnail should convey [KEY EMOTION/MESSAGE] and make viewers want to click immediately.

Example:

I’m creating a YouTube video about a 10-minute healthy meal prep for college students. My target audience is busy college students on a budget who want to eat healthy. I need thumbnail concepts that are vibrant, energetic food photography with bold text overlays. The thumbnail should convey excitement and simplicity, making viewers want to click immediately.

Step 2: Use a sample prompt to generate multiple ideas

Use this prompt to get different options:

Generate 6-8 unique thumbnail concepts and suggest ways to make each idea distinctly different from the others for my ‘[VIDEO TOPIC]’ video. For each idea, describe:

• The main visual elements

• Suggested text overlay (keep it under six words)

• Color scheme

• Overall composition

• The emotion it should evoke

Ensure that each concept is distinctly different from the others.

What you’ll get:

Concept 1:

• Visual: Close-up of colorful meal prep containers in a grid

• Text: “Prep Once, Eat All Week”

• Colors: Bright greens, oranges, and yellows

• Layout: Overhead shot, symmetrical

• Feeling: Organization and satisfaction

Concept 2:

• Visual: Student holding a fork over a fresh meal, looking excited

• Text: “10 Minutes to Healthy!”

• Colors: Warm tones with green

• Layout: Person on left, food on right

• Feeling: Joy and easy to do

Step 3: Add your brand style

Once you have ideas, make them match your channel’s look:

Refine these thumbnail concepts to match my channel branding:

• Primary colors: [HEX CODES]

• Brand personality: [ADJECTIVES] – consider your unique voice, personal anecdotes, and content style

• Must include: [LOGO PLACEMENT, FONTS, GRAPHIC STYLES]

• Preferred style: [DESCRIPTION]

• Avoid: [WHAT TO AVOID]

Regenerate the top 3 concepts with these branding elements integrated.

Example:

Refine these thumbnail concepts to match my channel branding:

• Primary colors: Orange #FF6B35, Yellow #F7931E, Blue #4A90E2

• Brand personality: Fun, energetic, educational, but not boring

• Must include: Small logo in bottom right corner

• Preferred style: Hand-drawn doodle accents mixed with photography

• Avoid: Dark or cluttered designs

Regenerate the top 3 concepts with these branding elements integrated.

Step 4: Make changes to your favorites

Improve your favorite concepts with this prompt:

I love concepts #[NUMBER], #[NUMBER], and #[NUMBER]. However, I need you to improve them:

What I like:

• [SPECIFIC ELEMENT in #NUMBER]

• [SPECIFIC ELEMENT in #NUMBER]

• [SPECIFIC ELEMENT in #NUMBER]

What needs improvement:

• [SPECIFIC CHANGE NEEDED]

• [SPECIFIC CHANGE NEEDED]

• [SPECIFIC CHANGE NEEDED]

Please regenerate these three concepts with the following improvements.

Example:

I love concepts #2, #4, and #7. However, I need you to improve them:

What I like:

• The vibrant colors in #2

• The text placement in #4

• The overall energy in #7

What needs improvement:

• Make the food look more appetizing and professional

• Increase the contrast between text and background

• Add more dynamic elements to create urgency

Please regenerate these three concepts with the following improvements.

Step 5: Create instructions for AI tools

At this point you’ve got solid thumbnail concepts from ChatGPT. Now you need to actually make them. We broke out the next steps into their own guides — check out our Nano Banana thumbnail guide or our SeeDream thumbnail guide depending on which tool you want to use. Both have copy-and-paste prompts and step-by-step instructions.          

Now turn your final concepts into instructions for your chosen AI tool.

Prompt generator templates for different video types

Copy these templates and change them to fit your videos.

Gaming Videos

ChatGPT Foundation:

I’m creating a gaming video about [GAME/GENRE]. My audience is [AGE GROUP – young adults, teens, etc.] gamers who love [GAMEPLAY TYPE]. I need an energetic, exciting thumbnail with neon colors and bold text that conveys [EMOTION: victory/excitement/challenge].

Cooking/Recipe Videos

ChatGPT Foundation:

I’m creating a cooking video about [DISH TYPE]. My audience is [HOME COOKS/BEGINNERS/ADVANCED]. I need a warm, appetizing thumbnail with [BRIGHT/MOODY] colors and text that emphasizes [SPEED/EASE/FLAVOR].

Tech Review Videos

ChatGPT Foundation:

I’m conducting a technical review of [PRODUCT]. My audience is [TECH ENTHUSIASTS/GENERAL CONSUMERS/SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS]. I need a clean, modern thumbnail with [BRIGHT/SLEEK] design emphasizing [INNOVATION/VALUE/COMPARISON].

Fitness/Workout Videos

ChatGPT Foundation:

I’m creating a fitness video about [WORKOUT TYPE]. My audience is [BEGINNERS/INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED]. I need an energetic, powerful thumbnail with dynamic movement and text conveying [RESULTS/INTENSITY/SIMPLICITY].

Educational/Tutorial Videos

ChatGPT Foundation:

I’m creating an educational video about [TOPIC]. My audience is [STUDENTS/PROFESSIONALS/HOBBYISTS]. I need a clear, trustworthy thumbnail with [BRIGHT/PROFESSIONAL] colors emphasizing [SIMPLICITY/EXPERTISE/RESULTS].

Example for career development content: ‘I’m creating an educational video about career development strategies. My audience is young professionals looking to advance their careers.

For creative content, such as a rap song tutorial or music production, adjust the mood to be energetic and artistic.

Comparison table

Tips for better prompts

1. Always include size details

Always write: “YouTube thumbnail, 1280x720px, 16:9 aspect ratio”

2. Compare to famous YouTubers

“Similar to [Mr. Beast/MKBHD/Tasty] style but with [your unique element]“

Example:

Similar to Mr. Beast thumbnail energy but with warmer colors and an educational tone, featuring [your content].

