The Complete Guide to Social Media Image Sizes in 2026

social_media_image_sizes

Social media image sizes play a crucial role in how your content appears across different platforms. Even the most well-designed visual can look unprofessional if it’s cropped, stretched, or uploaded in the wrong dimensions.

Visual content dominates social media today, and it has a major impact on engagement. In fact, content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without visuals, demonstrating the power of properly optimized visuals.

However, every platform has different requirements for posts, profile pictures, stories, ads, and thumbnails, and these social media image sizes change frequently.

To help you stay updated, this guide covers the latest image size recommendations for major social media platforms, including:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X (formerly Twitter)
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Snapchat
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Google Business Profile
  • Threads
  • Bluesky

Bookmark this page (Ctrl+D on Windows or Cmd+D on Mac) so you can quickly check the correct dimensions whenever you create new social media content.

Why Choosing the Right Image Size is Important for Social Media

So now you know, visuals play a key role in extending your reach on social media platforms. If you use the wrong image sizes, visuals may be cropped or stretched, or they may look unprofessional.

It is important to post the right image size on social media platforms because:

  • Posting images at the perfect size looks professional and helps prevent stretching, pixelation, or awkward cropping that can damage your post’s visual appeal.
  • Optimized images improve engagement and readability. When an image is correctly sized for a platform, the audience can view the full content without parts being cut off by the feed layout, UI elements, or preview cropping.

Using the correct dimensions also ensures your branding, text overlays, and design elements remain visible across both desktop and mobile devices, where cropping behavior can differ.

💡 Pro Tip: Always keep important text or logos inside the “safe area” of your design, especially for vertical formats like Stories, Reels, TikTok, or Shorts. This prevents UI elements such as captions, profile icons, or buttons from covering important parts of your visuals.

Image Size for the Social Media Platforms

Social Media Platforms Image Sizes 2026

Here, we’ll cover the right image sizes for the most commonly used platforms:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X (formerly Twitter)
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Snapchat
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Google Business Profile
  • Threads
  • Bluesky

1. Facebook Image Sizes

With 3.07 billion plus monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social media platform. With such a large viewership, it is very important to use the correct image size when posting new content. This way, your content will look more professional.

Facebook Image Sizes

The details for the right size for Facebook images are as follows:

Facebook Posts

  • Try to upload the image at the highest available quality.

Feed/timeline:

  1. Landscape: 1080 × 566 px (1.91:1)
  2. Vertical: 1080 × 1359 px (4:5)
  3. Square: 1080 × 1080 px (1:1)
  • Carousel options range from 2 to 10 images. (Square 1:1 is a safe choice for consistency.)

Stories

  • Recommended dimension: 1080 × 1920 px
  • Ratio: 9:16
  • Max file size: 30 MB

Video Stories

  • Max duration: (varies by placement; keep short-form vertical)
  • Ratio: 9:16
  • A minimum video width of 500 px is commonly used for story-style placements.

For Facebook Page

Profile Picture

  • Recommended upload: 320 × 320 px
  • Display size (desktop): 176 × 176 px
  • Display size (smartphone): 196 × 196 px

Cover Photo

  • Recommended upload: 851 × 315 px
  • Display size (desktop): 820 × 312 px
  • Display size (smartphone): 640 × 360 px
  • Ideal file size: < 100 KB

Cover Videos

  • The allowed video length is 20-90 seconds.
  • The video dimension should be 820 x 462 px.

Panorama Photos

  • The maximum file size allowed is 30 MB.
  • The ratio should be 2:1.
  • The recommended dimension is 30,000 Px for any direction.
  • The overall size should be less than 135,000 px.

For Facebook Event Cover Photos

  • Optimal Dimensions: 1920 x 1005 pixels.
  • Minimum Size: 1200 x 628 pixels (lower quality).
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Keep important text/logo centered to handle cropping.

