Social Media Image Sizes: The Cheat Sheet
Documented Sizes, Shapes and File Limits by Platform, and the Three Exports That Cover Almost Everything
Short answer
A 4:5 portrait at 1080 x 1350 pixels works on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Threads. Add a 9:16 export at 1080 x 1920 for Stories and vertical placements, a 2:3 export at 1000 x 1500 for Pinterest, and 1200 x 627 for link previews. Export JPEG under 2 MB so every scheduler and platform accepts it.
1. What image sizes does each social platform use?
The table lists the post image specifications each platform documents today, with the source. Pixel sizes are mostly recommendations; aspect ratio ranges, file sizes and formats are the parts that make an upload fail or get cropped.
| Platform and placement | Recommended size | Accepted range | File limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram feed photo | 1080 wide; 1080 x 1350 (4:5) or 1080 x 1440 (3:4) | 1.91:1 to 3:4, i.e. 1080 x 566 to 1080 x 1440; wider than 1080 is scaled down | Via API: JPEG only, 8 MB, 4:5 to 1.91:1 | Instagram Help [s1], Meta for Developers [s2] |
| Instagram carousel | Same as feed photo | Up to 20 items in the app; up to 10 via the API | As feed photo | Instagram Help [s3], Meta for Developers [s4] |
| Instagram Stories | 9:16, 1440 x 2560 in Meta's ad specs | Minimum width 500 for ads | JPG or PNG, 30 MB (ads); JPEG, 8 MB via API | Meta Ads Guide [s5], Meta for Developers [s2] |
| Instagram Reels cover | 420 x 654 (1:1.55) | Not specified | Cannot be changed after upload | Instagram Help [s6] |
| Facebook feed image | 4:5, 1440 x 1800 | Minimum width 600 | JPG or PNG, 30 MB | Meta Ads Guide [s7] |
| LinkedIn post image | 1080 wide | 3:1 to 4:5; at least 552 x 276; up to 20 images per post | 5 MB | LinkedIn Help [s8] |
| LinkedIn link preview | 1200 x 627 (1.91:1) | Under 200 wide shows as a small thumbnail | PNG or JPEG, 3 MB | LinkedIn Help [s9] |
| X | 1280 x 720, 720 x 1280 or 720 x 720 | 1:3 to 3:1; up to 4 images per post | JPG, PNG, GIF or WEBP; 5 MB (GIF 15 MB) | X Developer Platform [s10] |
| Threads | Not specified | 320 to 1440 wide; carousels of 2 to 20 items | JPEG or PNG, 8 MB, sRGB | Meta for Developers [s11] |
| Bluesky | Not specified | Up to 4 images per post | 2 MB per image | AT Protocol schema [s12] |
| Pinterest standard Pin | 1000 x 1500 (2:3) | Taller images may be cut off in feeds | PNG or JPEG; 20 MB desktop, 32 MB app | Pinterest Help [s13] |
| TikTok photo post | Not specified | Up to 35 photos in the app | Via API: JPEG or WebP, up to 1080p, 20 MB | TikTok Support [s14], TikTok for Developers [s15] |
| YouTube thumbnail | 3840 x 2160 (16:9); Shorts 2160 x 3840 (9:16) | Minimum width 640 (height 640 for Shorts) | JPG or PNG; 2 MB from mobile, 50 MB from desktop; verified channel | YouTube Help [s16] |
2. Which image sizes cover the most platforms?
Three shapes do most of the work: 4:5 at 1080 x 1350 for feeds, 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 for Stories and vertical placements, and 2:3 at 1000 x 1500 for Pinterest. Add 1200 x 627 for link previews.
| Export | Size | Use it for | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait feed | 1080 x 1350 (4:5) | Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Threads, Bluesky | Meta recommends 4:5 for the Facebook feed, it is the tallest shape LinkedIn accepts, and it sits inside the Instagram API and X ranges |
| Vertical | 1080 x 1920 (9:16) | Instagram and Facebook Stories, TikTok photo posts | The native frame for full-screen vertical placements |
| Pin | 1000 x 1500 (2:3) | Pinterest's own recommendation | |
| Link card | 1200 x 627 (1.91:1) | LinkedIn link previews and website Open Graph images | LinkedIn's stated ratio for URL images |
Instagram's own grid now accepts 3:4, which is taller than 4:5 [s1]. It is worth using when a post is Instagram-only. For anything shared across networks, 4:5 is the safer portrait, because LinkedIn stops at 4:5 [s8] and the Instagram publishing API documents 4:5 as its tallest ratio [s2].
