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Add custom thumbnails for video posts

Learn how to add a custom thumbnail to your YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels video posts

Custom thumbnails help your video stand out and give your community a clear preview of what to expect before they hit play.

Before you start

  • Custom thumbnails are only available for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels.

  • Direct publishing must be turned on to add Custom Thumbnails in HeyOrca.

šŸ‘€ FYI: The recommended size for Custom Thumbnails is 9:16 ratio (1080x1920 px)

Add a custom thumbnail

  1. Open the post you want to add a thumbnail to, or create a new post and attach your video.

  2. In the preview carousel, find the preview image for the platform you want to edit.

  3. Click the three dots (ā‹®) on the preview image.

  4. Select Edit.

  5. Choose how you want to set your thumbnail:

    • Scroll to select thumbnail: Drag the slider under the video to scrub through it, and stop on the frame you want to use.

    • Choose thumbnail: Upload your own image from My Device, Google Drive, Google Photos, or a Link.

  6. Click Save.

Your selected thumbnail now appears on that platform's preview in the carousel.

Repeat these steps for each platform you want to add a custom thumbnail to. Thumbnails are set per platform, so you'll need to do this separately for YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels.

GIF displaying the steps of selecting a video frame as a thumbnail.

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