For Facebook Ads

  • Feed ad: 1440 × 1440 (1:1) or 1440 × 1800 (4:5), with a minimum of 600 × 600 and a max of 30 MB.
  • Facebook Search: at least 1080 × 1080, ratio 1.91:1 to 1:1, max 30MB.
  • Right column (desktop): at least 1080 × 1080, ratio 1:1.
  • Facebook Marketplace image ads: 1080 x 1080 px. The ratio should be 1.91:1 to 1:1. The maximum file size allowed is 30 MB.
  • Right Column Ads: 1080 x 1080 px. The ratio should be 1:1. This feature is available only on desktop.
  • Messenger Stories Ads: 1080 x 1080 px at a 9:16 aspect ratio.

Pro Tip: If you want one creative to “fit everywhere,” design square (1:1) first, then crop vertical (4:5) and Stories (9:16).

2. Instagram Image Sizes

Instagram is an aesthetic, image-first platform, so sizing matters. On social media, knowing the right image size is essential. So, you can avoid the last-minute hassle and make your Instagram photos look professional.

Instagram supports horizontal, vertical, and square images.

Instagram Image Sizes

The right sizes for images, videos, stories, or thumbnails to post on Instagram are as follows;

Profile Picture

  • Recommended dimension: 320 × 320 px

Instagram Stories and Stories Ads

  • The recommended dimensions for Instagram Stories are 1080 x 1920 px.
  • Instagram Stories ads: 1440 x 2560 pixels
  • The right ratio is 9:16.
  • The maximum file size allowed is 30 MB.

According to Instagram’s official guidelines, leave approximately 14% (250 pixels) at the top and 20% (340 pixels) at the bottom of the image. It is done to prevent them from being covered by a profile picture or a call to action.

Instagram Reels

  • Recommended size: 1080 × 1920 px (feed) and ratio 9:16.
  • Grid view can be cropped differently (commonly to 1080 × 1440) at a 3:4 ratio.

If you create Reels covers, design them so the “grid crop” still looks good (centered subject + minimal edge text).

link Also Read: A step-by-step guide to learn how to manage multiple Instagram accounts.

Instagram Posts and Image Ads

  • Landscape image: 1080 x 566 pixels (feed) or 1012 x 1350 (grid)
  • Vertical image: 1080 x 1350 pixels (feed) or 1012 x 1350 (grid)
  • Square image: 1080 x 1080 pixels (feed) or 1012 x 1350 (grid)
  • Carousel images: 1080 x 1350 pixels (feed) or 1012 x 1350 (grid)
  • Ratios: 1.91:1 (landscape), 1:1 (square), 4:5 (vertical)
  • The minimum width is 500 px.
  • The minimum height is 400 px.

Instagram Thumbnails

  • Thumbnails can display around 161 × 201 px in grid contexts; upload at 1080px width for best quality.
Try this: Use SocialBu’s drag-and-drop calendar view to plan your IG feed and schedule content in advance.

3. X (formerly Twitter) Image Sizes

X (Twitter) comes among the top social media platforms. It has about 346 million monthly active users. Generally, people share their opinions on Twitter. And tweets have a 280-character limitation. To convey more, users have to create images or Twitter threads.

X (formerly Twitter) Image Sizes

Twitter image size guideline is as follows:

For X Profile

  • Profile picture: 400 × 400 px
  • Cover/header: 1500 × 500 px
  • The maximum allowed file size is 2 MB.
  • Recommended file type: JPG, GIF, or PNG

Posts (Images in the feed)

  • Landscape images: 1280 x 720 pixels
  • Minimum: 600 × 335 pixels
  • Square images: 1080 × 1080 pixels
  • Vertical images: 720 x 1280 pixels
  • Max images per post: 4 images

X Cards / Link Preview Images

  • Keep a standard safe ratio, such as 1.91:1 (common across multiple platforms), for link-preview-style images.
  • The right dimension for the summary card is 120 x 120 px.
  • For the summary card with a large image, the maximum dimensions are 4096 x 4096 px.
  • For the website card: 800 x 320 px.
  • For the player card: 262 x 262 px or 359 x 196 px. For this, the correct aspect ratio is 16:9.

