YouTube Thumbnail A/B Testing Tips

Although there's no set date, YouTube seems poised to release one of the most requested features by YouTubers: Test&Compare. This tool was unveiled in 2023 and has been tested with selected creators.

According to the company's latest statement, the testing process is progressing slowly, and the initial promise of a 2024 launch may not come to fruition.

Test&Compare allows channels to upload up to three different thumbnails per video so the platform can test their performance by showing them to different viewers. This will help channels make better decisions about their thumbnails and choose the best one for each video, thereby developing a better video marketing strategy.

How YouTube's Test&Compare Feature Works

If you are a content creator on YouTube, you are probably familiar with the daily struggle of deciding which thumbnail to choose for your video. YouTube understands this, which is why the Test&Compare feature, also known as A/B Thumbnail Testing, is on the horizon (or at least that’s the initial promise).

With this new tool, the platform will conduct performance tests for you by showing different thumbnails to various users simultaneously and recording the results. Essentially, the social network will perform an A/B test with your thumbnails.

This means you no longer have to delete an already uploaded thumbnail two days after the video is published to replace it with another, which can significantly affect the video's performance.

Specifically, this test will measure the watch time the video receives when presented with each thumbnail, not the clicks or conversions.

If your goal as a content creator is not clickbait, this new tool can help you avoid it, as it actually measures the amount of time a viewer stays on the video.

The test to find the best thumbnail option can last up to two weeks, though creators can choose how long to run it. Best of all, it’s completely free.

How to Conduct an A/B Test on YouTube

The news of the A/B testing functionality is very positive for YouTubers, as it can help achieve higher quality views on their videos, given that thumbnails play a crucial role in a viewer's decision to click on a video or not.

The absence of such a tool on the platform has led creators to resort to paid external platforms or even directly ask their audience which thumbnail they prefer. With this launch, this will end, and YouTubers will be able to make this decision more easily and professionally.

As for how to conduct the test, as a content creator, you simply need to upload up to three different thumbnails and wait for the platform to work its magic. However, this test can take from a few hours to a day to start, so if you want to use it, you should take this into account when scheduling your publication calendar.

When this feature is released, you can find it while your video is uploading by clicking on the "Video Details" option, specifically in the "Thumbnails" section. Once inside, click on the three dots, and you will see the "Test&Compare" option. That's where you can upload the three different thumbnails.

Moreover, if you are not satisfied with the A/B testing conducted in the first round, you can perform a second test and upload new versions of the thumbnails.

What Will the A/B Testing Functionality Look Like?

At Cyberclick, we have been able to test this new YouTube functionality. Below, we share the results of our test.

As you can see, we tested three thumbnails with the same design but different copy. The second option, which shows a slightly different title presentation with an extra element like a speech bubble, generated the best results.

How to Make the Most of YouTube’s A/B Testing Tool

To be fully prepared when this new feature arrives, here are some tips on how to maximize the benefits of A/B testing.

• The longer you run an A/B test, the more reliable the results will be. As mentioned, YouTube allows test durations of up to 2 weeks. We recommend taking full advantage of this time.
• Draw conclusions from YouTube’s A/B testing tool. This means not staying on the surface but analyzing the characteristics of the thumbnails that performed better than others. Document these findings to understand what elements a successful thumbnail should have and apply them in the future.

To interpret the results, it's advisable to form a hypothesis about which thumbnail you think will win and why before starting the test. At the end of the test, you can see if your predictions were correct and gain valuable insights, which we also encourage you to document.