XHS Thumbnail Design: Create Covers That Stop the Scroll

Table Of Contents

• Why Thumbnail Design Makes or Breaks Your XHS Performance

• Understanding XHS's Visual Ecosystem

• The 5-Second Rule: Design Principles for Scroll-Stopping Covers

• Optimal Dimensions and Technical Specifications

• Color Psychology for Chinese Consumers

• Typography That Converts: Text Overlay Best Practices

• Composition Techniques That Drive Clicks

• Cultural Localization: Avoiding Design Mistakes

• Design Tools and Templates for Quick Production

• Testing and Optimization Strategies

On Xiaohongshu, your thumbnail isn't just a preview. It's a three-second pitch to 300 million users scrolling at lightning speed through an endless feed of perfectly curated content. Get it wrong, and even the most valuable content disappears into the algorithm abyss. Get it right, and you'll see click-through rates that justify every minute spent on design.

International brands entering the Chinese market often make a critical mistake: they apply Western design principles to a platform with distinctly different visual language and user expectations. What works on Instagram or Pinterest rarely translates directly to Xiaohongshu, where aesthetic preferences, information density, and cultural symbolism follow different rules.

This comprehensive guide reveals the platform-specific thumbnail design strategies that separate viral content from ignored posts. Whether you're a brand manager planning your first XHS campaign or a content creator optimizing existing posts, you'll learn exactly how to craft covers that command attention, communicate value instantly, and convert scrollers into engaged readers. We'll cover everything from technical specifications and color psychology to composition techniques and cultural localization considerations that Western marketers typically overlook.

Why Thumbnail Design Makes or Breaks Your XHS Performance

Xiaohongshu's algorithm prioritizes engagement signals within the first hour of posting. When users scroll past your content without clicking, the platform interprets this as low relevance and dramatically reduces your reach. Your thumbnail is the single factor determining whether users stop or scroll, making it more critical than headline copy, posting time, or even content quality.

Research on XHS user behavior reveals that the average user makes a decision about content in 0.8 to 1.2 seconds. During this split-second evaluation, your thumbnail must communicate three things simultaneously: what the content is about, why it matters to the viewer, and that it's worth their time. This cognitive efficiency requires strategic design that goes far beyond making something "look pretty."

Brands working with Expert Xiaohongshu Marketing Service providers consistently see 3-5x improvements in click-through rates after implementing platform-optimized thumbnail strategies. The difference between generic covers and culturally localized, strategically designed thumbnails often means the difference between viral reach and complete obscurity.

Understanding XHS's Visual Ecosystem

Before diving into specific design techniques, you need to understand how Xiaohongshu's visual environment differs from Western platforms. The XHS feed presents content in a waterfall layout with varying image heights, creating a mosaic effect where thumbnails compete for attention in unpredictable arrangements.

Platform demographics heavily influence visual preferences. Over 70% of XHS users are female, aged 18-35, living in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. This audience responds to specific aesthetic codes: clean backgrounds, warm lighting, aspirational lifestyle imagery, and information-rich designs that promise practical value. They're sophisticated visual consumers who can instantly distinguish between authentic content and lazy brand promotions.

The most successful thumbnails on XHS balance two seemingly contradictory qualities: they're visually cohesive enough to feel premium and professional, yet authentic enough to maintain the platform's user-generated content aesthetic. Overly polished corporate imagery typically underperforms compared to designs that feel like elevated personal recommendations.

Content categories also influence design expectations. Beauty and skincare posts favor before-and-after compositions with product close-ups. Fashion content leans toward full-body outfit shots with styling details highlighted. Food and beverage posts prioritize appetite appeal with overhead arrangements and ingredient showcases. Understanding these category conventions helps you meet user expectations while finding opportunities to stand out.

The 5-Second Rule: Design Principles for Scroll-Stopping Covers

Effective XHS thumbnail design follows five core principles that work together to capture attention and drive clicks. These principles apply across all content categories and form the foundation of high-performing covers.

Principle 1: Immediate Visual Hierarchy

Your thumbnail needs one clear focal point that draws the eye within one second. This could be a product, a face with direct eye contact, bold text, or a striking color contrast. Everything else in the frame should support this focal point through compositional techniques like leading lines, framing, or strategic blur.

