Help Center

SkySnail is an AI thumbnail generator for YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Sign up with email or Google from the homepage or pricing page.

1. Go to skysnail.io and click Get Started or choose a plan.
2. Sign up with email (password + Terms acceptance) or Continue with Google.
3. Verify your email — check your inbox for the verification link.
4. Start a free trial or subscribe to receive credits.

Once you have credits and a verified email, you can create a project and generate a thumbnail in four steps.

1. Click New Thumbnail in the sidebar to create a project.
2. Add content — paste a description, paste a YouTube URL, or upload a video (MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM; max 2 GB).
3. Open the project, pick a template and optional avatar, then click Generate.
4. Wait for processing (usually under a few minutes), then download your PNG.

Every paid plan includes a 3-day free trial with 5 credits. A payment method is required, but you are not charged until the trial ends.

• 5 credits during the 3-day trial — enough to test generation and the AI Editor.
• Full access to plan features (templates, AI Editor, transcript tools on paid plans).
• Cancel anytime during the trial from Account → Manage Subscription (Stripe portal).
• End trial early from Account with “Upgrade Now & Get Full Credits” to receive your plan’s full monthly credit allowance immediately.

A project is a workspace for one video or piece of content. It holds your source material (transcript, YouTube link, or uploaded video), all generated thumbnails, and your generation settings.

Each project can produce many thumbnail variants over time. Deleting a project permanently removes it and all thumbnails inside it.

When creating a project, choose the input that fits your workflow:

• Description / Transcript (fastest) — paste up to 50,000 characters of text. Ideal when you already have a script or transcript.
• YouTube URL — paste a watch, youtu.be, embed, or Shorts link. SkySnail extracts the transcript automatically.
• Video upload — upload MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, or WebM up to 2 GB. SkySnail transcribes the video for thumbnail context.

The project page is split into two areas: results on the left (your generated thumbnails) and controls on the right (template, avatar, generate).

• Filter templates by Landscape (16:9) or Portrait (9:16) for YouTube vs Shorts/Reels.
• Switch between SkySnail templates and My Templates with the source filter.
• Toggle “Use Brand Kit” to apply your brand colors, font, and logo during generation.
• Open Project Info to rename the project, download transcript/summary, or delete the project.
• Use Title Suggestions — SkySnail suggests up to 3 video titles; click one to rename your project.

After your project has content, SkySnail can suggest up to three video titles based on the transcript or description. Click a suggestion to apply it as your project name.

Title suggestions help you align your thumbnail concept with a strong video title before generating.

When you click Generate, SkySnail reads your project content, creates an AI summary, and produces one thumbnail variant styled after your chosen template and avatar.

1. Select a template (SkySnail library, My Templates, or a one-off custom reference).
2. Optionally select an avatar (default or custom uploaded face).
3. Toggle Brand Kit on or off if your plan includes it.
4. Click Generate — 1 credit is used per generation.

• Generate thumbnail — 1 credit (produces one variant).
• AI Editor edit — 1 credit (creates a new edited version; original is kept).
• Upload custom avatar — free.
• Add logo to an existing thumbnail — free.
• Save thumbnail as template — free.

SkySnail supports two aspect ratios:

• Landscape (16:9) — standard YouTube thumbnails.
• Portrait (9:16) — YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok, and other vertical formats.

Use the aspect filter in the template picker to show only templates matching your target platform. Brand Kit logo placement is configured separately for each aspect ratio.

For YouTube and uploaded video projects, SkySnail automatically extracts a transcript to understand your video content. Paid subscribers can download the transcript (.txt, .srt) and AI summary (.txt) from Project Info.

SkySnail includes a curated library of templates for different niches and styles. All paid plans include access to standard templates, filtered by landscape or portrait.

Some templates are marked Premium — these require the Creator Premium plan (included on all AppSumo tiers). Locked templates show an upgrade prompt when selected.

Save reusable templates to My Templates for one-click access across projects. Upload PNG, JPEG, or WebP images up to 10 MB, or save any generated thumbnail as a template from the project page.

Slot limits by plan:

• Creator Lite — 1 slot.
• Creator — 10 slots.
• Creator Premium — 100 slots.
• AppSumo Tier 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 — 1 / 5 / 10 / 20 slots.

Use any image or YouTube thumbnail as a style reference for a single generation without saving it to My Templates. Upload an image or paste a YouTube URL to pull an existing thumbnail as reference.

Every user can use built-in default avatars — Man, Woman, and SkySnail mascot — at no cost. Select one in the project workspace or manage avatars from the sidebar.

Upload your face (or a creator’s face) so AI places it naturally in thumbnails. Upload JPEG, PNG, or WebP up to 5 MB. Custom avatar uploads are free.

On Creator, Premium, and AppSumo Tier 2+ you can add up to 3 photos of the same person on one avatar. Extra angles (front, 3/4, a different expression) help the AI keep the face consistent. This does not cost extra credits.