X Ads Image Sizes (High-level, keep as flexible)

  • Standalone image ad sizes: 1200 x 1200 pixels (1:1) or 1200 x 628 pixels (1.91:1).
  • Website Card image, App images, or Polls: 800 x 418 px with a ratio of 1.91:1. or 800 x 800 px with a ratio of 1:1.
  • Image Ad with Conversation buttons: 800 x 418 px. The right ratio is 1.91:1. The maximum file size allowed is 3 MB.
  • Carousels image Ads: 800 x 418 px (1.91:1) and 800 x 800 px (1:1). For 2-6 image cards, the maximum allowed file size is 20 MB.

4. LinkedIn Image Sizes

LinkedIn is the best platform for job recruitment and growing your professional network. This makes it even more important to use the right image size when posting here.

LinkedIn Image Sizes

LinkedIn image size guideline is as follows;

For LinkedIn Profile

Profile Picture

  • Recommended: 400 × 400 px or larger
  • Max: 7680 × 4320 px
  • Max file size: 8 MB

Cover Image

  • Recommended: 1584 × 396 px
  • Ratio: 4:1

For LinkedIn Posts

  • Blog post / shared link image: 1200 × 627 px (1.91:1)
  • Video Post Images: The recommended image dimensions are 256 x 144 px and 4096 x 2304 px.

For LinkedIn Business Pages

  • Profile picture or logo of the business page is 300 x 300 px.
  • Company logo: 400 × 400 px
  • Page cover: 1128 × 191 px
  • Life tab main image: 1128 × 376 px
  • Life tab custom module: 502 × 282 px
  • Life tab company images: 900 × 600 px

LinkedIn Ads Image Sizes

  • Landscape: 1200 × 628 px (File size 5 MB).
  • Square: 1200 × 1200 px (File size 5 MB).
  • Vertical (mobile): 720 × 900 px (File size 5 MB).
  • Carousel: 1080 × 1080 px with a ratio of 1:1, 2–10 images. The maximum file size is 10 MB. 

LinkedIn crops differently on mobile vs desktop, so preview both before finalizing cover images.

link Check out: Best Times to Post on LinkedIn to know the best time slots to post on the platform and get maximum engagement.

5. TikTok Image Sizes

TikTok is a popular social media platform that has grown rapidly in recent years. The platform has become a hub for short-form videos, with users creating and sharing content on a wide range of topics. 

TikTok Image Sizes

 

The recommended image sizes help ensure your visuals look crisp and clear on TikTok. Using the right aspect ratios for each content type is also important for the feed layout.

Profile Photo

  • Recommended: 200 × 200 px
  • Minimum: 20 × 20 px

Posts (Photo-based content/creatives)

  • Landscape posts: 1920 × 1080 px
  • Portrait posts: 1080 × 1920 px
  • Square posts: 1080 × 1080 px

Stories

  • Recommended: 1080 × 1920 px

Carousels

  • Recommended dimensions: 1080 x 1920 with an aspect ratio of 9:16. 

Ads

  • Landscape video ads: 1920 × 1080 px
  • Square ads: 640 × 640 px minimum (1:1)
  • Image ads: vertical 1080 × 1920 is a safe standard
💡 Pro Tip: Design for 9:16 first (1080×1920). You can crop down to square/landscape later without losing core framing.

6. Snapchat Image Sizes

Snapchat remains a highly popular social media platform, especially among younger users. The platform is known for sharing snaps and chatting with friends. This considerable user base makes Snapchat a crucial platform for individuals, brands, and businesses looking to connect with a large, engaged audience. 

Snapchat Image Sizes

Image sizes are important for maintaining high-quality visuals and ensuring content is displayed optimally on Snapchat.

Profile Picture

  • Recommended: 320 × 320 px
  • Maximum file size: 2 MB 
  • Snapchat banner image size: 375 x 278 px (file size 2MB).

Snapchat Stories

  • Recommended: 1080 × 1920 px with an aspect ratio of 9:16.

Snapchat Ads Sizes

  • Single image ads: 1080 × 1920 px (full screen)
  • Video ads: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16 fullscreen)
  • Supported file formats: JPEG and PNG, and the maximum file size is 5 MB. 

Keep text away from edges. Snap UI elements can overlap content.

7. YouTube Image Sizes

YouTube is one of the most popular and widely used social media and video-sharing platforms globally. With over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, YouTube offers a vast and diverse audience, making it an essential platform for individuals, content creators, and businesses to reach and engage with a wide range of viewers. 