Avoid cluttered compositions that force viewers to search for meaning. Chinese consumers appreciate information density in text content, but thumbnail imagery requires simplicity. The most successful covers feature 60-70% negative space, allowing the primary subject to dominate attention.

Principle 2: Emotional Resonance

XHS users engage with content that promises transformation, whether that's achieving a beauty look, solving a problem, or accessing insider knowledge. Your thumbnail should evoke specific emotions: aspiration ("I want that result"), curiosity ("How did they do that?"), or validation ("This person understands my problem").

Facial expressions in thumbnails significantly impact performance. Direct eye contact with slight smiles generates higher engagement than posed model shots. For product-focused content without people, use composition and color to create emotional tone. Warm, bright imagery suggests approachability and joy, while darker, high-contrast designs communicate sophistication and exclusivity.

Principle 3: Information Preview

Unlike Instagram where minimalist aesthetics dominate, XHS users expect thumbnails to preview the content's value proposition. This typically means incorporating text overlays that answer "What will I learn?" or "What problem does this solve?" Strategic text placement doesn't clutter effective designs when properly integrated.

The most successful information preview combines a visual element that shows the outcome with text that explains the process or benefit. For example, a skincare thumbnail might show glowing skin (outcome) with text overlay stating "7-day hydration routine" (process), immediately communicating both the result and the practical steps inside.

Principle 4: Pattern Interruption

While respecting category conventions, your thumbnail must include at least one unexpected element that breaks the visual monotony of the feed. This could be an unusual angle, unexpected color combination, creative typography treatment, or compositional surprise that makes users pause mid-scroll.

Pattern interruption doesn't mean random weirdness. The unexpected element should feel intentional and connected to your content value. A beauty tutorial might use geometric frames around the face to highlight specific areas discussed in the post. A recipe might feature one ingredient floating or positioned unusually to create visual interest.

Principle 5: Brand Consistency Without Rigidity

Successful XHS content creators maintain visual consistency that builds recognition without becoming formulaic. Develop a consistent approach to elements like color palette, typography style, composition approach, or logo placement, but vary enough to keep each thumbnail fresh and relevant to its specific content.

This balance is crucial for international brands adapting existing brand guidelines. Your XHS thumbnails should feel connected to your global brand identity while embracing platform-specific aesthetic preferences. This might mean loosening corporate color restrictions, allowing more playful typography, or incorporating design elements that resonate specifically with Chinese consumers.

Optimal Dimensions and Technical Specifications

Xiaohongshu displays images in a 3:4 ratio, making vertical or near-square formats perform significantly better than horizontal layouts. The platform recommends 1242 x 1660 pixels as the ideal resolution, though images from 1080 x 1440 pixels up to 1440 x 1920 pixels also display well.

File size matters for loading speed and algorithm performance. Keep thumbnails between 500KB and 2MB for optimal balance between quality and performance. Images over 5MB may experience compression that degrades quality, while images under 300KB often appear pixelated on newer devices.

Safe zone considerations are critical for XHS thumbnail design. The platform overlays various UI elements on images depending on device and app version. Keep all essential elements including faces, products, and text within the center 80% of the frame, avoiding the top 15% and bottom 20% where icons, captions, and engagement buttons may obscure content.

Format selection impacts both quality and algorithm treatment. JPEG format works best for photographs and complex imagery with gradients, while PNG format preserves text clarity and works better for graphics-heavy designs with solid colors. The platform accepts both, but JPEG files typically load faster, which positively impacts user experience metrics the algorithm monitors.

Color profile settings affect how your thumbnail displays across different devices. Save images in sRGB color space rather than Adobe RGB or ProPhoto RGB to ensure consistent appearance across the diverse Android and iOS devices XHS users access the platform from.

Color Psychology for Chinese Consumers

Color carries specific cultural meanings and emotional associations in Chinese visual culture that differ significantly from Western interpretations. Understanding these nuances prevents costly mistakes and enables strategic color choices that resonate with your target audience.

Red in Chinese culture symbolizes luck, prosperity, and celebration, making it the most attention-grabbing color on XHS. However, overuse can appear cliché or too promotional. Strategic red accents work better than red-dominated designs for most content categories. Beauty brands successfully use red undertones in backgrounds or as accent colors highlighting key products or benefits.

