The Practical Guide to Social Media Image Sizes
From Facebook to TikTok, all the social media image sizes you need to know.
In the vast expanse of social media, there's a universal truth that every content creator has faced: the exasperating challenge of adapting images to fit the unique dimensions demanded by each platform. It's the digital puzzle that has left many of us scratching our heads and questioning; Why does every social media platform have to have different image size requirements?
Just to annoy the heck out of us. At least that’s how it feels.
Enter, The Practical Guide to Social Media Image Sizes — your refuge from the headache-inducing world of inconsistent requirements. From the seemingly capricious demands of Facebook to the ever-shifting sands of TikTok, this guide is your antidote to the frustration of playing the resizing game.
In a digital landscape where every pixel seems to march to its own drum, I’m here to help make sense of it all. Because let's face it, the annoyance of varied image requirements is a sentiment we all share. So, let’s conquer the social media image size conundrum together.
I am going to keep this article pretty short and concise for you.
Here are the links to quickly get to the image size you need.
Why it’s important to get your social image sizes right.
Before we dive into it, I want to make sure you understand why it is important to know and prepare the right image sizes for your social media.
There are three main reasons to make sure you use proper image sizing on your socials – Convey professionalism, provide a great user experience, and improve your SEO.
Professionalism: Consistency is the bedrock of a strong online presence. Whether you're a business, an influencer, or an individual sharing your passions, adhering to the correct image sizes conveys professionalism and a level of attention to detail that your audience will appreciate. We have talked about it before, consistency in branding leads to trust from customers.
User Experience: You want your audience to not only be able to find you online, but clearly understand your message and what you have to offer. Put yourself in their shoes. If you came across a promotion in your feed that was cropped weird or super pixelated are you going to spend much time trying to figure out what is being offered? No, you’re gonna scroll right on by. Making sure you know what image size you are creating for won’t only give your audience a better experience, but it will save you time from having to recreate your message over and over again.
SEO: Yes, posting the right image size can improve your SEO. When your images align with the prescribed dimensions, you're sending a signal of coherence that search engines reward. It's a subtle but effective way to enhance your discoverability and visibility in the vast sea of online content.
Now, let’s get to what you came here for.
GOOGLE MY BUSINESS
If you run any kind of business it is imperative to get verified with Google and complete your business profile with photos and videos. You can check out their full guidelines here.
Logo
Format: PNG, JPG, or SVG: Square ratio is best
File Size: 10 KB - 5 MB
Recommended Size: 250 x 250 pixels (Min 120 x 120 pixels, Max 5200 x 5300 pixels)
Cover Photo
Format: PNG, JPG, SVG: Rectangular ratio, 16:9
File Size: 10KB – 5MB
Recommended Size: 1080 x 608 pixels (Min 480 x 270 pixels, Max 2120 x 1192 pixels)
Photos
Format: PNG or JPG
File Size: 10 KB - 5 MB
Recommended Size: 720 x 720 pixels (Min 250 x 250 pixels)
Video
Duration: Up to 30 seconds long
File size: Up to 75 MB
Resolution: 720p or higher
Like most social media platforms, Facebook will automatically resize and format your images. To avoid slow load time and pixelation you should upload your content according to their recommendations.
Profile Photo
Format: PNG(logo or image with text) or JPG(photos): Cropped to circle
Recommended Size: 170 x 170 pixels
Cover Photo
Format: PNG(logo or image with text) or JPG(photos): Rectangular 16:9 ratio
File Size: Less than 100KB
Recommended Size: 851 x 315 pixels (Min 400 x 150 pixels)
Feed Photos
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, BMP
File Size: PNG under 1MB & JPG under 15MB
Recommended Size: 1200 x 1200 pixels or 1200 x 630 pixels (Min 600 x 315 pixels)
Group Cover Page
Format: JPG or PNG if logo or text is in image
Recommended Size: 1640 x 856 pixels
Event Cover & Images
Format: JPG or PNG if logo or text is in image
Recommended Size: 1200 x 628 pixels
*Note this image cannot be edited once it is uploaded
Images in link shares
File Size: Less than 8MB
Recommended Size: 1200 x 630 pixels
*Images smaller than 600 x 315 pixels will appear smaller than expected
Stories & Reels
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels (Min width 500 pixels)
Facebook Ads
Format: JPG or PNG
File Size: 30MB Max
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1080 pixels (Min 600 x 600 pixels)
Videos
Format: MP4 or MOV but more file types are accepted
Duration: Up to 240 minutes
File Size: Up to 10GB
Recommended Size: 1280 x 720 pixels; 16:9 or 9:16 ratio (Min width 1200 pixels)
Instagram supports their original square formatting along with both portrait and landscape options.
Profile
Format: JPG: Cropped to circle
Recommended Size: 600 x 600 pixels (Min 320 x 320 pixels)
Feed Photos
Format: JPG
Recommended Sizes: Square 1080 x 1080 pixels, Landscape: 1080 x 566 pixels, Portrait: 1080 x 1350 pixels
Stories, Reels, & Ads
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Video
Recommended Size: 1080 x 864 pixels
YOUTUBE
Getting your image sizes right on Youtube could make the difference between connecting with the audience you desire or not appearing in search at all.
