Social media is often a percentages game. You pay attention to trends and algorithms, then do your best to make sure your content hits the mark. That said, certain basics don’t require algorithm deep dives or content brainstorms.
Social media sizes are the bare minimum when posting to any platform.
Regardless of whether you’re a social media manager or run the socials for a small business, getting the dimensions right is essential. They exist for a reason. Ensuring your content fits the guidelines on each social channel means it will be optimised for the viewers.
The best way to avoid being overwhelmed by the requirements of different social media platforms of varying sizes is to have a guide at hand. This article is intended to be just that. Read on to find all the information you need about social media sizes for your content.
Let’s get started.
P.S. We’ve also included file size guidelines and tips to ensure your content consistently hit the mark.
- Facebook social media sizes
- Instagram social media sizes
- TikTok social media sizes
- X (Twitter) social media sizes
- LinkedIn social media sizes
- YouTube social media sizes
- Google My Business social media sizes
- How can Sendible help with social media sizes?
- FAQs
Facebook social media sizes
Despite the popularity of Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms over the past decade, Facebook remains the biggest social media network in the world. With over three billion users globally, it’s an excellent marketing platform for businesses of all sizes.
Facebook has different sizing requirements for various media. Your profile photo should have different dimensions from your cover photo. Event pages, business profiles, and standard uploads also carry different requirements.
If you want to leverage Facebook as a useful advertising tool, you’ll want to ensure all content is optimised. This starts with image specifications. Let’s dive into them.
Facebook profile photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 320 x 320 pixels
- File size (minimum): 180 x 60 pixels
- File type (recommended): sRBG, JPG, or PNG
- Desktop display: 176 x 176 pixels
- Mobile display: 196 x 196 pixels
- Notes: Profile photos are cropped into a circle when uploaded
Facebook cover photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 851 x 315 pixels
- Minimum image size: 400 x 150 pixels
- File type (recommended): sRGP, JPG, or PNG
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- File size (recommended): 100kb or less
- Mobile display: 640 x 260 pixels
- Notes: If your photo contains text, a PNG file is best.
- The profile photo partially covers the left side of the cover photo so you may need to crop or edit any important content on that side.
Facebook Business Page profile photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 320 x 320 pixels
- File size (minimum): 180 x 60 pixels
- File type (recommended): sRBG, JPG, or PNG
- Desktop display: 176 x 176 pixels
- Mobile display: 196 x 196 pixels
- Notes: Size and dimensions are the same as standard Facebook profiles.
Facebook Business Page cover photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 851 x 315 pixels
- Minimum image size: 400 x 150 pixels
- File type (recommended): sRGP, JPG, or PNG
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- File size (recommended): 100kb or less
- Mobile display: 640 x 260 pixels
- Notes: Size and dimensions are the same as standard Facebook profiles.
Facebook shared image size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1080 x 1350 pixels
- File size (maximum): 15 MB
- File type (recommended): JPG, PNG, or GIF
- Aspect ratio: 1:1
- Note: JPG is the preferred family type because it maintains its quality even if the file is compressed.
Facebook shared link photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1080 x 1350 pixels
- Minimum image size: 200 x 200 pixels
- File size (maximum): 8 MB
- Desktop display: 479 x 246 pixels
- Mobile display: 560 x 292 pixels
- Notes: If you upload an image that doesn’t fit the guidelines, Facebook may scale it, which can lead to distorted images.
Facebook event page photo size guidelines
- Image upload size: 1920 x 1005 pixels
- Image dimensions: 400 x 150 pixels
- Note: Facebook will scale down your uploaded image to its recommended dimensions of 400 x 150 pixels.
Facebook Story size guidelines
- Aspect:ratio: 9:16
- Image width (maximum): 500 pixels
- Note: If you include text, leave approximately 250 pixels of the top and button of the image free. This prevents a link or CTA from being covered by buttons.
Facebook social media sizes tips
- Avoid dragging photos to reposition them after an upload.
- When uploading batches of shared photos, keep them to a maximum of 10 per post.
- Carousel display images should be 1200 x 1200 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio).
- JPG and PNG files are best for avoiding distortion from image compression.
- Sticking to the guidelines not only ensures the images are displayed correctly but also leads to faster upload times.
- With panorama or 360-degree photos, Facebook states they should be 30,000 pixels in any dimension and under 135 million pixels in total size.
Instagram social media sizes
Instagram also flies under the same Meta banner as Facebook. Visually, the two are very different platforms. Instagram is known as a visual app. Although there is text on each post, only a preview of the caption is displayed as standard. You’ll have to click a post to read longer captions.
Due to its aesthetic focus, nailing your Instagram marketing strategy comes down to the finest of details. Failing to adhere to the guidelines will cause your content to stand out in all the wrong ways.
Instagram users are now accustomed to quality images that tick all of the platform’s visual boxes. At the very least, you need to get the sizing on point. Here’s how.