Gold and yellow communicate luxury, royalty, and premium quality. These colors perform exceptionally well for content about high-end products, special occasions, or exclusive information. Pair gold accents with white or light backgrounds to maintain readability while leveraging the prestige associations.

Pink variations dominate XHS aesthetics, particularly in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle categories. From millennial pink to coral to dusty rose, these shades communicate femininity, gentleness, and modern sophistication. The platform's predominantly female user base responds positively to pink-toned thumbnails, though differentiation within this palette requires thoughtful shade selection.

White and light neutrals suggest cleanliness, simplicity, and transparency. These backgrounds make text overlays highly readable and allow products or subjects to stand out clearly. White-background thumbnails communicate professionalism and trustworthiness, particularly important for content about health, parenting, or financial topics where credibility matters.

Green shades connect to nature, health, and environmental consciousness. As Chinese consumers become increasingly interested in clean beauty, organic products, and sustainability, green-toned thumbnails effectively signal these values. Avoid overly bright or neon greens, which can appear cheap or artificial. Instead, opt for sage, olive, or forest green tones.

Color combinations require particular attention. High contrast between background and subject ensures visibility in the feed, but harsh contrasts can feel jarring. The most successful XHS thumbnails use analogous color schemes (colors next to each other on the color wheel) or complementary colors with one dominant and one accent. Triadic color schemes typically feel too busy for the quick-scan nature of thumbnail evaluation.

Seasonal color trends on XHS shift significantly. Spring content favors pastels and bright tones, summer embraces saturated colors and high energy palettes, autumn trends toward warm earth tones and cozy aesthetics, while winter content performs well with deep jewel tones and metallics. Aligning your color choices with seasonal expectations increases relevance and engagement.

Typography That Converts: Text Overlay Best Practices

Text overlays on XHS thumbnails serve a fundamentally different purpose than Western platform captions. Rather than clever taglines or brand messaging, XHS text should directly state the content's value proposition with maximum clarity and minimum characters.

Character count critically impacts readability. Limit Chinese text overlays to 6-12 characters for optimal legibility on mobile screens. This constraint forces crystal-clear value articulation. Instead of "My favorite affordable skincare routine that changed everything," effective XHS text states "平价护肤7步" (Affordable skincare 7 steps) or "学生党必看" (Must-see for students).

For bilingual content targeting both Chinese and international audiences, prioritize Chinese text in the primary position with English as a secondary element in smaller type. Never use machine translation for thumbnail text. Awkward or incorrect Chinese immediately signals low-quality content and destroys credibility.

Font selection requires balancing readability with aesthetic appeal. Sans-serif fonts work best for clarity, particularly bold or heavy weights that maintain legibility when overlaid on images. Popular Chinese font families for XHS include PingFang SC, Source Han Sans, and Noto Sans CJK. For English text, geometric sans-serifs like Montserrat or DIN maintain visual harmony with Chinese characters.

Text positioning strategy follows the F-pattern reading behavior, but accommodates XHS's interface elements. Position primary text in the upper third or center of the image, avoiding the bottom 20% where user interaction buttons appear. Left-align text rather than centering for easier reading, especially with longer character strings.

Contrast and legibility techniques ensure text remains readable across various lighting conditions and device settings. Use one or more of these approaches:

• Add semi-transparent dark overlays (30-50% opacity) behind light-colored text

• Apply stroke outlines to text, typically 2-4 pixels depending on font size

• Position text over naturally dark or light areas of the background image

• Use drop shadows with slight offset for dimensional separation from background

• Create solid color blocks or banners that contain text elements

Text color psychology extends beyond the background color strategy. White or light text conveys cleanliness and simplicity, working well for premium content. Black text suggests authority and seriousness, appropriate for educational or professional topics. Colored text should match or complement the overall color scheme while maintaining sufficient contrast for readability. Never use low-contrast combinations like light gray on white or dark blue on black.

Number inclusion dramatically increases click-through rates on XHS. Thumbnails featuring numbers in text overlays ("5个技巧" - 5 tips, "30天改变" - 30-day transformation) outperform similar designs without numbers by 40-60%. Numbers promise specific, actionable information and set clear expectations for content depth.

