How to use this social media image size guide
- Search for a platform or format, such as "instagram story", "youtube thumbnail" or "banner", or pick a platform from the menu.
- Each card shows the recommended size in pixels, the aspect ratio with a scaled outline, and notes about cropping and safe areas.
- Tap Copy size to paste the dimensions into Canva, Figma, Photoshop or an image resizer.
Getting social images right
Each platform crops and compresses images differently, and the wrong size leads to blurry text, cut-off faces or logos hidden behind profile pictures. Designing at the recommended size, or a larger image with the same aspect ratio, gives the sharpest result. A few practical rules apply everywhere:
- Vertical wins on phones. 4:5 portrait posts and 9:16 stories, reels and shorts take up more of the screen than squares or landscapes.
- Respect safe zones. Stories and reels overlay the profile name at the top and captions and buttons at the bottom; keep text and faces in the middle area.
- Profile photos are circles. Keep logos centred with padding.
- Banners are cropped differently on desktop and mobile. Keep important content in the centre.
- One link image fits most. A 1200 × 630 Open Graph image works for link previews on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, WhatsApp, Slack and Discord.
Platforms change their layouts regularly; these sizes reflect current recommendations and are a reliable starting point. Export JPEGs for photos and PNGs for graphics with text, and keep files under each platform's limit (typically 5–30 MB).
What size is an Instagram post?
1080 × 1350 pixels (4:5) for portrait, 1080 × 1080 for square and 1080 × 566 for landscape. Portrait gets the most space in the feed.
What size should a YouTube thumbnail be?
1280 × 720 pixels (16:9), under 2 MB, as JPG or PNG.
Can I use one image everywhere?
For link previews, yes: 1200 × 630. For posts, create a 4:5 or square version for feeds and a 9:16 version for stories and short videos.