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YouTube rolling out new feature for creators
YouTube announced on Tuesday that creators will now have the ability to test and compare multiple video thumbnails to see how they perform. This feature, called “Thumbnail Test & Compare,” allows creators to test up to three thumbnails for a video. The chosen thumbnails will be shown evenly to viewers, and a winning thumbnail will be selected based on watch time share. This concept is also known as A/B testing. The tool provides creators with data on how thumbnails performed, which may take up to two weeks to get finalized test results.
Understanding the results
Creators will receive a final report showing a “Winner” label for the thumbnail that outperforms the others and a “Preferred” label for the thumbnail that likely outperformed others based on watch time share. However, creators are not obligated to use the tool’s recommended thumbnail and can still manually select thumbnails if they prefer. The goal is to help creators optimize their video thumbnails for better performance.
Accessing the tool
YouTube expects all eligible creators to have access to the Thumbnail Test & Compare tool in the coming weeks. It will only be available in YouTube Studio on a computer and requires access to advanced features. This new feature aims to provide creators with more insights and control over how their videos are presented to viewers.
Additional updates from YouTube
In a recent video, YouTube shared a few more updates. They have started testing a feature that uses AI to help users skip to the most interesting parts of a video. This feature is now available on Android for YouTube Premium subscribers. YouTube is also experimenting with QR codes for creators and introducing the ability to mention a channel in comments using the @ symbol.
For more information, you can visit YouTube’s official announcement and YouTube’s advanced features guide.