Composition Techniques That Drive Clicks

Beyond color and typography, compositional choices determine whether your thumbnail creates visual interest that compels clicks. These techniques work specifically within XHS's vertical format and mobile-first viewing context.

Rule of thirds adaptation for vertical formats places key elements along horizontal and vertical lines dividing the frame into nine sections. Position faces, products, or focal points at these intersection points rather than dead center. This creates dynamic energy while maintaining balance. For XHS's 3:4 ratio, the upper-third horizontal line is particularly powerful for placement of main subjects or critical text.

Leading lines technique guides viewer attention toward your focal point using compositional elements within the image. This could be table edges directing toward a product, arm positions pointing toward text, architectural elements creating perspective toward your subject, or arranged objects forming a path toward the key element. Leading lines create visual flow that makes thumbnails feel purposeful rather than random.

Frame-within-frame composition uses elements within the image to create a natural border around your subject. This could be a doorway framing a fashion outfit, hands holding a product, circular arrangements of items surrounding a central subject, or architectural elements creating geometric frames. This technique focuses attention while adding depth and sophistication to otherwise simple product shots.

Negative space strategy leverages empty areas to create breathing room that prevents cluttered, overwhelming thumbnails. Successful XHS thumbnails typically feature 60-70% negative space, allowing the eye to rest while emphasizing the primary subject. This is particularly important for Chinese audiences who encounter information-dense environments throughout their digital experience. Your thumbnail's simplicity becomes a refreshing visual pause.

Before-and-after split compositions perform exceptionally well across multiple XHS categories. Beauty content shows skin conditions or makeup stages, home organization displays cluttered versus organized spaces, fashion presents basic versus styled outfits, and DIY projects showcase starting materials versus finished results. Use clear visual dividers (lines, contrasting backgrounds) between the two states to eliminate confusion.

Flat lay arrangements remain consistently popular on XHS, particularly for beauty, food, and lifestyle content. Successful flat lays follow specific patterns: symmetrical arrangements communicate order and precision, asymmetrical layouts feel more casual and authentic, circular arrangements direct focus toward a central product, and grid patterns showcase variety and options. Shoot directly overhead with consistent lighting to avoid shadows that disrupt the clean aesthetic.

Action and movement in static thumbnails creates energy that captures attention. This could be liquid mid-pour, hair mid-flip, jumping or dynamic poses, hands in the process of applying or creating something, or products captured at angles suggesting motion. Movement implies transformation and process, core values that drive XHS engagement.

Perspective variety helps your content stand out when most thumbnails use standard straight-on angles. Eye-level shots work well for person-focused content, overhead angles excel for food and flat lays, low angles add drama and impact to architecture or fashion, and close-up macro perspectives reveal details that intrigue viewers. Vary perspectives across your content series while maintaining other consistent brand elements.

Cultural Localization: Avoiding Design Mistakes

International brands frequently make cultural missteps in XHS thumbnail design that tank performance despite otherwise strong content. Understanding these nuances prevents costly mistakes and demonstrates cultural competency that Chinese consumers value.

Number symbolism requires careful attention. The number four (四) should be avoided as it phonetically resembles the word for death in Chinese and carries strong negative associations. Conversely, numbers eight (8), six (6), and nine (9) carry positive meanings related to prosperity, smoothness, and longevity. When creating numbered lists or step-by-step content, consider using these auspicious numbers when possible.

Hand gestures and body language carry different meanings across cultures. The Western "OK" hand gesture can be offensive in Chinese context. Pointing directly at the camera feels aggressive rather than engaging. Instead, use open palm gestures, gentle pointing to the side toward text or products, or casual poses that feel welcoming rather than demanding. Study successful Chinese content creators to observe natural, culturally appropriate body language.

Color combination taboos extend beyond individual color meanings. White and black combined strongly associate with funerals and mourning in Chinese culture, making this high-contrast combination problematic despite its visual impact. Similarly, be cautious with all-white backgrounds in certain contexts where they might suggest sterility or coldness rather than cleanliness.

Facial expression preferences differ from Western platforms. The Instagram-perfect pout or serious model stare underperforms on XHS compared to genuine smiles, approachable expressions, and natural emotions. Chinese consumers value authenticity and relatability over aspirational perfection. Thumbnails featuring real reactions, slight imperfections, and warm expressions consistently outperform overly polished model shots.

