FFmpeg Cookbook

Thumbnail Extractor

Extract still frames as JPEG from any timestamp. Up to 10 frames per run.

Fully local processing — your file never leaves the browser
🖼️
Drag & drop a video, or click to select
Supported: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM, etc. / Max 500MB
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Comma-separated list of timestamps in seconds (e.g. 0, 5, 10, 30.5). Up to 10 frames.
▶ Equivalent FFmpeg Command
Processing… 0%

Extracted Frames

Popular uses
YouTube thumbnail candidatesStill images for articlesPreview frames for review
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What this tool does

  • One or many timestamps
  • Adjustable JPEG quality
  • Output width selector
  • Local processing

How to use

  1. 1

    Pick a video

    Any common format.

  2. 2

    Choose seconds

    Comma-separated for multiple frames (0.5, 3, 10).

  3. 3

    Set quality and width

    JPEG quality and output width are adjustable.

  4. 4

    Extract

    Thumbnail grid appears.

What each setting means

Timestamp
Where to grab the frame. 0 = first frame.
JPEG Quality
Lower number = higher quality and a larger file.
Width
Output width in pixels. Stay ≤ source for sharp results.

Recommended settings

YouTube thumbnail
JPEG, 1280px
YouTube recommends 1280×720.
Blog OGP image
JPEG, 1200px
Standard OGP size.
Storyboard grid
JPEG, every 5s
Quick visual index.

Common pitfalls

Symptom: Black frames

Cause: Timestamp lands during a fade.

Fix: Move ±1s.

Symptom: Image looks blurry

Cause: Output width > source resolution.

Fix: Use width ≤ source.

Equivalent FFmpeg commands

Reference commands you can run on the desktop FFmpeg CLI.

JPEG @5s
ffmpeg -ss 5 -i input.mp4 -frames:v 1 -q:v 2 thumb.jpg
Six frames every 5s
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "fps=1/5,scale=1280:-1" -vframes 6 thumb_%03d.jpg

Browser support & limits

  • JPEG output only
  • Maximum 10 frames per run
  • Many frames at once may run out of memory

Privacy

This tool runs ffmpeg.wasm directly in your browser. Files never leave your device — everything runs locally. Read the privacy policy →

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an animated GIF?

No — this tool extracts stills. Use the GIF tool.

How many frames?

Up to 10 per run — extra timestamps beyond that are ignored.

Best quality?

Set JPEG quality to its highest setting and keep the output width at the source resolution.

Related tools

Video to GIF Converter

Animate frames into a GIF

Video Compressor

Shrink the source video

Related FFmpeg recipes

What to do next

Command Reference
Related Tools
Video to GIF Video Compressor