# Pick the Best Video Thumbnail Automatically

**Use case:** 

Find the 3 best thumbnail frames in a video: sharp, well exposed, faces looking at the camera with eyes open, no black or blurry frames. Each pick comes with ready crops for 16:9 (YouTube), 9:16 (Shorts, Reels, TikTok) and 1:1. $0.002 per thumbnail returned.

## Input

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/aXcXwfChlioPWAUJv/records/sample-vertical-talk.mp4?signature=105QVevs72w3z5gMQzgIJ"
  ],
  "mode": "bestThumbnails",
  "frameCount": 12,
  "intervalSeconds": 10,
  "thumbnailCount": 3,
  "thumbnailCrops": [
    "16:9",
    "9:16",
    "1:1"
  ],
  "sceneThreshold": "0.3",
  "maxFramesPerVideo": 50,
  "skipBlankFrames": true,
  "imageFormat": "jpg",
  "maxWidth": 1280,
  "imageQuality": 85,
  "contactSheet": true,
  "contactSheetColumns": 4,
  "maxVideoSizeMb": 500,
  "downloadTimeoutSecs": 300
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "contactSheetUrl": {
    "label": "Contact sheet",
    "format": "image"
  },
  "fileName": {
    "label": "File",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "durationSeconds": {
    "label": "Duration (s)",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "width": {
    "label": "Width",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "height": {
    "label": "Height",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "fps": {
    "label": "FPS",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "videoCodec": {
    "label": "Codec",
    "format": "text"
  },
  "frameCount": {
    "label": "Frames",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "scenesDetected": {
    "label": "Scene cuts",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "error": {
    "label": "Error",
    "format": "text"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The Video Frame Extractor - Keyframes, Scenes, Thumbnails for AI Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Pick the Best Video Thumbnail Automatically". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/jNwfrlzZYRE79T6GV) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Pick the Best Video Thumbnail Automatically" task

The Video Frame Extractor - Keyframes, Scenes, Thumbnails for AI Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like video file urls, which frames, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Pick the Best Video Thumbnail Automatically" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as contact sheet, file, duration (s), and more.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "Pick the Best Video Thumbnail Automatically" task via API](https://apify.com/kantolabs/video-frame-extractor.md).

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [Video Frame Extractor - Keyframes, Scenes, Thumbnails for AI](https://apify.com/kantolabs/video-frame-extractor.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/kantolabs/video-frame-extractor.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/kantolabs/video-frame-extractor.md

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).