Profile
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
File Size: Less than 2MB
Recommended Size: 800 x 800 pixels
Channel Cover
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
File Size: Less than 6MB
Recommended Size: 2560 x 1440 pixels (Min 2048 x 1152 pixels)
Thumbnail
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP
File Size: Under 2MB
Recommended Size: 1280 x 720 pixels (Min width 640 pixels)
Video
Format: MP4, MOV along with some other options
Duration: Max 12 hours
File Size: Under 128GB
Recommended Size: 1920 x 1080 pixels (1080p); 16:9 ratio
X (TWITTER)
Twitter has very specific requirements when uploading images. If you do not follow their protocol your photos can be denied or cropped in a way that may not look professional.
Profile
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF
File Size: Max 2MB
Recommended Size: 400 x 400 pixels
Header
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF
File Size: Max 2MB
Recommended Size: 1500 x 500 pixels
In-Stream Images
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF
File Size: 5MB or up to 15MB if uploading directly on the website
Recommended Size: 1600 x 900 pixels
Card Image
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF
Recommended Size: 800 x 418 pixels
Pinterest is a portrait driven platform. Remember this when creating your pins. A 2:3 aspect ratio is going to be best for your content here.
Profile
Format: JPG, PNG; cropped to circle
Recommended Size: 165 x 165 pixels
Cover
Format: JPG, PNG
Recommended Size: 800 x 450 pixels
Pin Size
Format: JPG, PNG
File Size: Max 20MB
Recommended Size: 1000 x 1500 pixels (Square 1000 x 1000 pixels)
Collection Pins
Format: JPG, PNG
File Size: Max 10MB
Recommended Size: 1000 x 1000 pixels
Story Pin
Format: JPG, PNG; 9:16 ratio
File Size: Max 20MB
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Linkedin is obviously a great place to network for business, either via your personal or business page. Pairing your updates and posts with images proves to increase comments and sharing, thus enhancing your visibility on the platform.
Profile
Format: JPG, PNG
File Size: Up to 8MB
Recommended Size: 400 x 400 pixels (Max 7680 x 4320 pixels)
Cover (Personal Account)
Format: JPG, PNG
File Size: Less than 8MB
Recommended Size: 1584 x 396 pixels
Cover (Business Account)
Format: JPG, PNG
Recommended Size: 1128 x 191 pixels
Logo
Format: JPG, PNG
Recommended Size: 300 x 300 pixels
Blog Post Link Image
Format: JPG, PNG
Recommended Size: 1200 x 627 pixels
TIKTOK
Ensuring your videos and images adhere to TikTok's specifications not only ensures a seamless viewing experience but also increases the likelihood of your content being discovered and enjoyed by a wider audience.
Profile
Recommended Size: 200 x 200 pixels (Min 20 x 20 pixels)
Banner
Recommended Size: 2048 x 2048 pixels
Post Cover
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Video Thumbnails
Format: JPG, PNG
File Size: Under 4MB
Recommended Size: 1000 x 1500 pixels
Video & Carousel Images
Duration: Max 3 minutes
File Size: Under 287MB
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels; 9:16 ratio
SNAPCHAT
I don’t know anyone who uses Snapchat for their business, but if you are out there I don’t want to leave you out.
Images
Format: JPG, PNG
File Size: Less than 5MB
Recommended Size: 1080 x 1920 pixels minimum
Resources to help you resize your social media content
Resizing images for social media is crucial, and fortunately, there are several tools available to help you do this. Here are my three favorite resources.
AdobeExpress
AdobeExpress offers a versatile platform for creating graphics, web pages, and video stories. As one of the only FREE Adobe design products, it includes an image resizing feature that allows you to adjust dimensions for various social media platforms effortlessly.
Key Features:
Pre-set templates for different social media platforms.
Custom resizing options.
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
Canva
If you haven’t heard of Canva you must not know what the internet is. It is a widely used design tool that simplifies the process of creating visually appealing content. It provides a dedicated feature for resizing images to fit the specifications of different social media platforms, making it an ideal choice for those seeking both efficiency and design flexibility.
Key Features:
Pre-set templates for social media posts, covers, and more.
Custom dimensions for precise resizing.
Extensive library of graphics, fonts, and templates.
BeFunky
Maybe less known but awesome to use is BeFunky. It is a tool that focuses specifically on resizing images while maintaining quality. It's a handy tool for those who need a quick and straightforward solution without the need for extensive design features.
Key Features:
Simple and easy-to-use interface.
Bulk image resizing capability.
Excellent educational content
Each of these resources offers a different blend of features, helping you get your images social media ready, without the headache. And the best part is they ALL can be used for FREE!
CONCLUSION
In wrapping up this guide, we've covered the ins and outs of social media image sizes. From the specifics of Facebook to the rhythms of TikTok, you now have a reference for all the important image sizes to use across your socials.
Ensuring your images align with platform dimensions isn't just a technical detail—it's a fundamental aspect of presenting a professional online image.
Here's to your profile pictures, posts, and overall content making a lasting impression. Best of luck in mastering the realm of social media image sizes—one pixel at a time!
