When purchasers first began asking me to deal with their social media, I figured the picture half can be straightforward. Create one clear graphic, add it throughout platforms, and the instruments would modify all the things routinely.
Boy, was I incorrect.
Between cropped headers, stretched thumbnails, and textual content that disappeared on cell, it didn’t take lengthy to appreciate 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 seemed off as soon as they went dwell.
Now, I preserve a working listing of up-to-date social media picture sizes and construct templates for the most typical social media asset sizes my purchasers want. It helps me transfer sooner, keep away from guesswork, and preserve all the things trying skilled from feed to advert to story.
This information pulls all of that collectively—present specs, sensible ideas, advert dimensions, and instruments I take advantage of to make the method smoother. I’ve labored with dozens of manufacturers on natural and paid social technique, and picture sizing is without doubt 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 various formatting points, I’ve realized it performs a a lot greater position in efficiency than I anticipated.
Right here’s what I take note of now.
Engagement will depend 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 not possible to disregard. One model seemed sharp and well-fitted; the opposite was awkwardly cropped and misplaced a bit of the message.
That drop in efficiency was arduous to disregard—and I’m not the one one who’s observed.
In keeping with HubSpot’s 2025 International Social Media Traits report, Instagram, Fb, and YouTube are the highest platforms for each engagement and lead high quality, and each one in all them is powered by visuals. In case your pictures 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 via 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 notice 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 scale wasn’t fairly proper, or the facet ratio threw off the preview. If you happen to’ve ever watched a high-performing marketing campaign stall for no obvious purpose, picture formatting is without doubt one of the first issues to verify.
Your model seems to be inconsistent.
Cropped-off logos. Misaligned visuals. Graphics that look completely fantastic on desktop however disintegrate 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.
Study extra about what grabs folks’s consideration on social media with our information on the best forms 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 totally completely different facet 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 publish: 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 images — what seems to be good on desktop can get oddly cropped on cell. When unsure, heart your point of interest and preserve essential particulars away from the sides.
For extra recommendations on optimizing your Fb visuals, take a look at our information to Fb advertising or discover HubSpot’s Fb advert finest practices.
Instagram Picture Sizes
Profile: 320 x 320 px
Sq. publish: 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 concentrate on the vertical format since a lot of the feed is optimized for visuals which are 4:5 or taller. Sq. nonetheless works, however portrait pictures are inclined to carry out higher when it comes to attain and engagement.
If Instagram is a serious channel on your group, HubSpot’s free Instagram template may 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 publish:
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 lately began testing extra portrait crops. The cell preview area has shifted, and portrait pictures get extra display screen actual property when completed appropriately.
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 below 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 pictures:
Private: 1584 x 396 px
Firm: 1128 x 191 px
Feed publish: 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 an expert feed.
To go deeper on optimizing LinkedIn for lead gen or model constructing, I like to recommend HubSpot’s LinkedIn publishing ideas and publish creation workflows.
Pinterest Picture Sizes
Profile: 165 x 165 px
Cowl: 800 x 450 px
Customary pin: 1000 x 1500 px (2:3 facet 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 follow 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 pictures are completed 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: heart content material inside 1546 x 423 px
Thumbnail: 1280 x 720 px
Podcast thumbnail: 1280 x 1280 px
YouTube’s banner dimension could be tough. What seems to be good on a desktop would possibly get cropped on a TV or cell system. I check previews on all gadgets earlier than finalizing.
