Social Media Image Sizes in 2026: The Short Answer
This page lists the social media image sizes for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Pinterest, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube, Telegram and Mastodon, with aspect ratios, safe zones, file limits and video sizes. Each number was read on the network's own help center or developer documentation on October 11, 2026, and checked again on October 17, 2026.
Three files cover almost every post. Use 1080 x 1350 pixels (a 4:5 portrait) for feeds, 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16) for stories, TikTok and other full screen placements, and 1200 x 630 pixels (1.91:1) for the image that appears when you share a link. Pinterest is the exception: its own spec asks for 1000 x 1500 pixels, a 2:3 shape.
The 4:5 portrait is the standard social media image size because it sits inside every feed's limits. Instagram's image resolution help page keeps photos between 1.91:1 and 3:4 at up to 1080 pixels wide. LinkedIn's photo post requirements accept ratios from 3:1 to 4:5 before cropping. X's help page on posting photos says a single photo between 2:1 and 3:4 displays in full. Meta's aspect ratio best practices recommend 4:5 for a single image in Facebook Feed.
Not every number in a size guide is official. TikTok, Threads and Bluesky publish file limits and almost no design sizes, and only Facebook, LinkedIn and X publish a recommended profile picture size. For those rows, the tables below name the published guide the number comes from: Hootsuite's image sizes guide (dated October 1, 2026), Buffer's image sizes guide (published May 12, 2026) or Sprout Social's image sizes guide.
Instagram Post Size and Image Sizes
Instagram's two official pages disagree by one ratio. The image resolution page in Instagram's Help Center says the app keeps photos up to 1080 pixels wide with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 3:4. The Instagram publishing reference for developers, which scheduling tools rely on, still lists 4:5 as the tallest ratio.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile picture | 320 x 320 | 1:1 | No official size. Hootsuite's guide says Instagram stores the file at 320 x 320 and shows it as a circle. |
| Feed post, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | The safest portrait size. The app accepts it and so do tools that publish through the developer interface. |
| Feed post, tall portrait | 1080 x 1440 | 3:4 | The tallest ratio the app keeps without cropping. A scheduling tool may refuse it, because the developer reference stops at 4:5. |
| Feed post, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Accepted everywhere. It fills less of a phone screen than a portrait post. |
| Feed post, landscape | 1080 x 566 | 1.91:1 | The widest ratio Instagram keeps. Anything wider is cropped to fit. |
| Carousel | 1080 x 1350 per slide | 4:5 | Up to 20 photos and videos in one post, according to Instagram's page on sharing multiple photos. |
| Story | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | The developer reference recommends 9:16 to avoid cropping or blank space. Meta's ads guide asks for 1440 x 2560, the same shape. |
| Reel cover | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | The developer reference says the feed uses the middle square of the cover, so center the title. |
| Profile grid preview | 1012 x 1350 of a portrait post | 3:4 | Hootsuite's guide reports that the grid shows every post with a 3:4 crop. |
Instagram's Help Center lists no cover image and no link preview size. Files wider than 1080 pixels are sized down to 1080, and files narrower than 320 pixels are enlarged to 320.
Facebook Post Size and Image Sizes
Facebook publishes exact numbers for a Page's profile picture and cover photo on its Help Center page about Page image dimensions, and for link images in Meta's developer guide to images in link shares. It publishes no size for an ordinary photo post, so the feed rows use Meta's ads guide for Facebook Feed images, the closest official number.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page profile picture | 320 x 320 | 1:1 | Cropped to a circle. It displays at 176 x 176 on computers and 196 x 196 on smartphones. |
| Page cover photo | 851 x 315 | About 2.7:1 | Facebook shows it at 16:9 on computers and 2.4:1 on mobile, so the edges change by device. Minimum 400 x 150. |
| Feed post, portrait | 1440 x 1800 | 4:5 | Meta's recommended shape for a single image in Facebook Feed. 1080 x 1350 is the same ratio and well above the 600 pixel minimum width. |
| Feed post, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Meta's aspect ratio page says feed placements support both 1:1 and 4:5. |
| Feed post, landscape | 1200 x 630 | 1.91:1 | The same shape as a link preview. It takes the least room on a phone. |
| Story | 1440 x 2560 | 9:16 | From Meta's ads guide for Facebook Stories. 1080 x 1920 is the same ratio. |
| Link preview | 1200 x 630 | 1.91:1 | At least 600 x 315 to get the large preview, 200 x 200 at the very minimum, and no file over 8 MB. |
The link image page was last updated on June 30, 2026. Facebook says a cover photo loads fastest as an sRGB JPG under 100 kilobytes, and that a PNG may look better when the image holds a logo or text.
