You spent an hour on a design. You post it. Instagram crops your logo, Facebook blurs your text, and your LinkedIn banner cuts off in the middle of your tagline. Ouch.
Here’s the thing: every platform has its own rules for image dimensions. Get them right, and your posts look sharp everywhere. Get them wrong, and the algorithm quietly buries your content while your design looks stretched, squished, or sliced.
This guide covers the correct social media image sizes for every major platform in 2026. Bookmark it, save the cheat sheet, and never guess a dimension again.
Skip the memorizing entirely: every size in this guide already exists as a perfectly pre-sized template in our social media templates library. Pick your platform, pick a design, and the dimensions are handled for you.
Social media image sizes at a glance
If you only remember three numbers, make them these:
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait post (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn feeds) | 1080 x 1350 px | 4:5 |
| Square post (safe on every platform) | 1080 x 1080 px | 1:1 |
| Story / Reel / vertical video | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
One more rule of thumb: always design at 1080 pixels wide or more. Platforms shrink big images gracefully. Small images get stretched into a blur.
Instagram image sizes
Instagram went portrait-first. In early 2026, the profile grid switched from squares to a taller 3:4 crop, and Meta now displays 4:5 portrait posts larger than squares in the feed. Taller posts take up more of the screen, so they get more attention. Simple as that.
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait post (recommended) | 1080 x 1350 px | 4:5 |
| Square post | 1080 x 1080 px | 1:1 |
| Landscape post | 1080 x 566 px | 1.91:1 |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Reel | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Carousel | 1080 x 1350 px | 4:5 |
| Profile photo | 320 x 320 px | 1:1 (shown as a circle) |
Instagram story size, explained. Stories and Reels use the full 1080 x 1920 px screen. But the app places your username at the top and buttons at the bottom, so keep text and logos in the middle of the frame. More on safe zones below.
Quick tips for Instagram:
- Design portrait posts with the center square in mind. Your grid crops to 3:4, so anything at the very top or bottom of a 4:5 post may get trimmed on your profile.
- Keep profile photos centered. The circle crop is merciless with corners.
- Upload the highest quality you can. Instagram compresses everything, and a crisp original survives compression better.
Design yours in minutes with ready-made Instagram post templates, Instagram portrait templates, Instagram story templates, and Instagram reel templates. Every one is already the right size.
Facebook image sizes
Facebook supports more formats than any other platform: feed posts, covers, stories, events, and shop pages. That’s a lot of numbers, so here they are in one place.
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Feed post (portrait, recommended) | 1080 x 1350 px | 4:5 |
| Feed post (square) | 1080 x 1080 px | 1:1 |
| Link preview image | 1200 x 630 px | 1.91:1 |
| Cover photo | 851 x 315 px | 2.7:1 |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Event cover | 1920 x 1005 px | 1.91:1 |
| Profile photo | 320 x 320 px minimum | 1:1 |
The facebook post size question, answered. For regular image posts, 1080 x 1350 px portrait is your best bet. It works beautifully on both Facebook and Instagram, which matters because Meta cross-posts between the two. Design once, publish twice, done.
Watch out for the cover photo. Desktop and mobile crop your Facebook cover differently. Mobile trims the sides, and your profile picture overlaps the bottom left on desktop. Keep your business name, tagline, and any text in the center of the frame.
Grab a head start with Facebook post templates, Facebook cover photo templates, Facebook story templates, and Facebook event image templates. Running a video cover? We have Facebook cover video templates too. And if you sell on the platform, our Facebook Shops cover templates keep your storefront looking sharp.
YouTube image sizes
Your thumbnail is your first impression on YouTube. Viewers decide whether to click in a fraction of a second, and a blurry or badly cropped thumbnail loses that click before your video gets a chance.
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 1280 x 720 px | 16:9 |
| Shorts thumbnail | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Channel art (banner) | 2560 x 1440 px | 16:9 |
| Channel art safe zone | 1546 x 423 px (centered) | – |
| Profile photo | 800 x 800 px | 1:1 |
YouTube thumbnail size rules:
- Stick to 1280 x 720 px with a minimum width of 640 px.
- Keep the file under 2MB. YouTube rejects anything bigger.
- Use JPG, PNG, or GIF.
- Think small. Thumbnails often display tiny in search results, so use bold text (3 to 4 words max), high contrast, and faces with clear expressions.
Channel art is trickier than it looks. The full banner is 2560 x 1440 px, but TVs, desktops, and phones each show a different slice of it. Only the central 1546 x 423 px area is visible on every device. Put your channel name, logo, and upload schedule inside that zone, and treat everything outside it as decoration.
Make thumbnails people actually click with our YouTube thumbnail maker, YouTube Shorts templates, and YouTube channel art maker.
LinkedIn image sizes
LinkedIn is where people size you up professionally, so a stretched banner or pixelated logo costs you more here than anywhere else. The catch: personal profiles and company pages use different dimensions.
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Post image (square) | 1200 x 1200 px | 1:1 |
| Post image (landscape) | 1200 x 627 px | 1.91:1 |
| Personal banner (background) | 1584 x 396 px | 4:1 |
| Company page banner | 1128 x 191 px | 5.9:1 |
| Profile photo | 400 x 400 px | 1:1 |
| Company logo | 400 x 400 px | 1:1 |
LinkedIn banner size, decoded. Your personal background image is a wide 1584 x 396 px strip. Two things to know: your profile photo overlaps the bottom left corner, and mobile crops the banner differently than desktop. Keep text and key visuals in the upper right two-thirds, then check your profile on your phone before you call it done.
