How to Share YouTube Videos with Large Thumbnails on Facebook Without External Websites

Sharing YouTube videos on Facebook with large thumbnails can enhance engagement and attract more viewers. While Facebook has certain limitations, you can still achieve this without relying on external websites. Follow these step-by-step instructions to share your videos as desired:

Step-by-Step Guide to Share YouTube Videos on Facebook Without External Websites

To post a YouTube video on Facebook with a large thumbnail, follow these steps:

1. Copy the YouTube Video URL

Go to the YouTube video you want to share. Copy the video URL (you can find it in the address bar or by right-clicking the video and selecting 'Copy video URL').

2. Paste the URL on Facebook

Open Facebook and navigate to your profile or the page where you want to post. In the status update box, paste the YouTube video URL.

3. Allow Facebook to Generate the Preview

After pasting the URL, wait a moment for Facebook to generate the video preview. Often, this includes a thumbnail of the video. Even though Facebook automatically displays a thumbnail, you can customize your post if needed.

4. Customize Your Post (Optional)

You can add a caption or description above the video link if you want. Facebook will typically display a large thumbnail automatically when the link is shared. However, to ensure the quality, consider setting a custom thumbnail on your YouTube video.

5. Post Your Update

Once everything looks good, click the 'Post' button to share your update.

Tips for Better Thumbnails

Ensure your YouTube video has a custom thumbnail set. This will be the image that Facebook pulls for the post. Thumbnails should be visually appealing and relevant to the content to attract more viewers.

By following these steps, you can effectively share your YouTube videos on Facebook with large thumbnails without needing any external tools. However, please note that direct sharing via Facebook is limited due to platform policies. Enhancing your content, especially the thumbnail, is key to improving engagement and visibility.

Why Facebook Does Not Show Large Thumbnails by Default

Facebook has implemented certain limitations to avoid promoting direct YouTube links, given that YouTube is a major competitor. This strategy ensures that users stay within the Facebook ecosystem rather than moving to YouTube.

Alternative Method

Another effective method is to upload the thumbnail directly on Facebook and include the YouTube video link in the thumbnail image description. This way, you still achieve a large thumbnail and direct your traffic back to your YouTube video, boosting its views.

Conclusion

While there is no direct way to share YouTube videos on Facebook with large thumbnails without any engagement loss, by following best practices and optimizing your content, you can still achieve great results. Always keep an eye on platform updates and changes to stay ahead of the curve.