Instagram profile photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 320 x 320 pixels
- Mobile display: 110 x 110 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 1:1
- File type (recommended): JPG and PNG
Instagram image size guidelines
- Square image upload size (recommended): 1080 x 1080 pixels
- Portrait image upload size (recommended): 1080 x 1350 pixels
- Landscape image upload size (recommended): 1080 x 608 pixels
- Square image ratio: 1:1
- Portrait image ratio: 4:5
- Landscape image ratio: 1.91:1
- File type: JPG or PNG
- Images per post (maximum): 10
- File size (maximum): 8 MB
- Note: Instagram crops photos to fit into one of the three supported ratios.
Instagram Story size guidelines
- Image dimensions (recommended): 1920 x 1080 pixels
- File size (maximum): 30 MB
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- Minimum resolution: 150 x 150 pixels
- File type (recommended): JPG or PNG
- Note: If you upload images larger than 30 MB, Instagram will compress the file to keep it within the guidelines.
- Reels fit the same size guidelines as stories.
Instagram social media sizes tips
- When viewing the Instram store, your profile photo can be displayed at 1080 x 1080 pixels so make sure it’s a quality image.
- Instagram is constantly increasing its quality potential so future-proof your posts by sticking to the guidelines and avoiding low-quality uploads.
- Story images may buffer if the pixel size is smaller than the recommended guidelines.
- You may upload stories of different ratios but they often appear zoomed in with odd cropping or large blank sections.
- Instagram ad posts have a maximum of 30 hashtags
TikTok social media sizes
TikTok is the newest of the major social media platforms and is growing at breakneck speed. It has already accumulated over a billion worldwide users. The biggest cohort (69.3%) of TikTok users fall between the ages of 18 and 34. If you want to succeed in the modern social media world, you need a presence on TikTok.
Alt: TikTok is one of the fastest growing social networks in recent times | Source: Demandsage
Much of the joy with TikTok is in its simplicity. Much of the content is created by amateurs, which makes it unique from the likes of Instagram. Fortunately, its straightforward design means its image requirements are also quite simple. That said, you’ve still got to get them right.
TikTok profile image size guidelines
- Image upload size: 200 x 200 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 1:1
- File type (recommended): JPG or PNG
- Maximum file size: 50 kb
TikTok thumbnail photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1080 x 1920 pixels (the same as the video dimensions)
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- File type (recommended): JPG or PNG
Here are the key image guidelines for TikTok:
TikTok ads and in-feed ad photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1200 x 628 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
- File type (recommended): 500 kb
TikTok social media sizes tips
- Keep your main content to the centre of TikTok images (and videos) to avoid cropping along the outside.
- Use high-quality images, like PNG or JPG formats, to ensure the visuals are undistorted, clear, and crisp.
- Keep image file sizes under 500 kb for optimal loading speeds.
- Using consistent formats, styles, colours, and themes help maintain consistency across your branding.
X (Twitter) social media sizes
X (formerly Twitter) is known as a text-based app. Users post short captions and engage in fast-paced discourse. It’s not designed for the same type of social interaction as Facebook or visual displays like Instagram.
That said, images are extremely important on X. In fact, using images can boost your performance significantly.
Source: Sendble X
Posts with images tend to get far more engagement than text-only posts. Posts with images get around 150% more reposts than those without images.
Many people don’t realise this and end up casting X aside as a lost influential app.
If you want to bring life to your company’s X account, you need to know about image sizes.
X profile photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 400 x 400 pixels
- Maximum file size: 2 MB
X header photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1500 x 500 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 3:1
- Note: Ensure this image is high-quality for future-proofing
X in-stream photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1600 x 900 pixels
- Recommended desktop aspect ratio: Between 2:1 and 1:1
- Recommended mobile aspect ratio: 2:1, 3:4, or 16:9
- File type (recommended): JPG, PNG, or GIF
- Maximum file size: 15 MB (for GIFS) and 5 MB (for images)
- Note: Post up to four images at a time
X image ad size guidelines
- Single and multiple photo posts: 600 x 335 (minimum)
- Website card: 800 x 418 (for 1.91:1 aspect ratio) and 800 x 800 (for 1:1 aspect ratio)
- Maximum file size: 20 MB
- Carousels: 800 x 418 (for 1.91:1 aspect ratio) and 800 x 800 (for 1:1 aspect ratio)
- Maximum file size: 20 MB (2 to 6 images)
- Direct messages: 800 x 418 (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
- Maximum file size: 3 MB
- Conversation card: 800 x 418 (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
- Maximum file size: 3 MB
X social media sizes tips
- Ensure you get the aspect ratios right so the images are optimised as the users scroll past.
- Use high-quality images to catch the attention of X users.
- Leverage infographics, illustrations, charts, and engaging visuals.
- When using images, keep the text section to a minuum. For long posts, consider making a thread.
- Incorporate branding, company logos, colours, and authentic styles with your images to be memorable.
- Carousels are a great way to impart longer messaging through visuals.
LinkedIn social media sizes
The age-old saying that a picture paints a thousand words is relevant in virtually every scenario. It’s even true on the world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn.