LinkedIn Post Image Size and Profile Sizes
LinkedIn splits its numbers across three Help pages: image specifications for Pages, photo rules for personal profiles and photo post requirements.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile photo (person) | 400 x 400 or larger | 1:1 | Up to 7680 x 4320 and 8 MB. PNG or JPG. GIFs are not supported. |
| Background photo (person) | 1584 x 396 | 4:1 | The same 8 MB limit and file types as the profile photo. |
| Page logo | 400 x 400 | 1:1 | Minimum 268 x 268. PNG or JPEG up to 3 MB. A transparent logo is shown on a white background. |
| Page cover image | 1512 x 256 | About 5.9:1 | LinkedIn may trim it to fit the screen. Keep key details in the center and away from the lower right corner. |
| Feed photo, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | The tallest shape LinkedIn shows whole. A taller image is centered and cropped to 4:5. |
| Feed photo, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | LinkedIn recommends 1080 pixels wide. The minimum is 552 x 276 and the upload limit is 5 MB. |
| Feed photo, landscape | 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 | Any shape up to 3:1 is accepted. |
| Multi photo post | Up to 20 photos | 4:5 at most | The layout follows the height and orientation of the first image. |
| Document post (carousel) | 1080 x 1350 or 1080 x 1080 pages | 4:5 or 1:1 | LinkedIn sets no pixel size for documents, only a 100 MB and 300 page limit. See the LinkedIn carousel size guide. |
| Vertical image ad | 720 x 900 | 4:5 | From LinkedIn's single image ad specifications. Vertical ads serve on mobile devices only. |
| Link preview | 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 | The image must be wider than 200 pixels, or it shrinks to a thumbnail on the left of the post. |
The Pages specification page was updated about two months before October 11, 2026, and gives 1512 x 256 for the Page cover. Older guides still list 1128 x 191.
X Post Image Size and Profile Sizes
X's Help Center gives file rules on its page about posting photos and GIFs and profile sizes on its profile photo help page. Pixel sizes for post images appear only in X's ad creative specifications, so the feed rows use those. All three pages block automated requests and were read in a browser.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile photo | 400 x 400 | 1:1 | JPEG, GIF or PNG, up to 2 MB. |
| Header photo | 1500 x 500 | 3:1 | Up to 60 pixels at the top and at the bottom can be cropped, depending on the screen and browser. |
| Post image, landscape | 1920 x 1080 | 16:9 | X also lists 2064 x 1080 for the 1.91:1 shape. |
| Post image, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Listed in the ad specifications next to 16:9. |
| Post image, portrait | 1440 x 1800 | 4:5 | One of two shapes X calls newly supported, with 2:3 at 1080 x 1620. A 1080 x 1350 file is the same ratio. |
| Vertical | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | X says a single photo displays in full between 2:1 and 3:4. A 9:16 photo falls outside that range. |
| Photos per post | 1 to 4 | Any | Photos up to 5 MB each. One animated GIF per post, up to 5 MB on mobile and 15 MB on the web. |
| Link preview | 1200 x 630 | 1.91:1 | No official size today. X's old Cards documentation now redirects to a general developer page. 1200 x 630 is Buffer's recommendation. |
TikTok Photo Size and Profile Sizes
TikTok publishes very little for ordinary photo posts. Its Help Center gives one number, the minimum profile photo size. The other official numbers come from TikTok's media guide for developers and from TikTok's carousel ad specifications, last updated in September 2026.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile photo | 200 x 200 | 1:1 | TikTok's only rule is at least 20 x 20 pixels. Hootsuite and Buffer both recommend 200 x 200. |
| Photo post, vertical | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | No official design size. The developer guide caps photos at 1080p, WebP or JPEG, 20 MB each. Hootsuite and Buffer recommend 1080 x 1920. |
| Photo post, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Buffer says 4:5 displays well. Hootsuite notes it may not fill the screen. |
| Photos per post | Up to 35 | Any | From TikTok's photo post reference for developers. |
| Carousel ad, vertical | 720 x 1280 | 9:16 | 2 to 35 images, JPG or PNG. TikTok suggests files of 100 KB or less. |
| Carousel ad, square | 640 x 640 | 1:1 | The same limits as the vertical size. |
| Carousel ad, horizontal | 1200 x 628 | 1.91:1 | The same limits as the vertical size. |
TikTok's Help Center lists no cover image and no link preview size.
