Ever wondered which facial expressions and emotions perform best in YouTube thumbnails? We analyzed 11,690 YouTube videos, including 5,592 from top YouTubers and 6,098 from outlier videos. Outlier videos are particularly valuable as they represent viral content from smaller creators who achieved exceptional view counts despite having fewer subscribers. This helps us identify which thumbnail facial expressions truly drive virality, independent of channel size or existing audience. Our data-driven insights help content creators make informed decisions about their thumbnail facial expressions! 🎯
We used AI to analyze facial expressions and emotional displays in thumbnails, categorizing them into distinct facial emotion types. Our analysis compares their average view counts to identify which facial expressions and emotions tend to attract more viewers.
Analyze how different facial expressions perform across various YouTube categories. Select a category to see which emotions drive the most views in that specific niche.
Explore the distribution of different facial expressions across our dataset. This visualization shows which emotional facial expressions are most commonly used in viral YouTube thumbnails and how different facial emotion types compare in popularity.
Explore our comprehensive database of YouTube thumbnail facial expressions. Search, sort, and analyze different facial emotions to understand what works best for your content.
| Thumbnail | Emotion | Subtext | Description | Views ↓ | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|