Thumbnail Studio

Your references. A better brief. ChatGPT beside you.

A minimal Windows workspace for designing YouTube thumbnails: the real ChatGPT website in a native browser view, an optional local reference library, 12 built-in thumbnail-design skills, and a one-click Template for "I asked ChatGPT for a thumbnail" style videos.

Start creating

Requires Windows, Node.js 24+, and Git. The desktop app needs no API key or Python server.

git clone https://github.com/blixvip/thumbnail-studio.git
cd thumbnail-studio
npm ci
npm run install:electron
npm run desktop

After setup, double-click Start Thumbnail Studio.vbs to launch without a terminal. Sign in to ChatGPT inside the app; its image-generation features and usage limits depend on your account. Thumbnail Studio is an independent app, not an OpenAI product.

For a desktop shortcut, run powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/install-shortcut.ps1.

1. Open Skills and pick a workflow, such as Find the hook or Remix a reference.
2. Describe your video, audience, and constraints. Click Copy prompt.
3. Paste it into ChatGPT and send. For visual references, copy an image from References and paste it into ChatGPT first.

Three tabs

Tab	What it's for
References	Your inspiration library: search, filter, favorite, and copy an image to paste into ChatGPT (or into the Template).
Skills	Twelve focused design workflows that turn your video idea into a ready-to-paste ChatGPT prompt.
Template	A finished 1920×1080 thumbnail: your photo, your chat message, and the result image, ready to download.

References and Skills share one collapsible side panel. New chat starts a fresh conversation. ChatGPT handles image generation and downloads through its normal controls.

Make a thumbnail with the Template

The Template recreates the "I asked ChatGPT" look on black: your photo at the top right, your message in a chat bubble under it, and the generated result at the bottom left.

1. Click Template. It takes the place of ChatGPT until you click it again.
2. Click the top-right picture to add your photo. You can also drop an image on it, or paste one (for example, a reference you copied).
3. Type your message. The bubble grows with it, and long lines and words wrap.
4. Add the result image at the bottom left.
5. Click Download. The thumbnail saves straight to your Downloads folder, named after your message, and never overwrites an existing file. It's a PNG, or a high-quality JPG if the PNG would be over YouTube's 2 MB limit.

Twelve ways to improve a thumbnail

Plan	Design	Explore & refine
Find the hook	Build the composition	Explore three directions
Remix a reference	Write thumbnail text	Check the small version
	Fix color & contrast	Give it a final pass
	Direct the expression
	Spotlight a product
	Show the transformation
	Design without a face

Every skill is a readable, editable Markdown workflow in skills/. See how design skills work.

Preview the design workflow

Bring your reference library

Search imported images, filter by source, save favorites, and copy references with one click. A fresh checkout starts with an empty library; the application does not include third-party portfolio images. The skills work immediately without imports.

The optional importer requires Python 3.11+, Pillow, and Google Chrome. Import and refresh references.

Local data and sign-in

• ChatGPT sign-in stays in a separate app profile at %APPDATA%\Thumbnail. This existing folder name is preserved so an app rename does not reset your session.
• Favorites and the current video brief are stored locally. Template images stay in memory until you download, and nothing is uploaded. Reference files live in data/, outside Git.
• ChatGPT is sandboxed with no Node.js or reference-bridge access. Microphone, camera, and other browser permissions are disabled in this minimal version.
• Copying a reference or prompt changes the clipboard. It does not submit a message or automatically upload files.
• ChatGPT handles its own authentication and may request verification. Your regular browser's cookies are not copied into the app.
• The app requests a 100 MB browser disk-cache limit; this does not cap downloaded images, imported references, or all profile storage.

To reuse an existing compatible Electron runtime, set THUMBNAIL_ELECTRON to its absolute executable path and skip install:electron. The optional .desktop-runtime.json local file can also point to an existing runtime; it is excluded from Git. npm ci installs dependencies; npm run install:electron downloads the pinned desktop runtime.

Verification

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
npm test
npm run test:desktop
npm run verify:desktop
node scripts/verify-template.mjs <photo> <result>
npm audit

The Python tests cover the importer. Node tests cover navigation restrictions, media paths, responsive layout bounds, and design-prompt validation. Electron checks use synthetic reference images, a disposable profile, and a local chat stand-in; they verify layout, copying, favorites, filtering, failure recovery, design skills, and brief persistence. They do not send ChatGPT messages or alter the OS clipboard. verify-template.mjs opens the Template in the real app, fills both photos and several messages (including one very long word), downloads, and checks that the file is saved and ChatGPT returns afterwards.

node scripts/verify-chatgpt.mjs separately checks the real page stays visible after background loading and same-document navigation, and accepts keyboard edits. It uses a disposable profile and submits no credentials or messages. A human-verification challenge blocks this check; successful authentication and image generation are not covered.

Brand assets and interface guidance are in docs/brand/.

Community

💬 Join the Discord for questions, help, feedback, and updates.

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License

MIT. Contributions welcome: open an issue or a pull request.