When shoppers first began asking me to deal with their social media, I figured the picture half could be simple. Create one clear graphic, add it throughout platforms, and the instruments would regulate all the things robotically.
Boy, was I improper.
Between cropped headers, stretched thumbnails, and textual content that disappeared on cell, it didn’t take lengthy to comprehend that every platform performs by its personal guidelines — they usually change usually. I spent method an excessive amount of time backtracking, resizing, and apologizing for issues that regarded off as soon as they went reside.
Now, I preserve a working listing of up-to-date social media picture sizes and construct templates for the commonest social media asset sizes my shoppers want. It helps me transfer quicker, keep away from guesswork, and preserve all the things wanting skilled from feed to advert to story.
This information pulls all of that collectively—present specs, sensible suggestions, advert dimensions, and instruments I exploit to make the method smoother. I’ve labored with dozens of manufacturers on natural and paid social technique, and picture sizing is likely one of the first issues I coach groups to get proper.
Desk of Contents
Why You Ought to Care About Social Media Picture Sizes
I used to deal with picture sizing like an afterthought. If the content material had been robust, the picture would carry it, proper? However after managing dozens of campaigns and cleansing up quite a lot of formatting points, I’ve discovered it performs a a lot larger function in efficiency than I anticipated.
Right here’s what I take note of now.
Engagement relies on visible high quality.
I’ve examined posts with the very same copy and design, however completely different picture sizes, and the distinction in click-through charge was inconceivable to disregard. One model regarded sharp and well-fitted; the opposite was awkwardly cropped and misplaced a bit of the message.
That drop in efficiency was onerous to disregard—and I’m not the one one who’s observed.
In keeping with HubSpot’s 2025 World Social Media Traits report, Instagram, Fb, and YouTube are the highest platforms for each engagement and lead high quality, and each considered one of them is powered by visuals. In case your photographs are misaligned, off-brand, or low-res, you’re lacking alternatives earlier than your viewers even reads the caption.
Advertisements get rejected or underperform.
One of many first paid campaigns I ran by means of Meta was rejected for one thing I didn’t catch: a picture that didn’t meet their minimal width requirement. No warning, no adjustment — simply silence. I didn’t even understand it hadn’t run till I checked the analytics a couple of days later.
LinkedIn could be simply as strict. I’ve seen picture advertisements quietly throttle their attain as a result of the dimensions wasn’t fairly proper, or the side ratio threw off the preview. In case you’ve ever watched a high-performing marketing campaign stall for no obvious purpose, picture formatting is likely one of the first issues to examine.
Your model seems inconsistent.
Cropped-off logos. Misaligned visuals. Graphics that look completely high-quality on desktop however crumble on cell. I’ve been there and so have your clients.
These inconsistencies add up. They make your model really feel disjointed, even when the message is true. After I began utilizing platform-specific dimensions, our visuals lastly felt constant on each display screen. No lacking margins. No off-brand templates. Simply clear, dependable content material that felt intentional throughout each channel.
And that issues, as a result of visuals are sometimes the primary impression your viewers will get.
Be taught extra about what grabs individuals’s consideration on social media with our information on the simplest kinds of content material on social media.
Social Media Picture Sizes At-a-Look
Social Media Picture Sizes by Platform
I used to attempt to get away with a one-size-fits-all method. I’d design as soon as, resize for 2 or three channels, and name it a day. That by no means labored out the best way I hoped.
Each platform handles visuals otherwise — some crop aggressively, some downscale uploads, and others prioritize solely completely different side ratios. Now I work from an in depth spec sheet and construct all the things with these dimensions in thoughts.
Right here’s the breakdown I preserve bookmarked.
Fb Picture Sizes
- Profile: 320 x 320 px
- Cowl: 851 x 315 px
- Feed put up: 1080 x 1350 px
- Tales: 1080 x 1920 px
- Advert codecs:
- Feed: 1080 x 1080 px
- Hyperlink advert: 1200 x 628 px
- Story advert: 1440 x 2560 px
- Hyperlink preview: 1200 x 630 px
I’ve seen essentially the most points right here with cowl pictures — what seems good on desktop can get oddly cropped on cell. When unsure, middle your point of interest and preserve vital particulars away from the sides.
For extra recommendations on optimizing your Fb visuals, take a look at our information to Fb advertising and marketing or discover HubSpot’s Fb advert finest practices.
Instagram Picture Sizes
- Profile: 320 x 320 px
- Sq. put up: 1080 x 1080 px
- Portrait: 1080 x 1350 px
- Panorama: 1080 x 566 px
- Tales and Reels: 1080 x 1920 px
- Grid thumbnail: 161 x 161 px
- Reels cowl: 420 x 654 px
- Advert codecs: identical dimensions as natural posts
For Instagram, I deal with the vertical format since many of the feed is optimized for visuals which might be 4:5 or taller. Sq. nonetheless works, however portrait photographs are likely to carry out higher by way of attain and engagement.
