Guide
Video thumbnail text generator: 10 short cover lines for your video
Updated
Type what your video is about and get ten cover lines of two to five words. Each one is shown on a 9:16 frame, so you see how it looks before you post.
In short
- This free generator writes 10 short cover lines for your video, each 2 to 5 words long, from the subject you type.
- The lines follow 8 patterns, such as a number, a mistake, a question or a warning.
- Each line is shown on a 9:16 frame, in 3 sizes, at the top or in the middle.
- Cover text belongs in the top or middle of the frame, because TikTok, Reels and Shorts cover the bottom.
- The tool runs in your browser, needs no account and sends nothing anywhere.
Cover text planner
Runs in your browser · no account needed
Ten cover lines, drawn on the frame they have to fit
Say what the video is about and you get ten short lines — two to five words each — pulled from eight patterns that work on a cover frame. Every one is drawn at real 9:16 proportions, at the size and position you pick, with the strip the feed covers marked.
Text size
reads in the feed grid
Position
across the face
Example · curiosity gap
“What nobody tells you” — one of the ten. Type a subject above and the other nine name it: the mistake, the number, the question, the warning.
The shaded strip is roughly where TikTok, Reels and Shorts draw their own interface. The ghost behind the words is where your face or your product goes.
This designs the words, not the picture. A cover frame still needs a face looking at the lens or one clear object filling most of it — text over a busy, unreadable frame is still unreadable. Lines in [brackets] are yours to fill: put your own street, town or venue in them.
Keep the words above the shaded strip, and check the frame you actually pick against the real margins at the safe-zone checker. Nothing you type here is sent or stored anywhere — close the tab and it is gone.
- Cover lines written for your subject
- 10
- Words in every line
- 2-5
- Patterns the lines follow
- 8
How the thumbnail text generator works
You type three or four words about your video. The tool writes ten lines and shows each one on the frame.
- Click Ten more to see the next ten lines for the same subject, until you have seen them all.
- The same subject always gives the same lines, so you can come back to one you liked.
- A line with [your city] in brackets needs your own town or street.
- If you fill in who the video is for, some lines name them, such as "3 rules for homeowners".
From subject to cover line
Type your subject
3 or 4 words about the video
Add who it is for
optional
Get 10 lines
one from each of the 8 patterns first
Pick size and position
Small, Medium or Big; Top or Middle
Copy the line
paste it into the app's cover editor
Example cover lines for one subject
This is what the generator gives you when you type "how to clean gutters".
The first ten cover lines for "how to clean gutters"
Copied from the tool on 21 September 2026. The same subject always gives the same ten.
| Pattern | Cover line |
|---|---|
| Number | 3 gutter mistakes |
| Question | Gutter myth or fact? |
| Mistake | The gutter mistake |
| Before / after | Gutters, before & after |
| Named place | Gutters in [your city] |
| Blunt claim | The only gutter rule |
| Curiosity gap | Gutters, the honest version |
| Warning | Careful with gutters |
| Number | Gutters, 3 ways |
| Question | Gutters: worth it? |
Pattern: Number
- Cover line
- 3 gutter mistakes
Pattern: Question
- Cover line
- Gutter myth or fact?
Pattern: Mistake
- Cover line
- The gutter mistake
Pattern: Before / after
- Cover line
- Gutters, before & after
Pattern: Named place
- Cover line
- Gutters in [your city]
Pattern: Blunt claim
- Cover line
- The only gutter rule
Pattern: Curiosity gap
- Cover line
- Gutters, the honest version
Pattern: Warning
- Cover line
- Careful with gutters
Pattern: Number
- Cover line
- Gutters, 3 ways
Pattern: Question
- Cover line
- Gutters: worth it?
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
The 8 patterns for thumbnail text
Every line the tool writes follows one of these eight patterns. The first ten lines include one from each.
The eight cover text patterns
| Pattern | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Promises a short list, like 3 things | Lists, checklists, steps |
| Question | Asks what the viewer is already wondering | Comparisons, buying choices, myths |
| Mistake | Names an error the viewer may be making | Technique, DIY, money |
| Before / after | Promises a change you can see | Trades, makeovers, renovations, training |
| Named place | Says the video is about your town | Local services, property, events, food |
| Blunt claim | States an opinion straight out | Reviews, opinions, common beliefs |
| Curiosity gap | Hints at something without giving it away | Stories, behind the scenes, trade secrets |
| Warning | Warns about a cost before the viewer pays it | Contracts, purchases, first attempts |
Pattern: Number
- What it does
- Promises a short list, like 3 things
- Good for
- Lists, checklists, steps
Pattern: Question
- What it does
- Asks what the viewer is already wondering
- Good for
- Comparisons, buying choices, myths
Pattern: Mistake
- What it does
- Names an error the viewer may be making
- Good for
- Technique, DIY, money
Pattern: Before / after
- What it does
- Promises a change you can see
- Good for
- Trades, makeovers, renovations, training
Pattern: Named place
- What it does
- Says the video is about your town
- Good for
- Local services, property, events, food
Pattern: Blunt claim
- What it does
- States an opinion straight out
- Good for
- Reviews, opinions, common beliefs
Pattern: Curiosity gap
- What it does
- Hints at something without giving it away
- Good for
- Stories, behind the scenes, trade secrets
Pattern: Warning
- What it does
- Warns about a cost before the viewer pays it
- Good for
- Contracts, purchases, first attempts
How to write and place thumbnail text
A cover is seen small, in a grid of other videos, by someone who is scrolling. Keep the text short and away from the app's buttons.
