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Your thumbnail is the first thing viewers see on a share page, before they hit play, so it’s worth setting deliberately instead of leaving the default first frame. Need to save a frame as an image file instead? Learn how to save a frame from your video.
Thumbnails for exports and YouTubeThumbnails set in Descript do not appear in locally exported files or YouTube videos. YouTube thumbnails must be updated in YouTube Studio after publishing. Learn more about exporting directly to YouTube.
When exporting a composition to a Descript web link, the thumbnail is the first thing viewers see on your share page. You can choose a frame from your project or upload a custom image. To change the share link thumbnail: From the editor:
  1. Click Export
  2. In the export window, click the thumbnail image to choose a new one
Export window with thumbnail option From the share page:
  1. Click the Settings icon
  2. Click the thumbnail image
  3. Choose a different frame or upload an image
Share page thumbnail settings

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Thumbnail behavior and limitations

  • Share page thumbnails only affect Descript web links and embeds
  • Thumbnails do not appear in exported/downloaded files
  • Thumbnails are not transferred to YouTube—use YouTube Studio to change them