> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Thumbnail and title

> Make the picture and title people see before they click your video.

A **thumbnail** is the small picture people see before they click your video. A good thumbnail and title help people choose your video.

Cutaway makes three ideas for you, from real moments in your video and the words you said.

![The Package page with three thumbnail ideas on the left and the chosen thumbnail and title in the middle](https://mintcdn.com/cutaway-docs/XxDikROkCqqX_dyv/images/screens/package-concepts.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XxDikROkCqqX_dyv\&q=85\&s=5cdf1386ba07a8315994922896a337a1)

## Make a thumbnail and title

**1. Open Package**

Click **Package** in the top bar.

**2. Press Create three concepts**

Cutaway makes three thumbnail and title ideas.

**3. Pick one**

Press **Choose this pair** under the one you like best.

**4. Change anything**

* Click the words on the thumbnail to change them.
* Pick a different **Layout**: **Headline**, **Banner** or **Badge**.
* Change the **Title** in the box under the thumbnail.

## Add layers

A thumbnail is made of **Layers**, stacked on top of each other. You'll find them on the right. Use the small buttons next to **Layers** to add:

* **Add text**: new words you can type.
* **Add a shape**: a block, pill or circle of colour.
* **Add the frame at the playhead**: a real picture from your video, at the spot where the playhead is.
* **Add an image file**: a picture from your Mac, like a logo.

Click a layer to change it. Drag it on the thumbnail to move it, or use the arrow keys to nudge it. Use **Bring forward** and **Send back** to change the order. **Delete layer** removes it.

## Make a background picture with AI

Under **AI picture**, Cutaway can make a new background picture for your thumbnail. This needs **Codex** installed and signed in on your Mac.

1. Describe the picture in the box, or leave it empty to follow the title.
2. Press **Generate picture**.

The picture has no words, faces or logos, so your text stays editable. Press **Make another** for a new try.

> [!NOTE]
>
> To make the picture, your title, a few of your words and up to two stills from your video are sent to OpenAI. Nothing else in the thumbnail needs Codex.

## Pick a different title

Under the **Title** box, **Alternatives** shows the titles from your other ideas. Press **Use here** to swap one in. The alternatives are also saved in your YouTube package.

## Check before you publish

If something might hurt your title or thumbnail, a box called **Worth a look before you publish** appears. For example, it warns you when:

* the title is too long for a phone screen, or over YouTube's 100-character limit
* the title is all capitals
* the thumbnail has more than five words
* the thumbnail repeats the title

These are only tips. Cutaway never changes your words for you.

## See how it looks on YouTube

Under **At browsing size**, Cutaway shows your thumbnail as small as it'll look in a list of videos. Make sure the words are still easy to read.

## Write a description and chapters

Further down the page:

* **Description**: what your video is about, in your own words. It's saved as **description.txt**. If you leave it empty, it's left out.
* **Chapters**: the parts of your video, shown on YouTube's progress bar. Press **Add first chapter**, then **Add at playhead** for each new part. YouTube needs at least three chapters, each ten seconds or longer, starting at 00:00. When they're right, you'll see **Valid for YouTube**.

> [!TIP]
>
> Chapter times follow your edit. If you cut something later, the times update on their own.

## Tips for beginners

* **Short words win.** Three or four big words are easier to read than a sentence.
* **Show a face.** Thumbnails with a face often get more clicks.
* **Say what people get.** For example, "Share a list in 1 minute".

> [!NOTE]
>
> The thumbnail and title are saved when you export a **YouTube package**. See [Export](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/share/export.md).


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.