If Instagram is a significant channel to your staff, HubSpot’s free Instagram template may also help you construct a cohesive grid and preserve constant model visuals.
Twitter (X) Picture Sizes
- Profile: 400 x 400 px
- Header: 1500 x 500 px
- Feed put up:
- Panorama: 1600 x 900 px
- Portrait: 1080 x 1350 px
- Hyperlink preview: 1200 x 630 px
- Advert codecs:
- Single picture: 1200 x 628 px
- Sq.: 800 x 800 px
- Carousel: 800 x 418 px
I’ve had good luck with landscapes on X, however I’ve just lately began testing extra portrait crops. The cell preview house has shifted, and portrait photographs get extra display screen actual property when achieved accurately.
TikTok Picture Sizes
- Profile: 200 x 200 px
- Feed, Tales, Carousel: 1080 x 1920 px
- Advert choices:
- Vertical (min): 540 x 960 px
- Carousel: 1200 x 628 px (panorama)
Most visuals listed here are full display screen, so I deal with TikTok like a vertical-first platform. Even the advertisements must match that format to keep away from awkward black bars.
LinkedIn Picture Sizes
- Profile: 400 x 400 px
- Cowl photographs:
- Private: 1584 x 396 px
- Firm: 1128 x 191 px
- Feed put up: 1200 x 627 px
- Life tab:
- Hero: 1128 x 376 px
- Gallery: 900 x 600 px
- Carousel: 1080 x 1080 px
- Sponsored content material: 1200 x 627 px
For LinkedIn, model polish issues. I double-check all the things — particularly on firm pages — as a result of even slight misalignment stands out in knowledgeable feed.
To go deeper on optimizing LinkedIn for lead gen or model constructing, I like to recommend HubSpot’s LinkedIn publishing suggestions and put up creation workflows.
Pinterest Picture Sizes
- Profile: 165 x 165 px
- Cowl: 800 x 450 px
- Commonplace pin: 1000 x 1500 px (2:3 side ratio)
- Carousel or advert: 1000 x 1000 or 1000 x 1500 px
- Story pins: 1080 x 1920 px
Pinterest leans closely into vertical. If I persist with 2:3 for pins, I keep away from any awkward auto-cropping, particularly within the cell feed.
Pinterest can drive a shocking quantity of referral visitors if photographs are achieved proper. This HubSpot overview on picture finest practices helped form how I take into consideration vertical visuals throughout platforms, not simply on Pinterest.
YouTube Picture Sizes
- Profile: 800 x 800 px
- Banner: 2560 x 1440 px
- Protected zone: middle content material inside 1546 x 423 px
- Thumbnail: 1280 x 720 px
- Podcast thumbnail: 1280 x 1280 px
YouTube’s banner measurement could be tough. What seems good on a desktop may get cropped on a TV or cell machine. I check previews on all gadgets earlier than finalizing.
Threads Picture Sizes
- Profile: 320 x 320 px
- Feed put up: 1440 x 1920 px
- Hyperlink preview: 1200 x 600 px
- Carousel: as much as 20 photographs
Threads content material is usually cross-posted from Instagram, so I exploit the identical picture dimensions and secure zone guidelines. Portrait orientation tends to show finest.
Snapchat Picture Sizes
- Profile: 320 x 320 px
- Geofilter: 1080 x 1920 px
- Advertisements: 1080 x 1920 px
- Banner: 375 x 278 px
With Snapchat, all the things is constructed for the cellphone display screen. I preserve designs easy, vertical, and clutter-free close to the highest and backside edges.
Google Enterprise Profile Picture Sizes
- Brand: 720 x 720 px
- Profile: between 250 and 750 x 750 px
- Cowl: 1024 x 576 px
- Video: 1280 x 720 px (max 30 seconds, 75 MB file measurement)
These visuals seem throughout Maps, Search, and enterprise listings, so I deal with them like front-door signage — clear, high-resolution, and brand-aligned.
Bluesky Picture Sizes
- Profile: 400 x 400 px
- Banner: 1500 x 500 px
- Feed picture: 1200 x 627 px
- Submit picture: 1080 x 1080 or 627 x 1200 px
The platform permits some flexibility, however sticking with commonplace side ratios (1:1 or 4:5) retains issues crisp throughout completely different screens.
Tumblr Picture Sizes
- Profile: 128 x 128 px
- Banner: 3000 x 1055 px
- Submit picture: 500 x 750 px
- Advertisements: 1280 x 1920 px
Tumblr nonetheless favors vertical imagery and posts which might be graphic-forward. I’ve seen stronger outcomes when visuals are stored gentle on textual content and optimized for cell scrolling. It’s price testing vertical codecs right here—even legacy platforms have loyal communities.