3. Ask for psychology-based elements

“Use colors that convey urgency” or “Include facial expression showing curiosity”

Example:

Create a thumbnail featuring red and yellow colors (conveying urgency and excitement), a surprised facial expression with wide eyes (triggering curiosity), and bold, contrasting text (ensuring readability).

4. Make it work on phones

“Ensure text is readable on mobile devices” or “Design for dark mode YouTube interface”

Example:

Bold sans-serif font minimum 72pt, high contrast white text with black outline or shadow, test readability at 320px width (mobile screen), avoid thin fonts or small details.

5. Keep the series looking similar

“This video is part of a series; maintain visual consistency with [previous thumbnail].”

Example:

This is episode 5 of my cooking series. Maintain the same layout: the chef on the left third, the dish on the right, with a warm orange background (#FF6B35) and a handwritten font for the episode number in the top right.

6. Use the “Act as” method

“Act as an expert thumbnail designer with 10 years of experience. I’m seeking guidance on creating viral YouTube thumbnails.“

Example:

Act as an expert YouTube thumbnail designer who has created viral thumbnails for channels with 1M+ subscribers. Design a thumbnail for [topic] that maximizes click-through rate by using proven psychological triggers and composition rules.

7. Say what you don’t want (Negative prompts)

“No blur, no watermark, avoid clutter, no dark muddy colors”

Example for SeeDream:

Negative prompt: blurry, distorted faces, amateur lighting, cluttered composition, watermark, text artifacts, oversaturated colors, noisy background, uncanny valley, plastic-looking, poor contrast

8. Ask for different versions

“Generate three versions: one with warm colors, one with cool colors, one with high contrast black and white.”

9. Add emotional triggers

“Emphasize surprise, curiosity, excitement, satisfaction, or urgency”

Examples:

• Surprise: “Wide eyes, open mouth, raised eyebrows”

• Curiosity: “Questioning expression, tilted head, finger on chin”

• Excitement: “Big smile, energetic pose, dynamic movement”

• Urgency: “Red/orange colors, action words, countdown elements”

10. Build up your prompts

Start simple, then get more specific with follow-up prompts

Example sequence:

1. “Generate gaming thumbnail concepts for Fortnite victory video”

2. “Refine concept #3 with neon purple and blue colors”

3. “Add text ‘INSANE WIN’ in bold impact font”

4. “Increase contrast between subject and background”

5. “Make facial expression more excited and surprised”

Fixing common problems

Faces look fake or weird                                                              

Your prompt needs to tell ChatGPT you want natural-looking people. Add “natural skin texture, realistic lighting, genuine expression, professional portrait photography.” Mentioning small imperfections and natural shadows on the face helps too — perfect skin is what makes AI faces look off.         

Text is hard to read or spelled wrong 

Put “bold sans-serif font, minimum 72pt size, white text with black outline, high contrast against background” in your prompt. Write out the exact text you want in all caps. Honestly, though, AI still struggles with text. Your best bet is to leave text out of the image and add it yourself in Canva or Photoshop.                           

Colors don’t match your brand                                                 

Stop saying “blue.” Say “blue #4A90E2.” Always include your exact hex codes for primary, secondary, and accent colors. Vague color descriptions give you vague results.   

Thumbnail doesn’t grab attention                                            

Add these to your prompt: high contrast, bold vibrant colors, dramatic lighting with strong shadows, rule of thirds, sharp focus on the subject with a blurred background. If your click rate is sitting under 4%, you need to go bolder — bigger text, brighter colors, stronger expressions.                                

It looks too much like AI made it                                             

Reference a real camera in your prompt — something like “shot on Canon EOS R5, photojournalistic style.” Ask for natural imperfections, authentic textures, and realistic lighting. That overly polished, too-clean look is what gives AI away.                                                                                                     

Testing and getting better

Track your results

After you start using AI-made thumbnails, watch these numbers:

• Customer satisfaction – Are viewers happy with your content after clicking?

• Click-through rate (CTR) – Your primary measurement

• Watch time – Do clicks turn into actual views?

• Impressions – Is YouTube showing your video more?

• Audience retention – Does the thumbnail match what’s in the video?

Write down what works

Make a simple tracking sheet:

Build your own example database of successful thumbnails to reference for future projects.

Make changes based on your data.

If your click rate is low (less than 4%):

• Try bolder colors

• Make text bigger

• Add more emotional expressions

• Make the design simpler

Prompt for improvement:

My current thumbnail achieved [X%] CTR. Regenerate with these changes: [increase contrast/bolder colors/larger text/more emotion]. Make it impossible to scroll past.

Test different versions

YouTube lets you test different thumbnails. Make 2-3 versions:

• Version A: Bright, high-energy, warm colors

• Version B: Dark, mysterious, cool colors

• Version C: Simple, high-contrast

Prompt for variations:

Create three thumbnail variations for the same video:

Version 1: Bright, energetic, warm orange and yellow tones

Version 2: Dark, dramatic, cool blue and purple tones

Version 3: Minimalist, high contrast, black and white with one accent color

Keep the same composition and text, only change the color, mood, and lighting.

Capping off

Using these three tools together provides everything you need to create great thumbnails. ChatGPT helps you generate ideas and craft the perfect instructions. AI gives you speed and technical quality, but you bring the strategy, understanding of your audience, and creative choices that turn good thumbnails into ones that actually make people click.

Begin by using the templates in this guide, modify them to suit your brand, and refine them based on their performance. The tools are ready, and your prompts are prepared. Now, create thumbnails that make people want to click on your videos.