Hey, it's Cindy 🌱 This is the free Claude Code skill that turns one plain-English command into a set of YouTube thumbnail options, so you stop losing your evening in Figma. Full credit: it was built by creator Tyler Germain. I checked how it actually works on 2026-07-14, including the honest cost.
Quick honesty up front: the skill itself is free, but it makes the actual images with Google's Nano Banana image model, which needs a free Gemini API key (with a daily free allowance, then a few cents per image). And you feed it your own headshot so the face is really you. Claude runs the whole thing and hands you options, you still pick the winner.
the basics
What it actually does 🧠
It's a Claude Code skill (a SKILL.md plus a couple of Python scripts) you run in plain English. Under the hood it:
- 🔎 Research Searches YouTube for the top thumbnails in your niche
- 🧩 Decode Works out what makes them click-worthy
- 🖼️ Composite Calls Google's Nano Banana to composite your headshot onto fresh AI backgrounds
- 🅰️ Choose Hands you 4 options in a 2x2 grid to choose from
Then it can preview each option in a mock YouTube feed so you see how it looks next to other videos before you commit.
the setup
Get the skill 📦
Tyler shared it via an install script and a comment-to-DM link. There is no public tylergermain/claude-thumbnails repo (that URL 404s), so use one of these:
📦 clone the skill
git clone https://github.com/Samin12/claude-thumbnails.git ~/.claude/skills/claude-thumbnails
- 📩 Or grab Tyler's original from his post (he sends the install link when you comment).
one key
Add your free Gemini key 🔑
The images come from Google's Nano Banana (Gemini image model), so:
- 🔐 Create the key. Create a free API key at Google AI Studio.
- 🧷 Set it. Set it as
GEMINI_API_KEY (the skill's install steps show where).
- 💸 Cost. AI Studio has a free daily image allowance; past that, Nano Banana Pro is roughly $0.13 per image. Cheap, but not zero at volume.
copy this
Run it 🎬
Drop in a headshot of yourself, then just describe the video:
🎬 the thumbnail prompt
Make 4 thumbnail options for my video: "how I plan a month of content in one sitting".
Use my headshot, research top thumbnails in the AI/productivity niche, and show them in a 2x2 grid.
Pick the one that pops, tweak if needed, then A/B test it with your audience.
what to watch
The three honest caveats 🧠
- 🙂 Your face, your photo. You supply your own headshot (a clear photo, a few angles helps) so the face is actually you.
- 🔑 It is not quite free. The image model needs a free Gemini key, with a small cost past the daily free limit (~$0.13/image).
- 👀 You still pick. You still choose and tweak. It gives you strong options fast, not a guaranteed finished thumbnail. Budget a couple of tries.
Every link in one place 🔗