Picture Sizes for Paid Social Advertisements
Advert specs could be barely completely different from natural posts, even once they seem related within the feed. I’ve discovered to double-check picture dimensions earlier than launching any marketing campaign. It helps keep away from rejections, scaling points, and blurry visuals that eat into efficiency.
Right here’s what I preserve readily available when constructing inventive for paid social.
Fb and Instagram (Meta)
Frequent advert codecs:
- Feed: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1)
- Hyperlink advertisements: 1200 x 628 px (1.91:1)
- Tales and Reels: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
- Carousel: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1)
Specs to bear in mind:
- Max file measurement: 30 MB
- Accepted codecs: JPG or PNG
- Protected zone for tales: Keep away from inserting key content material within the high 250 px and backside 340 px
- Fb recommends leaving 14% padding on high and 20% on the underside for Tales/Reels
Twitter (X)
Frequent advert codecs:
- Single picture: 1200 x 628 px (1.91:1)
- Sq.: 800 x 800 px (1:1)
- Carousel: 800 x 418 px (1.91:1) or 800 x 800 px (1:1)
Specs to bear in mind:
- Max file measurement: 5 MB (photographs) or 15 MB (GIFs on desktop)
- Accepted codecs: JPG, PNG, GIF
- Really useful to keep away from inserting textual content too near the sides—cropping can differ throughout cell and internet
Frequent advert codecs:
- Sponsored content material: 1200 x 627 px (1.91:1)
- Carousel advertisements: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1)
- Vertical advertisements (cell): 720 x 900 px (4:5)
Specs to bear in mind:
- Max file measurement: 5 MB
- Accepted codecs: JPG, PNG, non-animated GIF
- Minimal width: 200 px
- LinkedIn crops photographs otherwise on cell vs. desktop, so middle key visuals and duplicate
TikTok
Frequent advert codecs:
- Full-screen in-feed video: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16)
- Carousel: 1200 x 628 px (panorama), 640 x 640 px (sq.)
Specs to bear in mind:
- Min picture measurement: 540 x 960 px
- Max file measurement: 500 KB (photographs), 500 MB (video)
- Format: JPG, PNG for photographs
- Protected zones: Go away ~150 px padding on the high and backside to keep away from UI overlays
Frequent advert codecs:
- Commonplace Pin: 1000 x 1500 px (2:3)
- Carousel: 1000 x 1000 px or 1000 x 1500 px
- Purchasing advert: Similar specs as commonplace pins
Specs to bear in mind:
- Max file measurement: 20 MB
- Accepted codecs: JPG, PNG
- Keep away from inserting textual content close to the highest 270 px or backside 790 px—these areas usually get cropped in-feed
- Pins taller than 2:3 could also be downranked within the algorithm
YouTube
Frequent advert codecs:
- Thumbnail: 1280 x 720 px (16:9)
- Companion banner (desktop-only): 300 x 60 px
- In-video overlay: 480 x 70 px
Specs to bear in mind:
- Max file measurement: 2 MB (thumbnails)
- Format: JPG, PNG, GIF
- YouTube recommends holding thumbnails underneath 2 MB with minimal textual content
- Preserve topic centered—cropping can differ by display screen measurement and machine
Right here’s a fast information from HubSpot on picture necessities for social posts.
Instruments and Templates for Social Media Belongings
I’ve used all the things from Photoshop to Paint in a pinch, however over time, I’ve constructed a go-to stack of instruments that simplify sizing, designing, and reformatting social media graphics. These are the instruments I return to repeatedly, particularly after I must resize or reformat social media asset sizes rapidly and persistently.
Canva
If I’m constructing one thing from scratch or want a fast resize, Canva is the primary place I am going. Their templates are already optimized by platform, and the drag-and-drop editor makes it simple to keep up model consistency. I particularly like the power to create customized folders for every shopper or marketing campaign.
- Constructed-in templates for feed posts, tales, advertisements, banners, and extra
- Resize software for reformatting one design throughout platforms
- Free and Professional variations accessible
Pixlr
Once I want to scrub up a picture or crop one thing rapidly, I exploit Pixlr. It’s a light-weight browser-based software with simply sufficient picture modifying options to get the job achieved, with out feeling overwhelming.
- Good for quick edits, crops, or overlays
- Helps layering, transparency, and filters
- Free to make use of, with superior options behind a paywall
Adobe Specific
Adobe Specific is nice after I want extra design flexibility with out leaping into Photoshop. It’s quick, web-based, and comes with a rising assortment of pre-sized templates for all main platforms.
