How to Change Thumbnail on Meta Business Suite

A great thumbnail can be the single most important factor that determines whether someone stops scrolling to watch your video or glides right past it. In Meta Business Suite, you have full control over this crucial first impression. This guide will walk you through exactly how to change the thumbnail for your Facebook and Instagram videos, both before and after you publish them.

Why Your Video Thumbnail Is So Important

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, it's worth taking a moment to understand why this small image has such a big impact. A well-designed thumbnail acts as a mini-advertisement for your content.

• It Grabs Attention: In a crowded feed, bright colors, clear faces, and intriguing text can stop a user's thumb in its tracks.
• It Sets Expectations: The thumbnail tells viewers what the video is about, creating interest and ensuring the right audience clicks to watch.
• It Reinforces Your Brand: Using consistent colors, fonts, and logos in your thumbnails helps build brand recognition and a professional look for your page.

Spending an extra two minutes to select or create a custom thumbnail is one of the highest-leverage activities you can do to boost your video's performance.

How to Change a Thumbnail Before Publishing a Video

The easiest time to set your thumbnail is during the video upload process. When you schedule or publish content through Meta Business Suite’s Planner or Content tab, the options are right there in front of you.

Step-by-Step Guide for New Posts:

1. Start Your Post: In Meta Business Suite, navigate to the Planner or Content section from the left-hand menu. Click the “Create post” button.
2. Add Your Video: In the post creation window, click the “Add video” button and select “Upload from desktop.” Find and select the video file you want to post.
3. Locate the Thumbnail Options: As your video uploads, you'll see a preview on the right. Once it's processed, the post creation tool on the left will expand with more options. Find the section for your video (it usually has a smaller preview and file name). Below it, you'll find the Thumbnail option. Click it.
4. Choose Your Thumbnail Method: You now have three primary choices for your video's cover image.
5. Confirm and Schedule: After selecting your preferred frame or uploading your custom image, click “Save.” You will now see your chosen thumbnail reflected in the post preview. From here, you can finish writing your caption, add hashtags, and either publish the video immediately or schedule it for a later time.

How to Change a Thumbnail on a Video You’ve Already Published

Did you post a video and realize Meta chose a blurry or awkward frame as the default thumbnail? Don't worry, you can usually fix it without having to delete and re-upload the content.

Step-by-Step Guide for Existing Posts:

1. Find Your Content: From the main menu in Meta Business Suite, go to the "Content" tab. Here, you’ll see a list of all your published and scheduled posts.
2. Locate the Video Post: Scroll through your published content to find the video post whose thumbnail you want to change. You can use the search bar or filters to find it faster if needed.
3. Open the Post Editor: Click on the three dots (...) next to the post you want to edit. From the dropdown menu, select "Edit post."
4. Edit Video Details: The post editor window will appear. Look for the "Media" section, which shows a preview of your video. You should see an “Edit” button or a pencil icon overlaying the video. Click on it. This may sometimes be labeled “Video options.”
5. Change the Thumbnail: This will open a new window specifically for editing the video details. Click on the “Change thumbnail” tab or button. You will be presented with the same three options as before: choose from AI-suggested frames, manually choose a frame from the video, or upload a new custom image.
6. Save Your Changes: Once you’ve selected your new thumbnail, click the “Save” button. The editing window will close, and you should see the updated thumbnail in the post editor. Click "Save" again to finalize the change to your live post. It may take a few moments for the change to appear publicly on Facebook or Instagram.

Best Practices for Creating Awesome Thumbnails

Uploading a custom image gives you the most control. To make your thumbnails stand out, follow these simple principles:

• Think High Contrast: Use bright colors that pop against the whites, blues, and grays of the social media interface. Avoid using faded or murky colors that will blend in.
• Show Faces: The human brain is wired to notice faces. A clear, expressive shot of a person's face will almost always perform better than a picture of an object.
• Use Bold, Clear Text: If you add text, keep it to three to five powerful words. Use a thick, easy-to-read font that conveys the video’s key benefit or question. Make sure it’s large enough to be legible on a small mobile screen.
• Stay On Brand: Use your brand’s fonts and colors to create a cohesive and professional look across all your video content.
• Aim for Clarity, Not Clutter: A simple, focused image is far more effective than a busy or cluttered one. Your thumbnail only has a split second to communicate its message.

The recommended size for a custom thumbnail is typically 1920x1080 pixels (a 16:9 aspect ratio), which works well for standard in-feed videos. However, if you are posting Reels or vertical videos, creating a thumbnail with a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080x1920 pixels) is the best practice.

Troubleshooting Common Thumbnail Issues

Sometimes things don't go as planned. Here are solutions to a few common problems you might encounter:

My custom thumbnail is greyed out or won't upload.

This is often a file size or format issue. Ensure your custom image is in a JPG or PNG format. Meta also has a file size limit, so try to keep your image under 2MB. If the file is too large, use a free online tool to compress it before uploading.

I edited the post, but the thumbnail option isn't there.

Unfortunately, Meta’s interface can sometimes be inconsistent. For certain post types, like syndicated cross-posts or some types of Reels, the option to edit the thumbnail after publishing might not be available. In these rare cases, your only option may be to delete and repost the content with the correct thumbnail selected during the initial upload.

My chosen thumbnail looks blurry on the feed.

This happens when the frame you selected from the video is captured during a moment of high motion or if your original video quality was low. The best solution is to create and upload a high-resolution custom thumbnail image instead of relying on a video frame.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right thumbnail in Meta Business Suite is a small step that delivers a big impact, significantly boosting your video engagement by capturing user attention right in the feed. This guide has shown you how to select or change your thumbnail both before and after publishing, putting you firmly in control of how your content appears to the world.

Once you’ve optimized your creative with the perfect thumbnail, the next logical step is understanding what's truly driving your performance across all your channels. Instead of getting lost jumping between Facebook Ads Manager, Google Analytics, and Shopify, we built a way to simplify it all. With Graphed you can connect all your data sources and simply ask questions in plain English - like "Which of my recent Facebook campaigns drove the most Shopify sales?" - to get instant, real-time dashboards and answers. It's the easiest way to see the full picture and make smarter marketing decisions in seconds, not hours.