YouTube creators recognise the importance of having a good thumbnail. A video’s thumbnail is a major factor in whether the audience will watch the video. To make this decision easier for creators, YouTube is testing a new feature called “Test & Compare.” Also known as A/B testing, Test & Compare will let creators create an experiment with up to three thumbnails on a video to determine the one that performs best.

YouTube says the feature is “top-requested” in a video announcement, and it has been testing the feature “with a few hundred creators” over the past few months. While the feature is still in the early stages, the company plans to roll out a beta version to “a few thousand creators in the coming months.” YouTube plans to roll out the feature more broadly starting next year.

In a screenshot shared by YouTube of how Test & Compare works, creators can see the watch time for the three different thumbnails. The system will automatically pick the one with the highest percentage of watch time as the winner once the A/B test is completed.

Being able to A/B test thumbnails is a game changer for creators, and it’s a feature that will help optimise videos on YouTube for more views.