Source: Sendible LinkedIn
Delivering powerful imagery, engaging infographics, informational charts, and slideshows is a great way to capture the attention of busy professionals as they network online. Video works well on LinkedIn too, with video content being three times more likely to get shared on the platform.
LinkedIn has over 830 global users, meaning it’s an enormous marketplace. For certain industries, having a good foothold on the LinkedIn audience is crucial. What’s more, it’s still growing. There are an estimated two new LinkedIn members every second.
Here’s how to make sure your images adhere to the guidelines.
LinkedIn profile photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 400 x 400 pixels
- Minimum image size: 268 x 268 pixels
- Maximum file size: 3 MB
- File type (recommended): JPG or PNG
LinkedIn cover photo size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1584 x 396 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 4:1
- Maximum file size: 8 MB
- File type (recommended): JPG, PNG, or GIF
LinkedIn image size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1200 x 627 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
- File type (recommended): JPG or PNG
- Maximum file size: 5 MB
LinkedIn social media sizes tips
- Opt for high-quality, high-resolution images that reflect your brand.
- If you’re using headshots, consider getting professional photos done and request them in the correct formats.
- Avoid text-heavy images.
YouTube social media sizes
Even if YouTube is a secondary source for your marketing strategy, optimising your account means you need to have multiple images in specific formats. With 2.49 billion unique users on YouTube every month, it’s a phenomenal marketing resource for businesses of all sizes.
Source: Sendible YouTube
To make sure you’ve crossed all the t’s and dotted all the i’s on YouTube, take note of the information below.
Pro Tip: For more information on how to build and market on YouTube, check out our article: How to Start a YouTube Channel: A Step-by-Step Guide
YouTube profile photo (channel icon) size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 800 x 800 pixels
- Minimum image upload size: 98 x 98 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 1:1
- File type (recommended): JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP
- Maximum file size: 4 MB
YouTube cover photo (channel art) size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 2560 x 1440 pixels
- Safe area for images (for visibility across all devices): 1546 x 423 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Maximum file size: 6 MB
- File type (recommended): JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP
YouTube video thumbnail size guidelines
- Image upload size (recommended): 1280 x 720 pixels
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Maximum file size: 2 MB
- File type (recommended): JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP
YouTube social media sizes tips
- Use high-quality images only, since YouTube is a visual platform.
- Be consistent with branding unless you’re experimenting with new styles.
- Be scarce with text, using it wisely to catch the viewer’s attention (e.g. for a video thumbnail.
Google My Business social media sizes
It’s easy to overlook the importance of having images in the relevant places on your Google My Business profile. The key images you need are the logo, cover photo, and business photo.
- Logo: This one is straightforward as you likely have a strong business logo already.
- Cover photo: This will likely be the first image a viewer will see on your business profile. Choose one that best fits the branding and messaging of your business.
- Business photo: This should be an eye-catching photo that captures the viewer’s attention. It could be a high-quality shot of an event, your office building, or an infographic that shows off key elements of the business.
Below are the general guidelines for your Google My Business images:
- Image upload size (recommended): 720 x 720 pixels
- Minimum image upload size: 250 x 250 pixels
- Maximum file size: 5 MB
- File type (recommended): JPG or PNG
How can Sendible help with social media sizes?
Getting your social media image sizes right isn’t difficult, but knowing the dimensions, aspect ratios, file limits, and other components can be overwhelming. Use this guide when creating new images or adding a new social media platform to your list.
An image editor is the main thing you need to ensure all of your images are on point. Sendible is a comprehensive social media management tool that gives you everything you need to run multiple social media channels efficiently.
Our tool contains various excellent features, from automated scheduling and team collaboration tools to in-depth analytics.
Furthermore, Sendible users can edit social images in our Compose Box. This highly intuitive feature allows you to create, edit, and size images easily. You don’t need any graphic design experience to build mock-ups in our Compose Box. The best part is that you can view a preview of the content before you schedule it.
We provide preset templates adapted for specific social media channels. The templates automatically scale your images to ensure they have the right pixel size and ratio. Optimizing social media imaging has never been easier.
If you'd like to give it a try, sign up for our free 14-day trial. You’ll also get access to our full suite of services, which help you manage all aspects of the tool. To discuss our services further, set up a demo call with one of our experts.
FAQs
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What size should social media images be?
Each social media platform has its own image requirements, which can vary depending on the purpose of the image. For example, your Facebook cover photo will have a different size recommendation than a standard upload. Read the above guide for complete details on all networks.
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Is Instagram 16:9 or 4:3?
Instagram supports 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios but the most common ratios are 1:1 (square) or 4:5 (portrait) dimensions.
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Is 1920x1080 good for Instagram?
1920 x 10180 pixel posts work well for stories and reels but for standard posts, try to upload them with 1:1 or 4:5 aspect ratios.
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What is media size for Instagram?
Media size refers to the pixel size and ratio of the images and videos you upload. The recommended media size for feed posts is 1080 x 1080 pixels (square) or 1080 x 1350 pixels (portrait).
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What is social media ratio 4:5?
A 4:5 social media ratio is a common size for portrait images on Instagram. This ratio allows for more screen space and visibility on the feed.
