A thumbnail is the preview image shown for your project in Descript. You can customize the thumbnail that appears in your Drive view and the one shown on Descript web links or share pages.
This article covers:
- How to change thumbnails on Descript web links and share pages
- How to update thumbnails in Drive View
- What thumbnails do and don’t affect
Thumbnails 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.
Thumbnails on share pages and Descript web links
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:
- Click Export
- In the export window, click the thumbnail image to choose a new one
From the share page:
- Click the Settings icon
- Click the thumbnail image
- Choose a different frame or upload an image
Thumbnails in Drive View
By default, the first scene in a composition is used as the thumbnail image in your Drive View. You can change this to make your project easier to spot.
To update the Drive View thumbnail:
- Right-click any scene in the editor
- Select Set project thumbnail
The new thumbnail will appear in your Drive View:
Thumbnail behavior and limitations
- Drive View thumbnails are only visible inside your Descript workspace
- 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