Symbol and icon usage requires verification of Chinese cultural meanings. Some animals, flowers, and objects carry specific symbolism that may not align with your intended message. Lotus flowers suggest purity and enlightenment, peonies represent prosperity and romance, bamboo symbolizes integrity and resilience, and cranes represent longevity. Incorporating culturally positive symbols adds layers of meaning Chinese viewers appreciate.

Festival and seasonal sensitivity matters enormously on XHS. Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Mid-Autumn Festival, Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), and other traditional celebrations drive massive content engagement. However, using festival imagery or colors outside appropriate timing can appear tone-deaf or purely commercial. Work with cultural consultants or Industry-Specific Xiaohongshu Marketing Strategies experts to time and design culturally appropriate seasonal content.

Regional aesthetic differences exist within China itself. Tier 1 city consumers (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen) respond to more minimalist, internationally influenced designs. Tier 2 and Tier 3 city audiences often prefer brighter colors, more obvious luxury signals, and information-rich designs. If your target market skews toward specific regions, adjust your thumbnail aesthetic accordingly.

Design Tools and Templates for Quick Production

Consistent, high-quality thumbnail production requires efficient workflows and the right tools. International brands often struggle to maintain content velocity on XHS while ensuring every thumbnail meets platform standards and cultural expectations.

Canva's Chinese version (可画 - Kehua) offers templates specifically designed for Xiaohongshu dimensions and aesthetic preferences. The platform provides Chinese font access, culturally appropriate color palettes, and template categories aligned with XHS content types. The Pro version enables brand kit functionality for maintaining visual consistency across team members.

Meitu Xiuxiu (美图秀秀), China's dominant photo editing app, provides filters and effects that match XHS aesthetic preferences better than Western apps like VSCO or Lightroom. Many successful XHS creators use Meitu for basic image treatment before adding text overlays in other tools. The app's beauty filters align with Chinese preferences for skin smoothing and facial feature enhancement.

Figma and Sketch work well for brands creating comprehensive XHS content systems. Design teams can build component libraries with approved color palettes, typography styles, and layout templates that content creators customize for specific posts. This approach ensures brand consistency while enabling rapid production. Cloud-based collaboration in Figma facilitates coordination between international headquarters and Chinese market teams.

Template creation strategy accelerates consistent output. Develop 5-7 master template variations addressing your common content types: product features, how-to tutorials, before-and-after transformations, listicles, personal stories, and seasonal promotions. Each template should specify image placement zones, text overlay positioning, color scheme options, and typography hierarchy. This structure enables team members or agencies to produce on-brand thumbnails efficiently.

Mobile editing workflow deserves consideration since many XHS creators work entirely on smartphones. Apps like Picsart, Snapseed, and Fotor offer sufficient functionality for thumbnail creation directly on mobile devices. This approach streamlines production for brands with lean teams or creators who shoot and post in real-time.

Stock image resources appropriate for the Chinese market differ from Western stock libraries. Pexels, Unsplash, and Pixabay offer free options but may lack culturally specific imagery. Chinese platforms like Tuchong (图虫), Fotor, and Huitu (汇图) provide images featuring Chinese models, settings, and aesthetics that resonate better with XHS audiences. Always verify licensing terms before commercial use.

Quality control checklist prevents common mistakes before publishing. Before finalizing each thumbnail, verify: correct dimensions (3:4 ratio, 1242 x 1660 pixels optimal), file size between 500KB-2MB, sRGB color profile, text readability on mobile preview, safe zone compliance with no critical elements in top 15% or bottom 20%, cultural appropriateness of all visual elements, and brand consistency with your established style guide.

Brands seeking professional support can access ready-to-use templates and design resources through Free Xiaohongshu Resources, which provides tested frameworks that international teams can customize for their specific needs.

Testing and Optimization Strategies

Even with perfect adherence to best practices, thumbnail performance varies based on your specific audience, content category, and market positioning. Systematic testing identifies what works for your unique situation and drives continuous improvement.

A/B testing methodology for XHS differs from Western platforms due to algorithm mechanics. Post the same content with different thumbnails at different times (at least 48 hours apart) to the same audience. Track engagement metrics including click-through rate (views relative to impressions), likes, comments, saves, and shares. The thumbnail driving higher engagement across multiple metrics wins.

