Personal
Social Media Image Size Guide
Social media platforms are always being updated, which means they’re frequently changing their profile and cover photo dimensions, layouts, and requirements for uploaded images. It can be tough to keep track of it all. We understand you’re busy; you can’t spend all your time sweeping the Internet for information that’s bound to change again tomorrow.
However, high-quality and creative imagery is imperative to social media marketing success, so it’s important to know the proper dimensions of each social media network you use.
That’s why we have gathered this information for you and kept it in one continuously updated place for your convenience. So, to make it simple this guide will help you to cover the most important social media networks like – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
Most Importantly, recommended image sizes to be aware of when practicing digital creativity, socially.
1. Instagram
There are several specialized image formats that we’re keeping in mind for Instagram: “stories” refer to the epithermal sharing of images and videos to select users, and highlights mean the best bits of Instagram posts, pinned to the top of your wall, “carousel ads” allow multiple images per ad, say for multi-product galleries and “IGTV” standalone video app.
Like most social media networks, you can use your profile picture on Instagram as an avatar for yourself. It is vital that you use a high-quality image that clearly identifies you, whether as an individual or a business if you have a Business Profile.
The formal sizes and specifications for Instagram profile pictures are:
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Recommended upload size: 110 x 110 pixels (display size)
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It’s a square photograph, so it is best to upload an image with an aspect ratio of 1:1
Instagram images and videos are the heart of Instagram. You can upload these from a variety of sources, and as such, will probably originate in a wide mix of sizes.
The formal sizes and specifications for Instagram Photos are:
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Landscape: 1080*566px
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Portrait: 1080 * 1350px
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Square: 1080 * 1080px
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Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 - 4.5
When somebody goes to your profile, they will see all your content in rows of thumbnails. They then click on these thumbnails to access larger versions of your images or videos. Regardless of the size of your large-scale images/videos, these thumbnail images will be square.
The formal size and specifications for Instagram thumbnail pictures:
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Thumbnail size: 161 * 161px
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It’s a square photo, so maintain its aspect ratio of 1:1
Instagram stories are now incredibly popular. These are generally vertical. You can add additional images and video clips to your story during its 24-hour life. While most people add new pictures to their stories, you can add existing content if you prefer.
The formal size and specifications for Instagram stories are:
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Recommended resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels
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Minimum resolution: 600 x 1067 pixels
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Aspect Ratio: 9:16
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Maximum file size: 4GB
2. Twitter
Twitter specialties include “Twitter cards” for attaching links with images to tweets and moments, which are pretty much the same thing as Instagram highlights.
Twitter profile picture represents you. It is the first thing people see about you, and it appears beside each tweet you make. An individual should show him or herself in the profile picture or whichever strongly represents them. A business should use its logo.
The formal size and specification for a Twitter profile picture are:
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Recommended size – 400 * 400px
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Displays – 200 * 200px
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Maximum file size – 2MB
Your Twitter header photo is another place where you can show your individuality. It takes up the top section of your profile page. It takes up much more space than your profile image, so you should upload a much larger file.
The formal size and specifications for Twitter header photos are:
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Recommended upload size – 1500 *1500px
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Maximum size file – 5MB
These are standard photos you upload for your Tweets. Twitter users set up their streams in different ways, depending on the devices they are using. This means that photo sizes will differ depending on an individual’s device and settings. If you want to ensure that everybody sees the most essential parts of your image, horizontally center your content.
The formal size and specifications for Twitter In-stream photos are:
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Recommended image size for In-stream photos – 1600 * 900px
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Minimum size – 600 * 335px
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Recommended aspect ratio – 2:1 & 1:1 on desktop, 3:4 & 16:9 on mobile
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Maximum file size – up to 5 MB
3. Facebook
Similarly, to Instagram’s image criteria, Facebook focuses on posts, banners, and stories for its visual content. Event pages and marketplace advertisements require specific dimensions.
Your Facebook profile picture will be seen on your page, on posts where you comment, on the timeline of others where you post messages, and in search results of Facebook’s open graph and so on. In short, it represents you at most places on the largest social networking platform.