Look polished from the first glance with LinkedIn post templates, LinkedIn cover photo templates, and LinkedIn background image templates.
TikTok image sizes
TikTok is vertical or nothing. Content that doesn’t fill the 9:16 frame gets black bars, looks non-native, and reaches fewer people.
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Video cover | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Profile photo | 200 x 200 px | 1:1 |
TikTok cover size tip: your cover displays as a vertical 9:16 image when someone opens the video, but your profile grid crops it. Keep the title text in the center of the frame so it reads well in both places.
Start with TikTok video templates that are sized, animated, and ready to post.
X (Twitter) image sizes
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Post image (landscape) | 1600 x 900 px | 16:9 |
| Post image (square) | 1080 x 1080 px | 1:1 |
| Header (banner) | 1500 x 500 px | 3:1 |
| Profile photo | 400 x 400 px | 1:1 |
Twitter image size in practice: 16:9 landscape displays cleanly in the feed without cropping, and square works well for graphics you reuse across platforms. For your header, remember that your profile photo covers the bottom left corner, so keep that area free of text.
Browse Twitter post templates and Twitter banner templates to get going.
Pinterest, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Tumblr, and Etsy sizes
Rounding out the list, here are the platforms that fly under the radar but still drive real traffic:
| Type | Size | Aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Pinterest pin | 1000 x 1500 px | 2:3 |
| Pinterest profile photo | 165 x 165 px | 1:1 |
| WhatsApp status | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Snapchat geofilter | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Tumblr banner | 3000 x 1055 px | 2.8:1 |
| Tumblr graphic | 540 x 810 px | 2:3 |
| Etsy shop banner (big) | 1200 x 300 px | 4:1 |
Pinterest rewards tall pins, so stick to 2:3. Anything much taller gets cut off in feeds. And if you run a shop, your Etsy banner is prime real estate for announcing sales and new collections.
Templates for all of these are ready and waiting: Pinterest graphics, WhatsApp status images, Snapchat geofilters, Tumblr banners, Tumblr graphics, and Etsy banners.
Safe zones: the part everyone forgets
Correct dimensions get you halfway there. Safe zones get you the rest of the way.
On vertical 9:16 content (Stories, Reels, TikTok, Shorts), the app itself covers parts of your design. Usernames and captions sit at the top. Like buttons, comments, and CTAs sit at the bottom and right edge.
The rule: keep all text, logos, and anything important out of the top 250 px and the bottom 350 px of your vertical designs. Treat the middle of the frame as your stage and the edges as backstage.
5 quick rules that apply everywhere
- Go big, never small. Upload at least 1080 px wide. Platforms shrink images cleanly but enlarge them badly.
- JPG for photos, PNG for text and logos. JPG keeps file sizes small. PNG keeps edges and small text crisp.
- One design does not fit all. A perfect Instagram story becomes a disaster as a Twitter header. Resize for each platform (more on the easy way below).
- Check your work on mobile. Over 80 percent of social traffic is mobile. If it looks good on your phone, you’re golden.
- Center the important stuff. Crops change across devices, feeds, and grids. What lives in the center survives.
The easy way: skip the pixel math entirely
Here’s a little secret. You don’t actually need to memorize any of this.
Every template in our social media templates library is pre-sized to the exact specs above. Pick your platform, customize a design, and download. No rulers, no calculators, no cropped logos.
Need the same design in five sizes? Make it once, then resize it for every platform in a couple of clicks. Your Instagram post becomes a story, a Facebook post, and a Pinterest pin without starting over.
And when your designs are ready, publish them without leaving PosterMyWall. Our social media marketing tools let you post directly to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. Want to plan ahead? Use the Content Planner to schedule a whole month of perfectly sized posts from one calendar. Design, schedule, publish, and get back to running your business.
FAQs about social media image sizes
What is the best image size for social media in 2026?
1080 x 1350 px (4:5 portrait) is the most versatile single size. It works natively on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn feeds. For Stories, Reels, and TikTok, use 1080 x 1920 px (9:16).
What size is an Instagram story?
1080 x 1920 px with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Keep text away from the top and bottom edges where the app places its buttons.
What is the correct YouTube thumbnail size?
1280 x 720 px with a 16:9 aspect ratio, a minimum width of 640 px, and a file size under 2MB.
What is the Facebook post size?
Use 1080 x 1350 px for portrait posts or 1080 x 1080 px for squares. Link preview images should be 1200 x 630 px.
What is the LinkedIn banner size?
1584 x 396 px for personal profiles and 1128 x 191 px for company pages.
Do social media image sizes change often?
Yes, platforms tweak their layouts every year. Instagram’s 2026 grid update is the latest example. We keep this guide updated, so bookmark it. Or sidestep the problem entirely: our templates update automatically whenever specs change.
What aspect ratios should I know?
Just three cover almost everything: 1:1 (square), 4:5 (portrait feed posts), and 9:16 (vertical video and stories).
Ready to create?
Now you know every size. Time to put them to work.
Browse thousands of free, professionally designed, and perfectly sized social media templates, customize one to match your brand, and publish straight to your channels with our social media marketing tools. Your feeds are about to look very, very good.