Threads Picture Sizes
Profile: 320 x 320 px
Feed publish: 1440 x 1920 px
Hyperlink preview: 1200 x 600 px
Carousel: as much as 20 pictures
Threads content material is commonly cross-posted from Instagram, so I take advantage of 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 telephone 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 dimension)
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
Put up picture: 1080 x 1080 or 627 x 1200 px
The platform permits some flexibility, however sticking with normal facet 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
Put up picture: 500 x 750 px
Advertisements: 1280 x 1920 px
Tumblr nonetheless favors vertical imagery and posts which are 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 after they seem comparable within the feed. I’ve realized 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 dimension: 30 MB
Accepted codecs: JPG or PNG
Protected zone for tales: Keep away from inserting key content material within the prime 250 px and backside 340 px
Fb recommends leaving 14% padding on prime 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 dimension: 5 MB (pictures) or 15 MB (GIFs on desktop)
Accepted codecs: JPG, PNG, GIF
Beneficial to keep away from inserting textual content too near the sides—cropping can fluctuate throughout cell and net
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 dimension: 5 MB
Accepted codecs: JPG, PNG, non-animated GIF
Minimal width: 200 px
LinkedIn crops pictures otherwise on cell vs. desktop, so heart 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 dimension: 540 x 960 px
Max file dimension: 500 KB (pictures), 500 MB (video)
Format: JPG, PNG for pictures
Protected zones: Go away ~150 px padding on the prime and backside to keep away from UI overlays
Frequent advert codecs:
Customary Pin: 1000 x 1500 px (2:3)
Carousel: 1000 x 1000 px or 1000 x 1500 px
Purchasing advert: Identical specs as normal pins
Specs to bear in mind:
Max file dimension: 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 dimension: 2 MB (thumbnails)
Format: JPG, PNG, GIF
YouTube recommends maintaining thumbnails underneath 2 MB with minimal textual content
Hold topic centered—cropping can fluctuate by display screen dimension and system
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 time and again, 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 straightforward to keep up model consistency. I particularly like the flexibility to create customized folders for every consumer or marketing campaign.
Constructed-in templates for feed posts, tales, advertisements, banners, and extra
Resize device for reformatting one design throughout platforms
Free and Professional variations obtainable
Pixlr
Once I want to wash up a picture or crop one thing rapidly, I take advantage of Pixlr. It’s a light-weight browser-based device with simply sufficient picture modifying options to get the job completed, 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 Categorical
Adobe Categorical 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.
Ideally suited for branded campaigns or content material that wants polish
Simple-to-use animation and video options
Helps JPG, PNG, and clear backgrounds
Adobe Categorical additionally makes it straightforward to format movies for various platforms, which is turning into extra essential as social feeds lean extra closely into short-form video. If you happen to’re maintaining a tally of the place video is headed this 12 months, HubSpot’s Social Media Video Traits report gives a useful take 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 transforming 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
If you happen to‘re utilizing HubSpot’s Advertising Hub, you may as well handle and publish immediately via the Social Inbox device, which helps preserve content material and picture belongings organized in a single place.
Suggestions for Higher Picture Optimization
Sizing your pictures appropriately is a superb 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.
Cell-first design: Most engagement occurs on telephones. I at all times check how visuals look in cell previews and modify 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 depart room on the prime and backside — often round 250 to 340 pixels — to make sure that buttons, logos, or UI overlays don’t cowl up something essential.
Use JPG for images, PNG for logos: I follow JPGs for images as a result of they’re lighter and cargo sooner. For logos, icons, or any design aspect with transparency, PNGs preserve issues sharp and clear.
Keep constant throughout platforms: Even when the specs change, the model components don’t. I take advantage of the identical colour palette, typography, and structure construction to construct recognition, no matter the place the picture seems. I comply with the identical method for web site visuals, too, maintaining 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.
Assessment AI-generated pictures manually: Instruments like Adobe Firefly or Canva’s AI helpers can velocity up manufacturing, however I at all times overview outputs rigorously. They often miss model pointers 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, evenly produced content material performs higher than polished campaigns, which suggests your visuals don’t need to be fancy, simply appropriately sized and true to your model.
Why Picture Sizing Is Well worth the Effort
It took a couple of campaigns — and various 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 appropriate social media asset sizes, I observed sharper pictures, 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 seemed 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 straightforward. The outcomes weren’t one thing we may 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 scale proper is without doubt 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 arduous to think about going again.
Need to skip the guesswork and dimension your social media pictures 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 most typical ones I hear from groups attempting to get their pictures proper the primary time.
What dimension ought to social media pictures be?
Social media picture sizes fluctuate 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 facet ratio for social media?
One of the best facet ratios are 1:1 for sq. feed posts, 4:5 for portrait pictures, and 9:16 for tales, reels, and different vertical codecs.
Ought to I take advantage of JPG or PNG for social posts?
Use JPG for images and full-image backgrounds as a result of they load sooner. Use PNG for graphics, logos, or pictures that want transparency or sharper traces.
What occurs if I add the incorrect dimension?
In case your picture is the incorrect dimension, it could be cropped, compressed, or rejected by the platform. This may make your publish look unprofessional and negatively affect efficiency. That’s why I at all times check picture previews earlier than publishing.
Editor’s word: This publish was initially printed in March 2020 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