The formal size and specification for a Facebook profile picture are:
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Recommended image upload size – 180* 180px
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Display size – 128 * 128px
You can edit and add creative images as your cover photo that represent you or your business in the correct sense.
The formal size and specification for a Facebook cover photo:
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Appear on desktop – 820 * 310px
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Minimum size of - 400 x 150 pixels
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Display size smartphone: 640 x 360 pixels
You can engage your friends or business followers in meaningful conversations by sharing useful images on your Facebook timeline. These will appear in the news feeds of your friends and followers.
The formal size and specification for a Facebook Timeline photo:
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Recommended upload size – 1200 * 630px
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Minimum size – 600 * 315px
4. LinkedIn
LinkedIn has the biggest B2B marketing pool, with so much at stake, it pays to be exact with image and video dimensions and quality. Luckily there are only a few to bear in mind on this social media platform, focusing on individual and company profiles.
The LinkedIn Personal Background image covers a long skinny area. It can sometimes be difficult to find a suitable image for this area. Look for something that clearly depicts you and your interests.
The formal sizes and specifications for LinkedIn Profile Images are:
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Profile image – 400 * 400px
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Personal Background image - 1584 * 396px
Just as an individual has a personal profile picture, a company will have its logo. You should upload two versions of your logo. The larger one is your standard company logo that appears in the header of your company profile page. The smaller logo is the brand image that shows up when your company is searched.
The formal sizes and specifications for LinkedIn company logos are:
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Profile picture / logo - 300 * 300px
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Page cover recommended size - 1128 * 191px
You can share an image or a link somewhere, like a blog post that features an image.
The formal sizes and specifications for LinkedIn shared images or link are:
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Recommended upload size – 1200 * 627px
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Aspect ratio – 1.91:1
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Video post - 256 * 144px – 4096 * 2304px
The formal sizes and specifications for LinkedIn ad images are:
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Recommended size for company/spotlight ads logo - 100 * 100px
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Spotlight ads background image is recommended - 300 * 250px
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Sponsored content images - 1200 * 627px
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Sponsored content carousel images - 1080 * 1080px
5. Pinterest
The only social media platform that allows users to search by images, that list could not be complete without the presence of Pinterest.
Profile images show on your Home and Following page, and when you pin content. A Pinterest profile picture may not be as important. However, you still need to use a nice one. After all, anyone who arrives at your board or pins through the keyword search will probably have a look at your profile too.
The formal size and specifications for the Pinterest profile image are as:
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Profile image – 165 * 165px
Pins are unique. Because boards are designed to show a collection of pins, there isn’t a limit to the length of your pin image, but the image width must stay 600 pixels at most.
The formal size and specifications for pin image size:
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Pin Sizes - width of 238 pixels
Pinterest boards are what really bring the platform together. Users get to create boards to host ideas and dreams of what they want.
The formal size and specifications for board display size:
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222 * 150px (large thumbnail)
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55 * 55px (smaller thumbnail)
6. YouTube
The video takes a prime position for YouTube, meaning it’s only a couple of extra image dimensions you need to worry about to get your channel to look slick.
Like other platforms, uploading your channel profile image is pretty straightforward. Be sure to make it look less cramped and aim for a more professional fit.
The formal size and specifications for YouTube Profile:
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Profile picture - 800 * 800px
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Banner image - 2560 * 1440px
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Max file size - 6mb
You know that YouTube is a video-sharing site and not an image sharing one. So, you need to maintain this resolution for the videos that you upload.
The formal size and specifications for YouTube video uploads:
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Videos must maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio.
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In order to qualify as full HD, your dimensions must be at least 1,280 x 720 pixels
The formal size and specifications for YouTube video ads:
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Skippable in-stream ads should be 12 seconds—3 minutes
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Non-skippable ads are 15 seconds, unless you’re in EMEA where they’re 20 seconds
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Bumper ads are 6 seconds long
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Discovery ads recommend 16:9/4:3 with a maximum file size of 1GB
Size Them Up
Creating exciting imagery on a regular basis is impressive enough, never mind worrying about how to make each platform’s image parameters work for you.
