Video doesn't play in email. Thumbnails do.
Paste a YouTube or Vimeo link and Dynamo pulls the real frame, drops a play button on top, and hands you a hosted image URL. Readers click it in the inbox, the video opens in their browser. No embed code, no autoplay roulette.
walkthrough.
How it works
From video link
to hosted URL.
Button Styles
Six shapes.
Any color you want.
The classic YouTube play button shape in solid red — the most familiar "click to watch" cue on the web. Drop it on any thumbnail and readers know exactly what happens next.
Why Video Thumbnails
Built for the inbox.
Works everywhere.
Built for
Who uses Video Thumbnails?
SaaS & Product
Demo videos that actually get clicked.
Onboarding and changelog emails with a thumbnail linking to a 90-second walkthrough convert better than a wall of feature text.
Newsletters & Editorial
Recaps without the embed code.
Link out to interviews, recordings, or livestream clips with a thumbnail that looks native to the email, not a broken iframe.
E-commerce
Unboxings and how-tos that drive to product.
A thumbnail linking to a product demo or unboxing video turns a static promo email into a mini storefront.
Agencies
One tool, every client's video CTA.
Generate on-brand thumbnails for every client account from a single tool, without opening a video editor.
FAQ
Got questions
about Video Thumbnails?
Everything you need to know about platforms, button styles, customization, and getting your first video into an email.
Video Thumbnails turns any YouTube or Vimeo link into a hosted image with a play button on top. Paste it into an ESP image block and link it to the video — readers click the thumbnail, the video opens in their browser.
No. Almost no email client reliably plays embedded video, so Video Thumbnails generates a static image instead, styled to look exactly like a paused video player. Clicking it opens the video wherever you link it.
YouTube and Vimeo. Paste a full link or just the video ID and Dynamo pulls the real thumbnail frame automatically.
Yes — six shapes (filled circle, outlined circle, filled square, outlined square, classic triangle, and YouTube's own icon), any pixel size, and any hex color.
No — generate anonymously with no sign-up. Anonymous thumbnail URLs stay live for 72 hours, enough to test a campaign draft. Sign in and every thumbnail is saved permanently to your account instead.
Set the width and height to match your email's image block before generating — the thumbnail renders at exactly that size, video frame and play button included.
Pricing
Simple, flat-rate pricing.
Free to try with no time limit. $99/year per product + VAT if applicable for permanent hosted URLs. No per-seat fees or other nonsense.
Generate thumbnails from YouTube or Vimeo with no time limit and no card required. Anonymous thumbnail URLs expire 72 hours after you generate them — enough to test in a draft.
- YouTube & Vimeo support
- Unlimited generations
- All 6 button styles, any color
- Works with any ESP
- Permanent hosted URLs
Sign in and every thumbnail you generate is saved permanently — no 72-hour expiry — plus priority support.
- Everything in Free
- Permanent hosted URLs, no expiry
- Priority email support
- Early access to new button styles
Usage-based fees may apply for high-volume usage.