Pinterest Pin Size and Profile Sizes
Pinterest keeps every Pin format on one page, its product specs, and the profile cover rule on its page about adding a profile cover.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile picture | 165 x 165 | 1:1 | No official size. Sprout Social and Buffer list 165 x 165, Hootsuite lists 280 x 280. Sprout Social suggests uploading a larger square and letting Pinterest resize it. |
| Profile cover | 800 x 450 or larger | 16:9 | Business accounts only. |
| Standard Pin | 1000 x 1500 | 2:3 | PNG or JPEG. Up to 20 MB on desktop and 32 MB in the app. |
| Square Pin | 1000 x 1000 | 1:1 | 1:1 and 2:3 are the two shapes Pinterest accepts in a carousel of 2 to 5 images. |
| Full screen vertical | 1080 x 1920 | 9:16 | Pinterest's size for full bleed images and video in the Idea ad format. |
| Title and description | 100 and 800 characters | Not applicable | The first 40 characters of the title may show in feeds. Text limits for every network are in our social media character limits table. |
Pinterest's spec page lists no landscape image size. A Pin is its own link preview: the image, the title and the link you attach to it.
Threads Image Size
Threads has no size page in its Help Center. The only official numbers are in Meta's Threads publishing documentation, written for developers.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile picture | 320 x 320 | 1:1 | No official size. Sprout Social and Buffer list 320 x 320, the same as Instagram. Hootsuite lists 640 x 640. |
| Post image, any shape | 320 to 1440 wide | Up to 10:1 | JPEG or PNG, up to 8 MB. Narrower files are scaled up and wider files are scaled down. |
| Post image, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Sprout Social's suggested vertical size. Hootsuite recommends 1440 x 1920, which is 3:4. |
| Post image, square | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | Sprout Social's suggested square size. |
| Carousel | 2 to 20 items | Any | Images, videos or a mix of both. |
| Link preview | 1200 x 600 | 2:1 | No official size. This is Buffer's estimate from how link previews display on Threads. |
Bluesky Image Size
Bluesky publishes limits, not design sizes. The limits live in its open source definitions for images in a post and for the profile record, and in the official Bluesky account's post about version 1.121 from April 22, 2026.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile picture | 400 x 400 to 1000 x 1000 | 1:1 | PNG or JPEG up to 1 MB. Buffer suggests 400 x 400 and Hootsuite suggests 1000 x 1000. |
| Banner | 1500 x 500 to 3000 x 1000 | 3:1 | PNG or JPEG up to 1 MB. Buffer suggests 1500 x 500 and Hootsuite suggests 3000 x 1000. Both are 3:1. |
| Post image, any shape | Up to 4000 x 4000 | Any | Up to 2 MB per image and 4 images per post. |
| Post image, portrait | 1080 x 1350 | 4:5 | Well inside the limits. Hootsuite and Buffer both advise common shapes such as 1:1 and 4:5. |
| Link preview | 1200 x 627 | 1.91:1 | No official size. This is the number in Buffer's cheat sheet. |
Telegram and Mastodon Image Sizes
Neither network publishes a recommended post size, only limits, so any shape from the feed sizes above works. Telegram's limits are in the Telegram Bot API reference, which channel posting tools use. Mastodon's are in its own documentation on posting and on profiles. Both were read on October 17, 2026.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram photo | Width plus height no more than 10000 | Up to 20:1 | Up to 10 MB per photo through the Bot API. A 1080 x 1350 post uses 2430 of the 10000. |
| Telegram album | 2 to 10 items | Any | Photos and videos sent together as one group. |
| Mastodon post image | Downscaled to 8.3 megapixels, enough for 3840 x 2160 | Any | PNG, JPG, HEIF, WEBP or AVIF up to 16 MB, and up to 4 images per post. |
| Mastodon avatar | Downscaled to 400 x 400 | 1:1 | WEBP, PNG, GIF or JPG up to 2 MB. |
| Mastodon header | Downscaled to 1500 x 500 | 3:1 | WEBP, PNG, GIF or JPG up to 2 MB. The same shape as a Bluesky banner or an X header. |
Mastodon's figures are the defaults in its documentation, and each server runs its own copy of the software, so check your server if an upload fails. Through the Bot API, a file sent as a document rather than a photo can be up to 50 MB.
YouTube Thumbnail, Banner and Community Post Sizes
YouTube's numbers come from three YouTube Help pages: custom thumbnails, channel branding and posts.
| Placement | Size in pixels | Aspect ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profile picture | 800 x 800 | 1:1 | YouTube only says the picture renders at 98 x 98 and must stay under 15 MB. 800 x 800 is the size Hootsuite and Buffer recommend. |
| Channel banner | 2560 x 1440 | 16:9 | Minimum 2048 x 1152. Text and logos must sit inside the middle 1235 x 338. 6 MB or smaller. |
| Video thumbnail | 3840 x 2160 | 16:9 | Minimum width 640. Up to 2 MB from a phone and 50 MB from a computer. |
| Shorts thumbnail | 2160 x 3840 | 9:16 | Minimum height 640. Uploaded from YouTube Studio on a computer. |
| Podcast playlist thumbnail | Square | 1:1 | YouTube asks for 1:1 here, not 16:9. Up to 10 MB from a phone. |
| Post image (community post) | 1080 x 1080 | 1:1 | YouTube gives the ratio only, because the feed shows posts as squares. Up to 10 images, 16 MB each, JPG, PNG, GIF or WEBP. |
| Video watermark | 150 x 150 or larger | 1:1 | A square image under 1 MB. |
Many guides still list 1280 x 720 and a 2 MB limit for thumbnails. YouTube's own page now recommends 3840 x 2160.
