Thumbnail breaks the rules (sexual, gore, vulgar)
YouTube may take the video down and give the account a strike.
Last verified
What triggers it
Custom thumbnail (or banner or other channel image) showing pornographic imagery, sexual acts, sex toys or fetish imagery, nudity including genitals, unwanted sexualization, violent imagery meant to shock, graphic blood or gore, or vulgar or lewd text.
What YouTube says
“If your thumbnail contains pornography, we may terminate your channel. If your thumbnail violates other policies, we remove the thumbnail and may issue a strike against your account.”
We last checked this against YouTube's page on .
How to fix it
Replace the thumbnail with one that has no nudity, gore or vulgar text.
Good to know
Look for nudity, sexual acts, blood, wounds, corpses and vulgar words in thumbnail text. Educational, documentary, scientific or artistic thumbnails may get an exception.
Can FYProof spot it?
A full check of your video looks for it in what's shown and the words on screen. What a check finds is an estimate, not a guarantee.
- Video: looked at for this rule
- Speech: not for this rule
- On-screen text: looked at for this rule
- Caption: not for this rule
- Hashtags: not for this rule
Related YouTube rules
Platforms change their rules often. This page sums up what YouTube publishes; it isn't legal advice.