Social media image sizes
Also called ad sizes, social media image dimensions, social media sizes
What are social media image sizes?
Social media image sizes are the pixel dimensions and aspect ratios each platform recommends for posts, stories, ads, headers and link previews. Common ones are 1080×1080 (1:1) and 1080×1350 (4:5) for feed posts, 1080×1920 (9:16) for stories and reels, and 1200×630 (about 1.91:1) for link and ad images.
Platforms accept other sizes but crop or shrink them to fit, which can cut off text or a logo. Profile headers are the trickiest, because they display differently on desktop and phone and are partly covered by the profile picture, so you need a safe zone for anything important.
These values change. Instagram, for example, moved its profile grid to taller 3:4 previews in 2025. The table below lists widely published sizes as of 2026; check each platform's help pages before a big campaign.
Why What are social media image sizes matters
The right size makes a post look native and sharp. The wrong one gets cropped, blurred or surrounded by empty bars, which looks careless and can hide your headline or call to action.
Ads placed across several platforms need several sizes of the same creative. Planning for them up front saves redesigning each one later.
How to choose the right social media image size
- Decide where the image will appear: feed, story, ad placement, header or link preview.
- Use the recommended aspect ratio first, then the recommended pixel size (higher is fine, lower looks soft).
- Keep text and logos away from the edges and from areas covered by buttons or profile pictures.
- Export as PNG for text-heavy graphics and JPG for photos, within the platform's file size limit.
- Preview on a phone before posting.
Social media image sizes example
Instagram feed 1080 × 1080 (1:1), 1080 × 1350 (4:5), 1080 × 1440 (3:4)
Stories / Reels 1080 × 1920 (9:16)
TikTok / Shorts 1080 × 1920 (9:16)
Link / ad image 1200 × 628 or 1200 × 630 (about 1.91:1)
YouTube thumbnail 1280 × 720 (16:9)
Facebook cover 851 × 315 minimum upload
LinkedIn banner 1584 × 396 (4:1)
X header 1500 × 500 (3:1)Social media image sizes FAQ
What is the best image size for all social media?
No single size fits everywhere. A 1080×1350 (4:5) image works well in most feeds, but stories need 9:16 and link previews need about 1.91:1, so plan a few versions.
What size should ad images be?
For Meta feed ads, 1080×1080 or 1080×1350; for stories and reels, 1080×1920; for link-style ads on Facebook and LinkedIn, 1200×628. Upload the largest recommended size so ads stay sharp.
Related terms
Aspect ratio is the shape of an image or video, written as width to height, such as 16:9 for widescreen or 9:16 for vertical video.
The Instagram post size is 1080 px wide, at 1080×1080 (square), 1080×1350 (portrait 4:5) or 1080×1440 (3:4); portrait fills the most screen.
The Instagram story size is 1080×1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical frame. Keep text and buttons out of the top and bottom edges, where the app overlays UI.
An Open Graph image is the picture shown when a link is shared on social media or in chat apps, set with the og:image tag. Use 1200×630 pixels.
A safe zone is the area of a video or image where text and key content will not be hidden by platform buttons, captions or cropping.
A banner ad is a rectangular image or animated ad shown on websites and apps, in standard sizes like 300×250, 728×90 and 320×50.