Social Media Image Dimensions Cheat Sheet 2026
Getting social media image dimensions right matters more than most people realize. Upload the wrong size and your photo gets cropped, stretched, or compressed into something blurry. Every platform has its own recommended dimensions, aspect ratios, and file size limits — and they change often. This 2026 cheat sheet covers the current image dimensions for Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube so you can resize once and post everywhere with confidence.
If you want to skip the manual resizing, our social media image editor applies the correct dimensions for every platform automatically.
Instagram Image Dimensions
Instagram is the most dimension-sensitive platform. The wrong aspect ratio triggers automatic cropping that can cut off faces or text.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Square Post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Portrait Post | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Landscape Post | 1080 × 566 | 1.91:1 |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Reel Cover | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Profile Photo | 320 × 320 | 1:1 |
| Landscape Carousel | 1080 × 566 | 1.91:1 |
Instagram displays square posts at 1:1 in the feed but portrait posts at 4:5 take up more screen space, which tends to drive higher engagement. Use our Instagram image editor to crop and resize photos to these exact dimensions before uploading.
Facebook Image Dimensions
Facebook compresses images aggressively. Uploading at the recommended dimensions minimizes quality loss.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Feed Post (Landscape) | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 |
| Feed Post (Square) | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Cover Photo | 820 × 312 | 2.63:1 |
| Profile Photo | 320 × 320 | 1:1 |
| Event Cover | 1200 × 628 | 1.91:1 |
| Shared Link Preview | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 |
Facebook cover photos display at 820 × 312 on desktop but stretch to 820 × 462 on mobile. Keep important elements in the center safe zone to avoid cropping on either device.
Twitter (X) Image Dimensions
Twitter displays images differently depending on the aspect ratio. The platform crops landscape images to 16:9 in the feed preview.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| In-Feed Post | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 |
| Header Image | 1500 × 500 | 3:1 |
| Profile Photo | 400 × 400 | 1:1 |
| Card Image | 1200 × 628 | 1.91:1 |
For in-feed posts, 1600 × 900 gives you the sharpest display. Avoid portrait images taller than 3:4, as Twitter crops them aggressively in the timeline.
LinkedIn Image Dimensions
LinkedIn favors professional, high-resolution images. The platform is less aggressive with compression than Facebook but still benefits from correct sizing.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Post | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 |
| Cover Banner | 1584 × 396 | 4:1 |
| Profile Photo | 400 × 400 | 1:1 |
| Company Logo | 300 × 300 | 1:1 |
| Article Thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 |
The LinkedIn cover banner is wide and short. Position text and logos in the center 1000px to stay visible across screen sizes.
TikTok Image Dimensions
TikTok is built for vertical video, but static images and profile elements still need correct dimensions.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Video Cover | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Profile Photo | 200 × 200 | 1:1 |
| Carousel Image | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Ad Image | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
YouTube Image Dimensions
YouTube thumbnails are the single most important image on the platform — they drive click-through rates more than titles.
| Content Type | Dimensions (px) | Aspect Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Video Thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 |
| Channel Banner | 2560 × 1440 | 16:9 |
| Profile Photo | 800 × 800 | 1:1 |
YouTube channel banners display differently on TV, desktop, and mobile. The safe zone is the center 1546 × 423px — keep all text and logos within that area.
Visual Dimension Comparison
The diagram below shows how the major post types compare in aspect ratio. Notice how portrait formats dominate mobile-first platforms.
File Size Limits by Platform
Even with correct dimensions, exceeding file size limits triggers compression that degrades quality.
| Platform | Max File Size | Recommended Format |
|---|---|---|
| 30 MB | JPG or PNG | |
| 30 MB | JPG or PNG | |
| 15 MB | JPG or PNG | |
| 5 MB | JPG or PNG | |
| TikTok | 20 MB | JPG or PNG |
| YouTube | 2 MB (thumbnail) | JPG |
Tips for Consistent Results
1. Start with the largest version. Always resize down from a high-resolution original. Upscaling creates blur that no platform can fix.
2. Keep a master template per platform. Save your brand colors, logo placement, and text safe zones as a reusable template so every post stays consistent.
3. Use the right format. JPG for photographs, PNG for graphics with text or transparency. WebP works on most platforms now but isn't universally supported in older browsers — see our guide on how to convert WebP to JPG if you run into compatibility issues.
4. Batch resize for multiple platforms. Instead of resizing one image six times, use the square image maker for consistent 1:1 posts across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, then generate platform-specific variations in one pass.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Upscaling small images — platforms will stretch and blur them
- Ignoring the mobile safe zone — cover photos and banners crop differently on phones
- Using portrait images on Twitter — the feed preview crops to 16:9, cutting off top and bottom
- Forgetting file size limits — oversized files get recompressed, often worse than if you'd optimized them yourself
For a deeper look at official specs, Meta's media specifications documentation and Twitter's media best practices are the authoritative sources.
Resize Once, Post Everywhere
The biggest time-saver is resizing your image to the exact dimensions each platform expects before you upload. That prevents automatic cropping, avoids compression artifacts, and keeps your feed looking consistent. Pick the dimensions you need from the tables above, resize your image, and post with confidence.