Video: YouTube on Custom Thumbnails for Shorts
YouTube's own Creator Insider channel announced fully custom Shorts thumbnails in July 2026, the feature behind the Shorts thumbnail row in the table above.
Social Media Image Sizes Cheat Sheet for All Networks
One row per network, width first, in pixels. The feed column is the size that displays whole in that network's feed. Sources, and which numbers are unofficial, are in each network's table above.
| Network | Profile picture | Feed post | Vertical or story | Cover or banner | Link preview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 320 x 320 | 1080 x 1350 | 1080 x 1920 | None | None | |
| 320 x 320 | 1080 x 1350 | 1080 x 1920 | 851 x 315 | 1200 x 630 | |
| 400 x 400 | 1080 x 1350 | 720 x 900 (ads) | 1584 x 396 profile, 1512 x 256 Page | 1200 x 627 | |
| X | 400 x 400 | 1080 x 1350 | 1080 x 1920 | 1500 x 500 | 1200 x 630 |
| TikTok | 200 x 200 | 1080 x 1920 | 1080 x 1920 | None | None |
| 165 x 165 | 1000 x 1500 | 1080 x 1920 | 800 x 450 | The Pin itself | |
| Threads | 320 x 320 | 1080 x 1350 | None | None | 1200 x 600 |
| Bluesky | 400 x 400 | 1080 x 1350 | None | 1500 x 500 | 1200 x 627 |
| YouTube | 800 x 800 | 1080 x 1080 (post) | 2160 x 3840 (Shorts thumbnail) | 2560 x 1440 | 3840 x 2160 (video thumbnail) |
| Telegram | None published | 1080 x 1350 | None published | None | None |
| Mastodon | 400 x 400 | 1080 x 1350 | None | 1500 x 500 | None |
Checked October 11, 2026. Sizes change, so open the network's own page before a large batch of work.
Social Media Banner Sizes and Cover Photo Specs
Banners are the one place where every network uses a different shape, from 16:9 on YouTube to almost 6:1 on a LinkedIn Page. This table puts the banner and cover sizes from the network tables above side by side, with the smallest accepted file and the part that stays visible. The centimeters are our arithmetic for a file printed or laid out at 300 PPI, which answers the question of banner sizes in cm for a print mockup.
| Banner | Size in pixels | Smallest accepted | Keep visible | At 300 PPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube channel banner | 2560 x 1440 | 2048 x 1152 | The middle 1235 x 338 for text and logos | 21.67 x 12.19 cm |
| X header | 1500 x 500 | Not published | Everything except 60 pixels at the top and bottom | 12.7 x 4.23 cm |
| LinkedIn background photo (person) | 1584 x 396 | Not published | Not published | 13.41 x 3.35 cm |
| LinkedIn Page cover | 1512 x 256 | 1512 x 256 | The center, away from the edges and the lower right corner | 12.8 x 2.17 cm |
| Facebook Page cover | 851 x 315 | 400 x 150 | Away from the left side, which the profile picture partly covers | 7.21 x 2.67 cm |
| Bluesky banner | 1500 x 500 to 3000 x 1000 | Not published | Not published. 1 MB file limit | 12.7 x 4.23 cm at 1500 x 500 |
| Mastodon header | Downscaled to 1500 x 500 | Not published | Not published. 2 MB file limit | 12.7 x 4.23 cm |
| Pinterest profile cover | 800 x 450 or larger | 800 x 450 | Not published. Business accounts only | 6.77 x 3.81 cm |
A single social media banner template rarely fits every network, because the shapes run from 3:1 to almost 6:1 plus 16:9. Design one 3:1 file for X, Bluesky and Mastodon, and separate files for LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
Aspect Ratio Versus Pixel Size
An aspect ratio is the shape of the image. The pixel size is how much detail it holds. Networks crop by shape and resize by pixels, which is why the shape matters most. Instagram sizes any wider file down to 1080 pixels, Threads accepts up to 1440, and Meta's ads guide asks for 1440. Pick the shape first, then export at 1080 pixels wide, or 1440 if the same file will also run as an ad.
