YouTube Branding and Identity Guides
Names, handles, banners and thumbnails: the parts of a channel people see first. Practical guides on choosing a name, checking that a handle is free and getting image sizes and safe areas right, based on YouTube’s published rules.
4 guides
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Branding & IdentityYouTube Banner Size and Safe Area for Channel Art
The official YouTube banner size, the safe area for text and logos, the file limit, and how to check the banner a channel is already using.
2026-09-20 · 5 min read
Branding & IdentityYouTube Handles: Rules, Changes and Availability
What a YouTube handle is, the official rules for choosing one, how often you can change it and how to check that a handle is free before you commit.
2026-09-20 · 5 min read
Branding & IdentityYouTube Thumbnail Size and Safe Zones in 2026
The official YouTube thumbnail size, formats and file limits, plus where the video length badge covers your image and how to check it before you upload.
2026-09-20 · 7 min read
Other topics
Free tools for this topic
The tools these guides send you to, ready to run on your own channel or video.
- YouTube Channel Name GeneratorGenerate niche-specific handle ideas and check live availability.
- YouTube Channel Name Availability CheckerCheck if a YouTube handle is available or not.
- YouTube Thumbnail Preview SimulatorSee how a thumbnail and title look in search, the home feed, the sidebar and on mobile.
- YouTube Thumbnail DownloaderSave a channel avatar or a video thumbnail in full resolution.