Test one variable at a time for clear insights. Run separate tests for color palette differences, text overlay variations, composition approaches, image style (lifestyle versus product-focused), and facial expression or model selection. Testing multiple variables simultaneously makes it impossible to identify which specific element drove performance differences.

Key performance indicators for thumbnail effectiveness include:

• Click-through rate: Views divided by impressions, indicating how effectively your thumbnail captured attention

• Save rate: Saves divided by views, suggesting the thumbnail accurately represented valuable content

• Completion rate: How many viewers consumed the full content after clicking, revealing whether the thumbnail set appropriate expectations

• Engagement velocity: Speed of initial engagement, which XHS's algorithm uses to determine content distribution

Seasonal performance patterns require ongoing monitoring. Thumbnails that perform well during one season may underperform in another as user interests, aesthetic preferences, and content consumption patterns shift. Review your top-performing thumbnails quarterly and identify evolving patterns in color preferences, composition styles, and information density that reflect changing audience preferences.

Competitor analysis provides inspiration and identifies opportunities. Follow successful accounts in your category and observe their thumbnail patterns. Note what compositional approaches, color schemes, and text overlay strategies appear frequently among high-engagement content. Adapt successful approaches to your brand while maintaining differentiation.

Portfolio analysis of your existing content reveals which of your thumbnails overperform or underperform relative to content quality. Sometimes excellent content fails due to weak thumbnails, while mediocre content succeeds because the thumbnail effectively captured attention and set appropriate expectations. Identify your top 10 performing posts and analyze thumbnail commonalities. Do the same for your bottom performers to identify elements to avoid.

Audience feedback integration helps refine your approach. XHS's comment section often contains specific feedback about what attracted users to the content. Questions like "I clicked because of the [specific element]" or "The thumbnail looked like [expectation] but the content was actually [reality]" provide direct insights into how your thumbnails are being interpreted and what drives decisions.

Trend adaptation speed matters on XHS where visual trends evolve rapidly. Allocate time monthly to scroll through the platform, observe emerging aesthetic patterns, and experiment with adapting trends to your brand. However, avoid abandoning your core visual identity for every passing trend. The goal is informed evolution, not constant reinvention.

Xiaohongshu thumbnail design requires more than visual polish. It demands cultural intelligence, platform-specific understanding, and strategic thinking about how to communicate value in less than one second. The difference between thumbnails that stop the scroll and those that disappear into the feed often comes down to subtle choices in color psychology, composition, typography, and cultural localization that international brands overlook without guidance.

The investment in mastering XHS thumbnail design pays exponential dividends. Higher click-through rates trigger algorithm favorability that expands your reach. Better engagement signals reduce customer acquisition costs and improve ROI across your entire XHS marketing investment. As China's social commerce landscape continues evolving, the brands that succeed will be those that respect platform nuances rather than applying one-size-fits-all international strategies.

Start by implementing the technical specifications, color psychology principles, and composition techniques outlined in this guide. Test systematically, learn from your audience's behavior, and refine continuously. Remember that XHS success comes from balancing professional quality with authentic voice, international brand identity with cultural sensitivity, and consistent visual presence with fresh, relevant content that serves your audience's needs.

Whether you're creating thumbnails in-house or working with specialist agencies, the principles remain constant: respect your audience's cultural context, prioritize clarity over cleverness, test relentlessly, and recognize that in Xiaohongshu's hyper-competitive visual environment, your thumbnail is your handshake, your elevator pitch, and your first impression combined into one critical design decision.

Ready to Master Xiaohongshu Marketing?

Thumbnail design is just one piece of Xiaohongshu success. From content strategy and influencer partnerships to algorithm optimization and cultural localization, navigating XHS requires comprehensive platform expertise.

AllXHS provides everything international brands need to succeed on China's fastest-growing social commerce platform:

• 378+ data-driven industry reports with actionable insights across 20+ verticals

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• 25+ ready-to-use tools and templates including thumbnail design frameworks

• Expert consultation services for hands-on strategic guidance

Whether you're planning your first XHS campaign or optimizing existing performance, AllXHS bridges the gap between Western marketing approaches and Chinese platform realities.

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