| Aspect ratio | At 1080 wide | At 1440 wide | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4:5 | 1080 x 1350 | 1440 x 1800 | Feed posts on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads and Bluesky |
| 3:4 | 1080 x 1440 | 1440 x 1920 | The tallest shape the Instagram app keeps, and the tallest single photo X shows in full |
| 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 | 1440 x 1440 | Accepted on every network. YouTube posts, LinkedIn carousel ads, profile pictures |
| 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | 1440 x 2560 | Stories, TikTok, Shorts thumbnails, Pinterest full screen formats |
| 2:3 | 1080 x 1620 | 1440 x 2160 | Pinterest Pins (published as 1000 x 1500) and X ads |
| 1.91:1 | 1080 x 566 | 1440 x 754 | Link previews (published as 1200 x 630) and landscape feed posts |
| 16:9 | 1080 x 608 | 1440 x 810 | YouTube thumbnails and banners, landscape posts on X (published as 1920 x 1080) |
Do not enlarge a small image to reach these sizes. LinkedIn's photo page warns that small, low resolution photos may appear in low quality.
How to Resize Images for Social Media Without Stretching Them
Resizing for a network is two jobs: cropping to the right shape, then scaling to the right number of pixels. Doing them in that order is what keeps faces and text from stretching. The same steps answer how to size an image for an Instagram post or a Facebook post.
- Step 1
Pick the Shape From the Tables Above
Decide the aspect ratio first: 4:5 for a feed post, 9:16 for a story or TikTok, 1.91:1 for a link preview, 2:3 for a Pin. For an Instagram or Facebook post, 1080 x 1350 is the size that displays whole in both feeds.
- Step 2
Crop to That Shape Before You Scale
A photo from a phone camera is usually 3:4 or 9:16, so it needs a crop to become 4:5. Crop with the ratio locked, keeping the subject and any text in the middle of the frame, away from the safe zones listed above.
- Step 3
Scale to the Width the Network Uses
On a Mac, Apple's Preview guide describes Tools, then Adjust Size, with an option to scale proportionally so one number sets the other. Set the width to 1080, or 1440 if the same file will run as an ad. Scaling down is safe, while scaling up a small photo softens it.
- Step 4
Or Start the Design at the Final Size in Canva
Canva's help page on designing from scratch describes Custom size on the homepage, where you choose pixels as the unit and type the width and height. Canva accepts custom sizes from 40 x 40 up to 8000 x 3125 pixels, so every feed, story and banner size on this page fits. To resize an existing design, the same page suggests locking the aspect ratio so the other side follows.
- Step 5
Export JPG or PNG and Check the Size Once
JPG and PNG work on every network in this guide. Check the exported file's pixel size before a large batch of posts, since an export setting at 2x or 0.5x changes it without any warning.
Safe Zones: What Each Network Covers or Crops
A safe zone is the part of the image no button, caption or crop will touch. These are the ones the networks document.
| Placement | Keep clear | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram and Facebook Stories | The top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent on each side. On a 1080 x 1920 file that is about 269, 672 and 65 pixels. | Meta's ads guide for Instagram Stories |
| Instagram profile grid | The outer 34 pixels on each side of a 1080 x 1350 post, because the grid shows the middle 1012 pixels. | Hootsuite's image sizes guide |
| Facebook Page cover | The left side, which the profile picture partly covers. On mobile the picture overlaps the cover by about 40 pixels. | Facebook's Page image dimensions page |
| LinkedIn Page cover | The edges, and the lower right corner most of all. | LinkedIn's image specifications for Pages |
| X header | 60 pixels at the top and 60 at the bottom. | X's profile photo help page |
| YouTube banner | Everything outside the middle 1235 x 338 of a 2048 x 1152 banner. | YouTube's channel branding page |
| Profile pictures | The corners. Facebook crops the picture to a circle, and Hootsuite notes the same for Instagram, Threads and Bluesky. | Facebook's Page image dimensions page |
File Formats and File Size Limits
JPG and PNG work on every network in this guide. The limits differ a lot, and Bluesky's is the tightest. LinkedIn's full list is on its page of supported media file types.
| Network | Image formats | File size limit |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG when publishing through the developer interface | 8 MB through the developer interface. The app's help page gives no file limit. | |
| JPG or PNG | 30 MB for a feed image ad, 8 MB for a link image | |
| JPEG, PNG, GIF and WEBP in posts. PNG or JPEG for profile and Page images | 5 MB for a photo post, 8 MB for profile images, 3 MB for Page images, 36 megapixels at most | |
| X | GIF, JPEG or PNG. No BMP or TIFF | 5 MB per photo, 2 MB for a profile photo, 15 MB for an animated GIF on the web |
| TikTok | WebP or JPEG for photo posts, JPG or PNG for carousel ads | 20 MB per photo |
| PNG or JPEG | 20 MB on desktop, 32 MB in the app | |
| Threads | JPEG or PNG | 8 MB |
| Bluesky | PNG or JPEG for profile images, any image type in posts | 2 MB per post image, 1 MB for the profile picture and the banner |
| YouTube | JPG or PNG for thumbnails. JPG, PNG, GIF or WEBP for posts | 16 MB per post image, 6 MB for the banner, 50 MB for a thumbnail from a computer |
Each limit comes from the page linked in that network's table above.