YouTube Image Sizes

So, channel branding sizes matter a lot for visual quality and consistency across a YouTube channel, which in turn drives more audience engagement.

Profile Picture

  • Recommended: 800 × 800 px
  • Minimum image size: 98×98 px
  • Displays as a circle, so it’s important to ensure the image’s main content is centered.
  • Maximum file size: 4 MB. 

Cover/Banner Photo

  • Recommended: 2560 × 1440 px (16:9)
  • Safe area for text/logos: 235 x 338 px
  • Minimum dimensions: 2048 x 1152
  • Maximum file size: 6 MB
  • File supported: PNG or GIF

Video Thumbnails

  • Recommended: 1280 × 720 px
  • Minimum width: 640 pixels
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Maximum file size: 2 MB

Podcast Playlist Thumbnail Size

  • Recommended: 1280 × 1280 with an aspect ratio of 1:1.
  • Maximum supported file size: 10 MB. 

YouTube Shorts

Recommended: 1920×1080 px with an aspect ratio of 9:16. 

8. Pinterest Image Sizes

Pinterest is a popular and influential visual discovery and social media platform, with 619 million monthly active users worldwide. These image sizes are important for ensuring high-quality and visually appealing content on Pinterest, which can lead to higher engagement and improved performance for both organic and promoted content.

Pinterest Image Sizes

Profile Picture

  • Recommended: 280 × 280 px
  • Maximum file size: 10 MB
  • Square images work best for profile pictures on Pinterest, as they are displayed as circles. 
  • Profile cover photo: 800 x 450 PX (16:9).

Standard Image Pins

  • Recommended: 1000 × 1500 px
  • Aspect ratio is 2:3 along with 9:16, 3:4, 4:5, and 1:1.
  • Max file size: 20 MB for web and 1 GB for app.

Pinterest Video Pins

  • At least: 1000 x 1000 px or 1000 × 1500 px
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1 to 2:3
  • The recommended video length is 4 seconds to 15 minutes
  • The File types are  MP4, .MOV, .M4V

Carousel Pins

  • 1000 × 1500 px per image (or 1:1 variants)
  • Can include up to 5 images

Story Pins / Idea Pins

  • Recommended: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
  • Can include up to 20 pages with images or videos

Pinterest Ad Pins

  • Recommended image dimension size: 1000 x 1500 pixels and aspect ratio: 2:3 to 1:2.1
  • Maximum file size: 20 MB
💡 Pro Tip: Avoid very long pins; Pinterest can down-rank “overly tall” formats. Stay near 2:3 for the safest performance.

9. Google Business Profile

Local and brick-and-mortar businesses mainly use this platform. Google Business Profile helps businesses:

  • Gain exposure to potential customers.
  • Get leads.
  • Get customer reviews and enhance the business.
  • Organize their review management strategy.

Google Business Profile

There are three types of images commonly used in GBP:

  • Logo
  • Cover photo
  • Business photo

For all these types, Google’s guidelines are:

  • Recommended: 720 × 720 px
  • Minimum: 250 × 250 px
  • Max file size: 5 MB
  • Formats: JPG or PNG
💡 Pro Tip: If you upload slightly higher-quality (but within the file size limit), Google’s compression will still keep it looking crisp across Search/Maps.

10. Threads Image Sizes

Threads is Meta’s text-first social media platform that launched as a companion to Instagram. Because it is closely integrated with Instagram, many of its image guidelines follow similar aspect ratios.

Threads Image Sizes

As Threads continues to grow, more creators and brands are sharing visual posts, memes, and carousel-style content on the platform. Using the right image size ensures your posts appear clearly in the feed without being cropped.

Profile Picture

  • Recommended dimension: 320 x 320 px
  • Format: JPG or PNG

Threads Post Images

Threads supports landscape, square, and vertical images.

Recommended dimensions:

  • Square image: 1080 x 1080 px
  • Landscape image: 1080 x 566 px
  • Portrait image: 1080 x 1350 px
  • Up to 20 images or videos in a single thread

Recommended aspect ratios:

  • 1:1 (square)
  • 1.91:1 (landscape)
  • 4:5 (portrait)

These ratios are similar to those of Instagram feed posts, making it easier to repurpose content across both platforms.