- Perfect for branded campaigns or content material that wants polish
- Simple-to-use animation and video options
- Helps JPG, PNG, and clear backgrounds
Adobe Specific additionally makes it simple to format movies for various platforms, which is changing into extra vital as social feeds lean extra closely into short-form video. In case you’re maintaining a tally of the place video is headed this 12 months, HubSpot’s Social Media Video Traits report presents a useful have a look at what’s performing and why.
Hubspot Social Media Templates
For constant branding throughout platforms, I depend on HubSpot’s free social media picture templates. These are particularly helpful after I’m onboarding a brand new model or remodeling a content material calendar, they usually’ve saved me hours when resizing social media belongings throughout channels.
- Consists of editable templates for Fb, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest
- Sized to match present platform necessities
- Appropriate with Canva and different design instruments
In case you‘re utilizing HubSpot’s Advertising Hub, it’s also possible to handle and publish instantly by means of the Social Inbox software, which helps preserve content material and picture belongings organized in a single place.
Suggestions for Higher Picture Optimization
Sizing your photographs accurately is a good begin, however totally optimizing them requires a couple of additional steps. These are the techniques I now use as a default when prepping social media visuals.
- Cellular-first design: Most engagement occurs on telephones. I at all times check how visuals look in cell previews and regulate spacing, font sizes, and placement accordingly.
Professional tip: I check each picture in preview mode throughout desktop and cell earlier than publishing. It takes 30 seconds, and it’s caught extra points than I can rely.
- Protected zones matter: For tales, reels, and advertisements, I go away room on the high and backside — often round 250 to 340 pixels — to make sure that buttons, logos, or UI overlays don’t cowl up something vital.
- Use JPG for pictures, PNG for logos: I persist with JPGs for pictures as a result of they’re lighter and cargo quicker. For logos, icons, or any design component with transparency, PNGs preserve issues sharp and clear.
- Keep constant throughout platforms: Even when the specs change, the model components don’t. I exploit the identical colour palette, typography, and format construction to construct recognition, no matter the place the picture seems. I comply with the identical method for web site visuals, too, holding picture sizes constant so all the things hundreds cleanly and appears sharp throughout touchpoints. This text on web site picture sizes is one I come again to usually.
- Evaluation AI-generated photographs manually: Instruments like Adobe Firefly or Canva’s AI helpers can velocity up manufacturing, however I at all times evaluation outputs rigorously. They often miss model tips or crop issues in bizarre methods. AI is nice for drafts, however polish nonetheless issues.
And authenticity is what wins. In truth, 76% of entrepreneurs say their most relatable, flippantly produced content material performs higher than polished campaigns, which suggests your visuals don’t should be fancy, simply accurately sized and true to your model.
Why Picture Sizing Is Definitely worth the Effort
It took a couple of campaigns — and quite a lot of resizing regrets — earlier than I understood simply how a lot picture sizing impacts efficiency. As soon as I began tailoring visuals to every platform’s specs and aligning them with right social media asset sizes, I observed sharper photographs, stronger engagement, and much fewer points with paid advertisements.
One marketing campaign nonetheless involves thoughts. We had been selling a product launch and created a single picture to make use of throughout each channel. On the desktop, it regarded nice. However on cell, our CTA was cropped. After swapping in a correctly sized portrait model, click-throughs jumped 27% in a single day.
The repair was simple. The outcomes weren’t one thing we might have achieved with guesswork.
And we’re not the one ones shifting focus. Almost two-thirds of entrepreneurs now prioritize high quality over amount, which signifies that each picture must do its job. Getting the dimensions proper is likely one of the best methods to make sure it does.
It’s a small step that makes a giant distinction. And as soon as you’re employed it into your course of, it’s onerous to think about going again.
Need to skip the guesswork and measurement your social media photographs proper the primary time? Obtain our free picture template pack to create platform-ready belongings in minutes.
FAQs
Have questions? Listed below are a couple of of the commonest ones I hear from groups attempting to get their photographs proper the primary time.
What measurement ought to social media photographs be?
Social media picture sizes differ by platform, however essentially the most generally used dimensions are 1080 x 1080 pixels for sq. posts, 1080 x 1350 for portrait posts, and 1080 x 1920 for tales or full-screen vertical content material.
What’s the very best side ratio for social media?
One of the best side ratios are 1:1 for sq. feed posts, 4:5 for portrait photographs, and 9:16 for tales, reels, and different vertical codecs.
Ought to I exploit JPG or PNG for social posts?
Use JPG for pictures and full-image backgrounds as a result of they load quicker. Use PNG for graphics, logos, or photographs that want transparency or sharper traces.
What occurs if I add the improper measurement?
In case your picture is the improper measurement, it might be cropped, compressed, or rejected by the platform. This could make your put up look unprofessional and negatively impression efficiency. That’s why I at all times check picture previews earlier than publishing.
Editor’s notice: This put up was initially revealed in March 2020 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.