Social Media Video Sizes for Reels, TikTok, Shorts and Feeds
Video sizes are set the same way as image sizes: a shape first, then a pixel range. Every network below accepts a vertical 9:16 file, so 1080 x 1920 pixels is the one video size that works everywhere, and 1440 x 2560 is the same shape for ads. The limits come from each network's own help or developer pages, read on October 17, 2026.
| Network | Shape and size | Length | File and frame limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | 9:16. Meta's Reels ad specs recommend 1440 x 2560, and the developer reference caps the width at 1920 pixels. | 3 seconds to 15 minutes through the developer interface | MOV or MP4, up to 300 MB through the developer interface, 23 to 60 frames per second. |
| TikTok | 9:16 fills the screen. TikTok's media guide for developers accepts 360 to 4096 pixels on each side. | 3 minutes for every creator, and 5 or 10 minutes for some | MP4, WebM or MOV, up to 4 GB, 23 to 60 frames per second. |
| YouTube Shorts | Square or vertical. YouTube's page on three minute Shorts gives the shape and the length, not a pixel size. | Up to 3 minutes counts as a Short, for videos uploaded from October 15, 2024 | A wider shape such as 16:9 keeps a video out of Shorts. |
| From 1:2.4 to 2.4:1, at 256 x 144 up to 4096 x 2304 pixels, per LinkedIn's video requirements. | 3 seconds (2 in the app) to 15 minutes | 75 KB to 5 GB, 10 to 60 frames per second. Keep text away from every edge. | |
| Threads | Up to 1920 pixels wide, any shape up to 10:1. 9:16 is recommended to avoid cropping or blank space. | Up to 5 minutes | MOV or MP4, up to 1 GB, 23 to 60 frames per second. |
| Shorter than 1:2 and taller than 1.91:1. Pinterest recommends square or vertical: 1:1, 2:3, 4:5 or 9:16. | 4 seconds to 15 minutes, with 6 to 15 seconds suggested for ads | MP4, MOV or M4V in H.264 or H.265, up to 2 GB. |
Reels ads also use the stories safe zone: keep the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent on each side free of text and logos. Threads and Pinterest figures come from the pages linked in their image tables above.
Social Media Post Size in Inches
Every size on the networks' own pages is given in pixels, and none of those pages mentions inches. A pixel has no fixed physical size, so the size in inches depends on the resolution you print or measure at: divide the pixels by the pixels per inch (PPI). A 1080 x 1350 post is 15 x 18.75 inches at 72 PPI and 3.6 x 4.5 inches at 300 PPI. Ask your printer which resolution they want before you pick a column.
| Image | Pixels | At 72 PPI | At 96 PPI | At 150 PPI | At 300 PPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait feed post | 1080 x 1350 | 15 x 18.75 in | 11.25 x 14.06 in | 7.2 x 9 in | 3.6 x 4.5 in |
| Tall portrait post | 1080 x 1440 | 15 x 20 in | 11.25 x 15 in | 7.2 x 9.6 in | 3.6 x 4.8 in |
| Square post | 1080 x 1080 | 15 x 15 in | 11.25 x 11.25 in | 7.2 x 7.2 in | 3.6 x 3.6 in |
| Story or TikTok photo | 1080 x 1920 | 15 x 26.67 in | 11.25 x 20 in | 7.2 x 12.8 in | 3.6 x 6.4 in |
| Link preview | 1200 x 630 | 16.67 x 8.75 in | 12.5 x 6.56 in | 8 x 4.2 in | 4 x 2.1 in |
| Pinterest Pin | 1000 x 1500 | 13.89 x 20.83 in | 10.42 x 15.63 in | 6.67 x 10 in | 3.33 x 5 in |
| X header | 1500 x 500 | 20.83 x 6.94 in | 15.63 x 5.21 in | 10 x 3.33 in | 5 x 1.67 in |
| LinkedIn background photo | 1584 x 396 | 22 x 5.5 in | 16.5 x 4.13 in | 10.56 x 2.64 in | 5.28 x 1.32 in |
| YouTube banner | 2560 x 1440 | 35.56 x 20 in | 26.67 x 15 in | 17.07 x 9.6 in | 8.53 x 4.8 in |
| Profile picture | 400 x 400 | 5.56 x 5.56 in | 4.17 x 4.17 in | 2.67 x 2.67 in | 1.33 x 1.33 in |
Inches are rounded to two decimals. To go the other way, multiply inches by PPI: a 4 x 5 inch print at 300 PPI needs 1200 x 1500 pixels. For a social media post size in mm, multiply the inches by 25.4: a 1080 x 1350 post at 300 PPI is 91.4 x 114.3 mm, and a 1080 x 1080 post is 91.4 mm a side.
