YouTube releases 'Thumbnail Test & Compare' feature: What is it and how does it work
Google-owned YouTube has announced that it is starting to roll out a feature called “Thumbnail Test & Compare” to all creators with access to advanced features over the coming weeks.
Let’s take a look at what exactly this feature is and how it works.
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Thumbnail Test & Compare is a feature that lets you upload up to three video thumbnails to test with viewers to help pick your winner. Some people call this A/B testing, but Test & Compare takes it even further with up to three thumbnail options, according to YouTube.
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YouTube will display your selected thumbnails evenly to your video’s viewers and then choose a winning thumbnail based on the one that generates the highest watch time share.
It’s important to note that it may take anywhere from a few days to up to two weeks to finalise the test results for your thumbnails. Additionally, even after two weeks of testing, you might not get a definitive “Winner” result.
The time required to obtain test results is influenced by several factors, including the number of impressions your videos receive and the differences between your thumbnails.
Note that no matter what the test results are, choosing a thumbnail is up to you! You can always manually select the video thumbnail you want to use even if it wasn’t the winning or preferred option.
