$ cat prompt.txt — YouTube

YouTube Title + Thumbnail Optimizer — 10 Titles, 3 Thumbnail Concepts

Ranked CTR-optimized titles + matching thumbnail concepts for a video — the two levers that decide views.

10–20 min beginner Claude Sonnet, GPT-5#youtube#ctr#thumbnails

intro.md

Title + thumbnail decide 90% of whether a video gets clicked — the content quality only matters after the click. This prompt generates 10 CTR-optimized titles (ranked, with the pattern + predicted performance) and 3 matching thumbnail concepts, so your packaging stops being the bottleneck.

$ cat prompt.txt | pbcopy

The prompt — copy & paste

prompt.txt

You are a YouTube packaging specialist (title + thumbnail) who's worked on videos with 10M+ views. Optimize the packaging for my video.

INPUTS:
- Video topic / what it covers: {{video_topic}}
- Channel niche: {{channel_niche}}
- Audience (who clicks, their skill level + desire): {{audience}}

PRODUCE:

1. 10 TITLES (ranked)
Generate 10 titles, each using a proven CTR pattern. Mix:
- Curiosity gap ("I tried X for 30 days — here's what happened")
- Number/listicle ("7 X mistakes killing your Y")
- Contrarian ("Stop doing X")
- Outcome ("How I [result] in [timeframe]")
- "Without" ("Get X without Y")
Each title: 50-65 chars (mobile-safe), front-loaded with the hook word.
Then RANK them in a table: | Rank | Title | CTR pattern | Search-friendly? | Why |
The #1 should balance click-through (browse/suggested feed) AND searchability.

2. 3 THUMBNAIL CONCEPTS (matched to the #1 title)
For each:
- Focal point (object/face-substitute/visual + emotion/energy it conveys)
- TEXT OVERLAY (3-5 words MAX — huge on mobile)
- Color strategy (most thumbnails are red/yellow — what makes yours pop in the feed?)
- Composition (left/right split, rule-of-thirds, contrast)
Be specific: "left 60%: hand holding the product mid-use, blurred kitchen behind; right 40%: bold cream text 'I WAS WRONG' on dark teal" — not "an eye-catching image".

3. TITLE↔THUMBNAIL SYNERGY
One note: the title and thumbnail must NOT say the same thing — they should combine to create a curiosity gap. Explain how my top picks do that.

4. A/B TEST PLAN
Which 2 thumbnails to test first (YouTube's built-in Test & Compare), and what signal to watch.

Be specific to {{channel_niche}} conventions — what works for finance thumbnails differs from gaming.

$ variables_to_fill_in

$ man playbook

Step-by-step playbook

How to actually use this prompt for the best results.

01
Generate packaging BEFORE you film
Top creators design the title + thumbnail first, then make the video deliver on that promise. Run this prompt during ideation so the video is built to satisfy the click, not the other way around.
02
Pick a title + a thumbnail that create a gap together
The title and thumbnail should combine into a question the viewer needs answered — not repeat each other. Use the synergy note to pick a pair that creates curiosity.
03
Make the thumbnail text 3-5 words, readable at tiny size
80% of impressions are on mobile where the thumbnail is thumbnail-sized. If you can't read the overlay text on your phone from arm's length, it's too much — cut it.
04
Use YouTube's Test & Compare on the top 2 thumbnails
YouTube now lets you A/B test up to 3 thumbnails natively. Test the top 2 concepts and let real CTR data pick — your guess and the algorithm's reality often differ.

$ man tips

Pro tips for better output

›CTR and average-view-duration are the two metrics YouTube ranks on — great packaging gets the click, the script keeps them. You need both.
›Re-package underperforming older videos: a new title + thumbnail on a video with low CTR but decent retention can revive it weeks later.
›Study the thumbnails of the top 5 videos for your exact search term — match the niche's visual conventions, then out-contrast them.

$ echo $YIELD

What you'll get

output.md

10 ranked CTR titles with pattern analysis, 3 specific thumbnail concepts matched to the top title, a title↔thumbnail synergy note, and an A/B test plan.

$ man faq

FAQ

What matters more — title or thumbnail?

They work as a pair and you can't separate them. The thumbnail catches the eye in the feed; the title closes the click. A great thumbnail with a weak title (or vice versa) underperforms. Optimize both together, which is why this prompt does.

How long should a YouTube title be?

50-65 characters so it doesn't truncate on mobile or in suggested feeds. Front-load the most compelling word — the part most likely to get cut is the end.

$ ls /prompts/youtube