What Changed in Social Media Image Sizes Recently
Instagram went taller. Its help page now gives 3:4 as the tallest supported shape, a 1080 pixel wide photo up to 1440 pixels high. Guides written earlier quote 4:5 and 1350 pixels, and Instagram's developer reference still does, so a 1080 x 1440 upload can work in the app and fail in a scheduling tool. Hootsuite's guide adds that the profile grid shows posts with a 3:4 crop, which trims the sides of a 4:5 post and the sides of a square post even further.
LinkedIn's Page cover is now 1512 x 256 pixels on LinkedIn's own specification page. Several current guides, including Hootsuite's and Buffer's, still print 1128 x 191. If your company Page cover looks soft or badly cropped, this is the first number to check.
YouTube raised its thumbnail recommendation to 3840 x 2160 pixels for videos and 2160 x 3840 for Shorts, with a 50 MB limit when you upload from a computer. The 1280 x 720 and 2 MB figures in older cheat sheets are no longer what YouTube's page says, although 2 MB still applies to uploads from a phone.
Bluesky doubled its image file limit to 2 MB and its resolution limit to 4000 x 4000 pixels in version 1.121, announced on April 22, 2026. The same release shows posts with several photos as a carousel. Guides that still say 1 MB per image predate it.
X added 4:5 and 2:3 to the shapes in its ad specifications, and its old Cards documentation, where the link preview size used to live, no longer exists as a page. TikTok's carousel ad specifications were last updated in September 2026.
Pinterest now tints some Pins. Its specs page says a faint layer is added to image Pins with white or black backgrounds in the home feed: black at 4 percent opacity over white Pins in light mode, and white at 10 percent over black Pins in dark mode. The same page says every upload is converted to an 8 bit RGB JPEG and recommends uploading PNG in sRGB to avoid losing quality.
YouTube also treats thumbnails on vertical videos differently. Its thumbnail help page says a vertical video with a 16:9 custom thumbnail gets an automatically generated 4:5 thumbnail on the home, explore and subscription pages, while the custom one still shows in the watch feed, in watch history and on computers.
Four Sizing Mistakes That Crop or Blur a Post
Each of these follows directly from the rules above.
Designing Square Out of Habit
A 1080 x 1080 post is accepted everywhere, but a 1080 x 1350 post is 25 percent taller on the same screen and is still inside the limits of Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads and Bluesky. Square is the right default only for YouTube posts and LinkedIn carousel ads.
Putting Text at the Edge
Stories lose the top 14 percent and the bottom 35 percent to buttons and captions, the Instagram grid trims the sides, and every profile picture loses its corners. Keep the headline, the logo and any price in the middle of the frame.
Using One Landscape Image Everywhere
A 1200 x 630 image is right for a link preview and takes the least room of any shape in a phone feed. Make the landscape file for links and a separate portrait file for posts. The same goes for app screenshots, which have their own sizes in the App Store screenshot sizes guide.
Trusting an Old Cheat Sheet
Three official numbers on this page differ from what several current cheat sheets print: the LinkedIn Page cover, the YouTube thumbnail and the Bluesky file limit. When a number matters, open the network's own page. The date at the top of this page is the day each one was checked.
How Spreadcast Sizes Posts for an App
Spreadcast is app marketing automation for social media. You paste your App Store link at the start page, it checks the public listing every day, and each app update, 5 star review and rating milestone becomes a designed post. Every post is a 1080 x 1350 still image, the 4:5 size from the tables above, built from the app's own icon, screenshots and colors.
It publishes to eleven networks: Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, Threads, Pinterest, Bluesky, Mastodon, Telegram and Discord, plus YouTube for video posts, with a separate caption for each. On the Free plan you download the post drafts yourself. Pro, at $29 a month, publishes them for you. Plans are on the pricing page.
If you make posts by hand, the related guides may help: how to promote an app on social media, which network to post on, LinkedIn carousel examples and the creative teardowns. For single networks there are the Instagram post generator, the LinkedIn post generator and the Pinterest pin generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best image size for all social media platforms?
1080 x 1350 pixels, a 4:5 portrait. It displays whole in the feeds of Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads and Bluesky. Make a second file at 1080 x 1920 for stories and TikTok, and a third at 1200 x 630 for link previews. Pinterest prefers 1000 x 1500, according to Pinterest's product specs.
What is the Instagram post size in pixels?
