Every social media platform has different image dimensions. Post the wrong size and your carefully designed graphic gets cropped awkwardly, your text gets cut off, or the image looks blurry because the platform upscaled a low-res file.
I maintain this list for my own reference and update it whenever platforms change their specs. Here are the correct image dimensions for every major platform in 2026.
Instagram has the most image formats of any platform. Getting these right matters because Instagram compresses images aggressively — starting with the correct dimensions minimizes quality loss.
- Feed post (square): 1080 × 1080 px
- Feed post (portrait): 1080 × 1350 px — this is the best format for engagement because it takes up more screen real estate in the feed
- Feed post (landscape): 1080 × 566 px
- Story / Reel: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16 ratio)
- Profile picture: 320 × 320 px (displays as circle)
- Carousel: 1080 × 1080 px or 1080 × 1350 px (all slides must be the same ratio)
Pro tip: Always upload at 1080px wide minimum. Instagram downscales anything larger but upscales anything smaller, which adds blur. The sweet spot is exactly 1080px wide.
Use an image resizer with social media presets to nail these dimensions without doing the math yourself.
Facebook compresses images more than any other platform. Upload at higher quality than you think you need.
- Feed post: 1200 × 630 px (1.91:1 ratio) — this is the shared link preview size too
- Square post: 1200 × 1200 px
- Story: 1080 × 1920 px
- Cover photo: 820 × 312 px (desktop) / 640 × 360 px (mobile) — the safe zone that's visible on both is roughly the center 640 × 312 px area
- Profile picture: 176 × 176 px (displays as circle)
- Event cover: 1200 × 628 px
- Group cover: 1640 × 856 px
Pro tip: Facebook converts PNGs to JPEG during upload, so transparent backgrounds become white. If you need transparency, use a platform that supports it or accept the white background.
X (Twitter)
X crops images differently on mobile vs desktop. The safe zone approach matters here.
- Single image in tweet: 1600 × 900 px (16:9) — displays fully without cropping
- Two images: 700 × 800 px each
- Profile picture: 400 × 400 px (displays as circle)
- Header/banner: 1500 × 500 px
- Card image (shared link): 1200 × 628 px
Pro tip: If your image has text or a face, keep important content in the center 60% of the image. X crops from the edges on mobile, and the algorithm sometimes picks an unexpected focal point.
LinkedIn is the most forgiving platform — it doesn't compress as aggressively and displays images closer to their original quality.
- Feed post: 1200 × 627 px (landscape) or 1080 × 1080 px (square)
- Article cover image: 1280 × 720 px
- Profile picture: 400 × 400 px
- Company page cover: 1128 × 191 px
- Personal banner: 1584 × 396 px
- Carousel document: 1080 × 1080 px or 1080 × 1350 px (uploaded as PDF)
Pro tip: LinkedIn carousels (uploaded as PDFs) are the highest-engagement format on the platform right now. Create slides at 1080 × 1350 px for maximum mobile real estate.
TikTok
TikTok is primarily video, but images matter for thumbnails and photo carousel posts.
- Video/photo post: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16)
- Profile picture: 200 × 200 px
- Photo carousel: 1080 × 1920 px per image
Pro tip: TikTok photo carousels (multiple images in one post) are growing fast. Use the full 9:16 vertical format — horizontal images get letterboxed with ugly black bars.
YouTube
- Thumbnail: 1280 × 720 px (16:9) — this is the most important image on YouTube. A good thumbnail is worth more than a good title.
- Channel banner: 2560 × 1440 px (the safe area visible on all devices is the center 1546 × 423 px)
- Profile picture: 800 × 800 px
Pro tip: YouTube thumbnails should be readable at the size of a postage stamp. Use large text (3-5 words max), high contrast colors, and expressive faces. If your thumbnail doesn't pop at 160 × 90 px, redesign it.
Pinterest is uniquely vertical. Wide images perform terribly here.
- Standard pin: 1000 × 1500 px (2:3 ratio) — the optimal ratio for the Pinterest feed
- Long pin: 1000 × 2100 px (maximum recommended)
- Square pin: 1000 × 1000 px
- Profile picture: 280 × 280 px
Pro tip: Pins taller than 2:3 get truncated in the feed. Users have to tap to see the full image. Stick to 2:3 for maximum visibility without requiring interaction.
Quick reference table
| Platform | Best feed size | Stories/Reels | Profile pic | |----------|---------------|---------------|-------------| | Instagram | 1080 × 1350 | 1080 × 1920 | 320 × 320 | | Facebook | 1200 × 630 | 1080 × 1920 | 176 × 176 | | X/Twitter | 1600 × 900 | — | 400 × 400 | | LinkedIn | 1200 × 627 | — | 400 × 400 | | TikTok | 1080 × 1920 | 1080 × 1920 | 200 × 200 | | YouTube | 1280 × 720 (thumb) | — | 800 × 800 | | Pinterest | 1000 × 1500 | — | 280 × 280 |
How to resize images quickly
Rather than opening Photoshop every time, use a browser-based tool:
- Social Media Image Resizer — presets for every platform
- Resize Image — custom dimensions with aspect ratio lock
- Crop Image — crop to specific ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 2:3)
- Bulk Resize Image — process multiple images at once for content batches
I keep the social media resizer bookmarked and use it almost daily. Drop in an image, pick the platform, done. Beats memorizing a table of numbers.
Bookmark this page — I'll update it whenever platforms change their dimensions.