Threads Carousel Posts

Threads also supports multiple images in a single post.

Recommended size:

  • 1080 x 1080 px (square)

Using square images in carousel posts helps maintain consistency across slides.

Video Posts

  • Recommended resolution: 1080 x 1920 px
  • Aspect ratio: 9:16
Try this: If you post regularly on both Instagram and Threads, scheduling content manually can be time-consuming. With SocialBu’s Publishing feature, you can organize your content calendar and publish posts across multiple platforms without switching between different dashboards.

11. Bluesky Image Sizes

Bluesky is an emerging decentralized social media platform gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional microblogging platforms.

Bluesky Image Sizes

Although the platform is still evolving, creators and brands are beginning to use it to share updates, images, and community-driven discussions.

Profile Picture

  • Recommended dimension: 400 x 400 px
  • Aspect ratio: 1:1

Bluesky Banner / Cover Image

  • Recommended dimension: 1500 x 500 px
  • 3:1 aspect ratio on desktop and 4:1 aspect ratio on mobile devices

Post Images

Bluesky allows images in posts, making content more engaging.

Recommended sizes:

  • Square image: 1080 x 1080 px
  • Landscape image: 1600 x 900 px
  • Portrait image: 1080 x 1350 px

Recommended ratios:

  • 1:1 (square)
  • 16:9 (landscape)
  • 4:5 (portrait)

Number of Images

  • Up to 4 images per post

Universal Social Media Image Sizes

Creating unique images for every social media platform can quickly become overwhelming. A simple strategy used by many social media managers is to design three master formats:

Universal Social Media Image Sizes

  • Square (1080 x 1080 px): Works for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Threads.
  • Vertical (1080 x 1920 px): Best for Stories, Reels, TikTok, and Shorts.
  • Landscape (1600 x 900 px): Great for YouTube thumbnails, X posts, and blog previews.

By starting with these three formats, you can easily crop or adjust images for different platforms.

Grow your Social Media Presence with SocialBu

Knowing the correct social media image sizes helps your profiles look more professional and ensures your content appears correctly across different platforms.

However, designing and publishing posts for multiple networks can still be time-consuming.

This is where SocialBu can make your workflow much easier. SocialBu allows you to create, schedule, and publish posts across multiple social media platforms from one dashboard. Instead of manually posting everywhere, you can plan your entire content calendar and keep your social media presence consistent.

With SocialBu, you can:

  • Schedule and publish posts across all the major social media platforms.
  • Track how your posts perform using detailed social media analytics. Understand which posts, formats, and campaigns generate the most engagement to refine your social media strategy.
  • Collaborate with your team easily on social media campaigns. You can manage approvals, assign roles, and collaborate on content creation without needing to switch between multiple tools.
  • Discover and curate content using SocialBu’s content curation tools. Find trending topics and relevant content to share with your audience.
  • Plan and organize all your social media posts in a visual drag-and-drop content calendar so you always know what’s going live and when.
  • Generate high-quality social media content and platform-specific captions using SocialBu AI Content Creation tools

Using the correct social media image sizes is the first step toward creating high-quality content. The next step is to manage and publish that content efficiently.

If you want to simplify how you manage social media, try SocialBu and bring your entire workflow into one place. 

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Final Words

Understanding the correct social media image sizes is essential for keeping your profiles and posts professional across different platforms. When your visuals are properly sized, they appear clear, well-framed, and visually appealing in every feed.

By following the social media image size guidelines above, you can avoid common issues such as awkward cropping, stretching, or pixelation and ensure your content looks polished across all platforms.

Since social media platforms frequently update their requirements, it’s always a good idea to bookmark this guide and check back whenever you’re creating new content.

Now that you know the latest social media image sizes, you’re ready to design and share visuals that truly stand out.

Happy posting and creating! 

Rabiaa Nawaz
Rabiaa Nawaz
Rabiaa creates engaging and informative content at SocialBu that simplifies complex marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes. Rabiaa's dedication to clear communication and strategic content creation makes her a valuable asset to the SocialBu team.

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