1080 pixels wide. Instagram's help page keeps heights from 566 pixels (1.91:1 landscape) to 1440 pixels (3:4 portrait). 1080 x 1350 is the portrait size that also works in scheduling tools, because Instagram's developer reference still stops at 4:5. A square post is 1080 x 1080.
What is the LinkedIn post image size?
LinkedIn recommends 1080 pixels wide and accepts shapes from 3:1 to 4:5, so 1080 x 1350 is the tallest post that is not cropped. The minimum is 552 x 276 pixels and the file limit is 5 MB. A link preview image is 1200 x 627. For documents, see the LinkedIn carousel size guide.
What is the Facebook post size?
Facebook publishes no size for an ordinary photo post. Meta's ads guide recommends 4:5 at 1440 x 1800 pixels for a single image in Facebook Feed, and 1080 x 1350 is the same shape. A link preview is 1200 x 630, a Page cover photo is 851 x 315 and a Page profile picture should be 320 x 320.
What size should a social media profile picture be in pixels?
A 400 x 400 square covers the official numbers: LinkedIn asks for at least 400 x 400, X recommends 400 x 400 and Facebook recommends 320 x 320. Instagram, Threads, Pinterest, TikTok and Bluesky publish no recommended size. Keep the subject in the center, because most networks show the picture as a circle, and stay under 1 MB so Bluesky accepts the same file.
What is the social media post size in inches?
It depends on the resolution, because a pixel has no fixed size. Divide the pixels by the pixels per inch. A 1080 x 1350 post is 15 x 18.75 inches at 72 PPI, 7.2 x 9 inches at 150 PPI and 3.6 x 4.5 inches at 300 PPI. The networks' own pages give sizes in pixels only.
What is the TikTok photo size?
TikTok publishes no design size for photo posts. TikTok's media guide for developers caps photos at 1080p and 20 MB each, in WebP or JPEG, and a photo post can hold up to 35 photos. Hootsuite and Buffer both recommend 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16) so the photo fills the screen.
Do I need a different image for every social network?
No. One 1080 x 1350 file works in six feeds. You need a 9:16 version for stories and TikTok, a 2:3 version if Pinterest matters to you, and a 1.91:1 image for link previews. Check that nothing important sits in the outer edges, since each network trims a different part.
Where These Facts Come From
Every outside number, rule and price on this page links to the page it was taken from.
- Image resolution of photos you share on InstagramInstagram Help Center
- Share a post with multiple photos or videos on InstagramInstagram Help Center
- Instagram publishing reference, image and video specificationsMeta for Developers
- Image ad specs for Facebook FeedMeta Ads Guide
- Image ad specs for Facebook StoriesMeta Ads Guide
- Image ad specs for Instagram StoriesMeta Ads Guide
- Best practices for aspect ratiosMeta Business Help Center
- Facebook Page profile picture and cover photo dimensionsFacebook Help Center
- Images in link sharesMeta for Developers
- Image specifications for LinkedIn Pages and Career PagesLinkedIn Help
- Photo won't upload to your profileLinkedIn Help
- Share photos on LinkedInLinkedIn Help
- Upload and share documents on LinkedInLinkedIn Help
- Media file types supported on LinkedInLinkedIn Help
- Single image ads advertising specificationsLinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help
- How to post photos or GIFs on XX Help Center
- Help with uploading a profile photoX Help Center
- X Ads creative specsX Help Center
- Adding a profile photoTikTok Support
- Content Posting API media transfer guideTikTok for Developers
- Content Posting API photo post referenceTikTok for Developers
- Specifications for Carousel AdsTikTok Business Help Center
- Pinterest product specsPinterest Business Help
- Add a profile coverPinterest Business Help
- Threads posts, image and video specificationsMeta for Developers
- Definition of images embedded in a Bluesky postBluesky on GitHub
- Definition of a Bluesky profile recordBluesky on GitHub
- Bluesky version 1.121 announcementBluesky
- Add video and Shorts thumbnails on YouTubeYouTube Help
- Telegram Bot API, sendPhoto and sendMediaGroup limitsTelegram
- Posting toots, attachmentsMastodon documentation
- Setting up your profile, avatar and headerMastodon documentation
- Design from scratch, custom dimensionsCanva Help Center
- Crop, resize, or rotate an image in Preview on MacApple Support
- Manage your channel brandingYouTube Help
- Create posts on YouTubeYouTube Help
- Social media image sizes for all networksHootsuite
- Social media image sizes in 2026Buffer
- Always up to date guide to social media image sizesSprout Social
- Video ad specs for Instagram ReelsMeta Ads Guide
- Video sharing troubleshooting, video file requirementsLinkedIn Help
- Understand three minute YouTube ShortsYouTube Help
- Video: custom Shorts thumbnails announcedCreator Insider
Researched and written by Spreadcast. Last checked on October 17, 2026.