YouTube thumbnails are the exception to all of this: they are their own export at 16:9, or 9:16 for Shorts, and they are the most important image on that platform.
3. Which image specs are hard limits?
File format, file size and aspect ratio range are the hard ones: break them and the upload fails or the image is cropped. Pixel dimensions are mostly recommendations for sharpness.
How each kind of spec fails:
- Format: Meta's Instagram publishing API supports JPEG only [s4], and TikTok's API accepts JPEG or WebP [s15]. A PNG from a design tool can publish in the app and fail from a scheduler.
- File size: Bluesky caps images at 2 MB [s12], X at 5 MB [s10] and LinkedIn post images at 5 MB [s8]. Oversized files fail, sometimes only at publish time.
- Aspect ratio: Instagram crops photos outside 1.91:1 to 3:4 [s1], so a caption burned into the edge of a tall graphic gets cut.
- Resolution: Instagram displays at up to 1080 pixels wide and scales larger images down [s1]. Bigger files cost upload time without adding sharpness.
4. Where should text and logos sit in vertical images?
Away from the top and bottom. For Instagram Stories ads, Meta suggests keeping roughly 14 percent at the top, 35 percent at the bottom and 6 percent at each side free of text and logos.
That guidance comes from Meta's ad specifications for Stories [s5], where profile icons and call-to-action buttons overlay the frame. Organic Stories and other vertical feeds overlay the username, caption and buttons in similar places, so the same margins are a sensible default for any 9:16 image.
For feed images, the risk is cropping rather than overlays. Keep text away from the edges, so profile grid previews, which crop differently from the feed, still show it.
5. What about profile pictures and cover images?
They change less often but vary more. LinkedIn documents a 400 x 400 logo and a 1512 x 256 cover. For other networks, use the size shown in the upload dialog, which is the current rule.
| Asset | Size | File limits |
|---|---|---|
| Page logo | 400 x 400 recommended, 268 x 268 minimum | PNG or JPEG, 3 MB |
| Page cover image | 1512 x 256 | PNG or JPEG, 3 MB |
Profile images on every network are shown as circles or rounded squares at small sizes. A logo mark with space around it survives that; a wordmark rarely does.
6. Where does Oppira fit?
Oppira Studio gives every post its own image, generated in your brand kit, in the format your Playbook sets for each channel, so the per-platform export list is decided once.
Studio keeps a brand kit and templates per brand, generates images for posts, and publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, Pinterest and more after you approve. The cheat sheet above is still the reference for anything you design by hand.
Key Takeaways
4:5 is the portable portrait
At 1080 x 1350 it fits Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Threads without a second export.
Instagram now accepts 3:4
The Help Center lists 1.91:1 to 3:4, up to 1080 x 1440. Use it for Instagram-only posts.
Format and file size break uploads
The Instagram API takes JPEG only, TikTok's API JPEG or WebP, and Bluesky caps images at 2 MB.
Export JPEG, sRGB, under 2 MB
That single setting passes every documented format and size limit in the cheat sheet.
YouTube thumbnails went 4K
YouTube now recommends 3840 x 2160 for video thumbnails and 2160 x 3840 for Shorts, on verified channels.
Keep text off the edges of vertical images
Meta suggests about 14 percent clear at the top, 35 percent at the bottom and 6 percent at each side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
- Photo resolution on Instagram Instagram Help Center, September 2026.
- IG User Media reference Meta for Developers, September 2026.
- Share multiple photos or videos in one Instagram post Instagram Help Center, September 2026.
- Content publishing (Instagram Platform) Meta for Developers, September 2026.
- Instagram Stories image ad specifications Meta Ads Guide, September 2026.
- Instagram reels size and aspect ratio Instagram Help Center, September 2026.
- Facebook Feed image ad specifications Meta Ads Guide, September 2026.
- Share photos on LinkedIn LinkedIn Help, September 2026.
- Image specifications for your LinkedIn Pages and Career Pages LinkedIn Help, September 2026.
- Media best practices X Developer Platform, September 2026.
- Threads API overview Meta for Developers, September 2026.
- app.bsky.embed.images lexicon Bluesky (AT Protocol repository), September 2026.
- Pinterest product specs Pinterest Help, September 2026.
- Making a post TikTok Support, September 2026.
- Content Posting API: Media Transfer Guide TikTok for Developers, September 2026.
- Add video thumbnails YouTube Help, September 2026.
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