Slot limits by plan:

• Creator Lite — 1 slot.
• Creator — 3 slots.
• Creator Premium — Unlimited.
• AppSumo Tier 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 — 1 / 3 / 10 / Unlimited slots.

Avatars are optional. Deselect the avatar or choose a template style that does not require a face. Many templates work well with text and graphics only.

Create multiple named brand kits with your colors, font, output language, and logo. Choose which kit to apply when generating thumbnails. Available on Creator, Creator Premium, and all AppSumo tiers.

Set primary, secondary, and accent colors. Leave any color unset to let AI choose. Pick from 10 YouTube-style fonts or select “No preference” for AI-driven typography.

Optionally set an output language for this brand. When the kit is used, that language overrides your account default and the transcript/description language for on-image text, titles, and summaries. Leave it on Inherit to use your account setting (or Auto).

A live preview shows how your color/font settings look before you generate.

Upload your logo (PNG, JPEG, WebP, or SVG; max 5 MB; transparent PNG recommended). Configure placement separately for Landscape (16:9) and Portrait (9:16) using a 9-position grid and size slider (5–40% of width).

The AI Editor lets you refine a completed thumbnail with a natural-language prompt — for example, “make the text bigger” or “change background to blue.” Each edit costs 1 credit and creates a new version; your original is preserved.

Click Download on any completed thumbnail to save a PNG. Landscape exports are 1920×1080; portrait (Shorts/Reels) exports are 608×1080.

Love a result? Save it to My Templates directly from the project page for reuse in future projects. This does not cost credits but counts toward your template slot limit.

Remove individual thumbnails you no longer need from the project page. Deletion is permanent. Deleting a project removes all thumbnails inside it.

• Credits reset to your plan amount each billing cycle — they do not roll over.
• If you cancel, credits remain until the end of your current billing period, then expire.
• View your balance in the sidebar or on the Account page.

SkySnail offers three monthly or annual subscription tiers:

• Creator Lite — $15/mo ($11/mo annual) — 50 credits/mo, 1 avatar, 1 custom template, all standard templates.
• Creator — $25/mo ($19/mo annual) — 150 credits/mo, 3 avatars, up to 3 photos per avatar, 10 custom templates, Brand Kit.
• Creator Premium — $45/mo ($33/mo annual) — 450 credits/mo, unlimited avatars, up to 3 photos per avatar, 100 custom templates, Brand Kit, premium templates.

All paid plans include: no watermark, AI Editor, video transcript access, and AI summary download.

Go to Account → Manage Subscription to open the Stripe Customer Portal. There you can update payment method, switch plans, view invoices, or cancel.

1. Open the activation link from AppSumo (skysnail.io/appsumo/activate?session=...).
2. Sign up for a new SkySnail account or log in with an existing one.
3. Complete activation — your tier credits and limits apply immediately.

• Tier 1 — 40 credits/mo, 1 avatar, 1 template, Brand Kit.
• Tier 2 — 100 credits/mo, 3 avatars, up to 3 photos per avatar, 5 templates, Brand Kit.
• Tier 3 — 250 credits/mo, 10 avatars, up to 3 photos per avatar, 10 templates, Brand Kit.
• Tier 4 — 450 credits/mo, unlimited avatars, up to 3 photos per avatar, 20 templates, Brand Kit.

All AppSumo tiers are lifetime with monthly credit refills. Manage your license on appsumo.com.

The Account page shows your email, credit balance, custom avatars, thumbnail text language, email preferences, subscription status, and support options.

You must verify your email before generating or editing thumbnails. Check your inbox for the verification link after signup. If the link expired, log in and request a new verification email from the prompt shown in the app.

Set a default language for on-image text, titles, and summaries. Auto (default) keeps English-first matching of the transcript or description. A Brand Kit language overrides this account default when that brand is used during generation.

Toggle marketing emails (tips, tutorials, offers) on or off from Account, or use the Unsubscribe link in any marketing email. Account and billing emails are always sent for security and subscription management.

From Account, scroll to Delete Account, type DELETE to confirm, and submit. This permanently removes your account, projects, thumbnails, and all associated data.

SkySnail’s affiliate program pays 30% recurring lifetime commission on referred subscriptions. Affiliates get a unique referral link, a 30-day tracking cookie, and a dashboard with clicks, referrals, and earnings.

• $50 minimum payout threshold.
• Payouts via PayPal on the 15th of each month.
• Affiliate login is separate from your SkySnail app account.

SkySnail offers free YouTube creator tools that work without signing up. They are great for quick tasks and complement the main thumbnail generator.

• YouTube Thumbnail Downloader — Download any YouTube video thumbnail in full HD (1280×720) and other sizes. Paste a URL and save instantly.
• YouTube Transcript Downloader — Extract and download the transcript of any YouTube video as TXT, SRT, or VTT. Free, no sign-up.
• Thumbnail Safe Zone Preview — See exactly what gets cropped on mobile, TV, and in search. Upload a thumbnail and preview all safe zones.
• YouTube Timestamp Link Generator — Generate YouTube links that start at a specific time. Single timestamps or chapter lists for your description.