- Name the topic. "3 gutter mistakes" tells a viewer more than "Watch this".
- Put the line at the top if your face or product should stay visible. Put it in the middle if the words matter more than the picture.
- The tool has no bottom position, because TikTok, Reels and Shorts cover the bottom with your name, caption and buttons.
- White text needs a dark outline or shadow, or it disappears on a bright sky or a white wall.
- If the line promises a number or a result, make sure the video delivers it.
- Our free safe zone checker shows how much of the frame each app covers, in pixels.
Thumbnail text choices
| Choice | Option | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Words | 2 to 5 | Longer lines are hard to read at thumbnail size |
| Size | Small | Leaves most of the picture visible |
| Size | Medium | Easy to read in the feed grid |
| Size | Big | Fills most of the cover and can hide your face |
| Position | Top | Keeps your face clear |
| Position | Middle | Sits across the middle, often over your face, so people read the words first |
Choice: Words
- Option
- 2 to 5
- What it does
- Longer lines are hard to read at thumbnail size
Choice: Size
- Option
- Small
- What it does
- Leaves most of the picture visible
Choice: Size
- Option
- Medium
- What it does
- Easy to read in the feed grid
Choice: Size
- Option
- Big
- What it does
- Fills most of the cover and can hide your face
Choice: Position
- Option
- Top
- What it does
- Keeps your face clear
Choice: Position
- Option
- Middle
- What it does
- Sits across the middle, often over your face, so people read the words first
What to put behind the text
The cover text works best over a picture that is easy to take in at a small size.
- Pick a frame with your face looking at the camera, or one clear object such as the product.
- Avoid a blurry frame caught mid-movement. Text over it is hard to read, whatever it says.
- Pick a frame with a plain area, like a wall or the sky, where the text can sit.
How to put the text on your cover
You copy the line from the generator and add it when you pick the cover in the app.
- TikTok and Instagram both let you add text when you pick the cover of a video.
- You can also design the cover in a tool like Canva and upload it as an image. On Instagram, tap Edit cover, then Add from camera roll.
- Place the line at the top or in the middle, as in the preview, so the app buttons do not cover it.
What the generator does not do
The tool writes the words and shows how they fit. The rest happens in the app you post in.
- It does not choose or make the picture behind the text.
- It does not put the text on your cover for you.
- The preview shows length, size and position. The app you post in may draw the text in a different font.
- It does not know your town, so you fill in the [your city] brackets yourself.
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom edits the video that sits behind the cover. You upload one clip of yourself talking, up to 3 minutes long, and get a finished 9:16 video back.
- Cutroom puts a headline on screen at the start of the video. You can write your own to match your cover line, or pick one it drafted.
- It adds captions timed to your voice and b-roll on the words you pick. On the Punch and Native styles, it also cuts long pauses, ums and uhs.
- You still choose the cover itself in TikTok, Instagram or YouTube when you post.
- A 60-second video costs about 120 credits, and your first video is free.
Headline styles for the start of your video
Some of the 15 hook themes. The headline sits over the first seconds of the video.
Slab
Outline
Punch
Spotlight
Title
Stamp
Quote
Sweep
Questions people ask
- What should I write on a video thumbnail?
- Two to five words that name the topic and make one promise. A number ("3 gutter mistakes"), a mistake, a question or a warning all work. Type your subject into the generator to get ten.
- How many words should thumbnail text be?
- Two to five. A cover is seen small, in a grid of other videos, so people only take in a few words while they scroll.
- Where should text go on a Reels or TikTok cover?
- In the middle or near the top, never at the bottom. The apps cover the bottom with the account name, caption and buttons. Our free safe zone checker shows how much each app covers.
- Do Reels and TikTok covers need text?
- Not always. A clear face or one clear object can work on its own. Text helps when the picture cannot say what the video is about, like explainers, lists and before-and-afters.
- How do I make thumbnail text easy to read?
- Keep it to two to five words, use white text with a dark outline or shadow, and keep it off busy parts of the frame.
- Is the thumbnail text generator free?
- Yes. It is free, needs no account and runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored.
Type your subject, pick a line and make sure the video keeps its promise. Your first video is free.