Image credit: Chase Chappell

YouTube’s new title testing feature will allow users to test both thumbnails and video titles to maximise views and engagement.

For years, creators have known that a video’s success can hinge on two crucial elements: its title and thumbnail. Getting that initial click is the first and most important step in audience engagement. Recognizing this, YouTube has fully rolled out its “Test & Compare” feature, now allowing all creators in the YouTube Partner Program to A/B test not just thumbnails, but video titles as well.

This powerful tool has moved well beyond its initial experimental phase from 2023 and 2024. Today, it stands as an essential feature within YouTube Studio, empowering creators to make data-driven decisions to maximise their content’s reach and impact.

How does it work?

The process is straightforward. When uploading a video, creators can provide up to three different thumbnails and three different titles. YouTube’s system then automatically shows different combinations of these to segments of your audience. Over a period of up to 14 days, the platform gathers data on how each variation performs.

The Winning Metric: It’s not just about clicks

While getting the click is vital, YouTube’s primary goal is to keep viewers on the platform. To avoid rewarding misleading clickbait, the “Test & Compare” feature doesn’t simply choose the option with the highest click-through rate (CTR).

Instead, the winning combination is determined by “watch time per impression.”

This crucial metric finds the perfect balance: it identifies the title and thumbnail that not only entices a viewer to click but also delivers on its promise, resulting in them watching the video for longer. A high CTR is good, but a high CTR combined with strong watch time is the key to success on the platform, and this is what the testing feature is designed to find.

Why this is a game-changer for creators

Previously, A/B testing was a manual process or required expensive third-party tools, putting it out of reach for many. By integrating this directly into Studio, YouTube has democratised a vital optimisation strategy.

For any creator, this feature is invaluable. It removes the guesswork from crafting the perfect title and thumbnail. You can test a bold, mysterious title against a straightforward, keyword-rich one, or a minimalist thumbnail against a busy, expressive one, and let your audience’s behaviour provide a clear, data-backed answer on what works best for your content.