So many platforms, so many dimensions and ever changing.
Are you looking for the perfect guide to help with sizing your social media content and images.
All of the sizes in the titles are recommended sizes. Often you can use larger sizes, but stick to the aspect ratios to ensure images display correctly.
Facebook social image sizes
Facebook is the world’s biggest social media platform. That’s a lot of eyes that might be seeing your content. So the potential is huge here, especially with algorithm changes that favor engagement and sharing.
There’s a number of different image types on Facebook from ones in your feed to profile pages. We’ve listed them below:
Facebook profile picture size: 180 x 180 px
Most likely the most viewed picture you’ll post on the platform, your profile picture will act as your avatar across the site.
Often the first thing people will see when they come across you ,it will appear alongside all of your posts, your comments, and pretty much all of your Facebook activity.
Guidelines
- Needs a minimum width of 180px.
- Can have a height below 180px, but the image will not be clear.
- Has a 1:1 aspect ratio.
Facebook Business Page Profile Picture (180 x 180 px)
Facebook used to have different rules for business page’s profile pictures, but not anymore. Now the dimensions are exactly the same as the personal profile picture.
We just wanted to include this section in case you came looking for it.
Guidelines
- Needs a minimum width of 180px.
- Can have a height below 180px, but the image will not be clear.
- Has a 1:1 aspect ratio.
Facebook cover image size: 800 x 312 px
Back in my day, we never had cover photos.
Introduced in 2011, Facebook cover photos give you a huge chunk of space at the top of your profile (or page) to stick a photo of your choice (or a video on your page).
This is a great way to add a bit more character to your profile without sacrificing your pretty profile picture.
Guidelines
- Minimum width of 400px.
- Minimum height of 150px.
- All of these dimensions apply to page cover photos.
- If you want to add a cover video to your page, get all the details here.
Facebook shared link image size: 1200 x 628 px
This refers to the image Facebook uses when it generates a box from a shared link. Along with the image you also get the content’s title and description.
Getting the image size right is integral to make to your content look good whenever someone shares it on Facebook. Get it wrong and the image can be cropped poorly or stretched out.
You can choose the image Facebook uses by setting up social meta tags. Find out more on that subject here.
Guidelines
- Consider how the image will fit with your content’s title and description
- If one isn’t set, Facebook will try and pull one in from the content
- The aspect ratio is 1.9:1
Facebook shared image size: 1200 x 630 px
That’s the best recommendation for making an image look good and be sure it won’t get distorted, but there can be some leeway.
Taller and shorter pictures are often seen on Facebook, so while 1200px is good rule to stick to, you can push the height a bit as detailed below:
Guidelines
- Maximum height of 1800px before images are cropped.
- Recommended aspect ratio is 3:2.
- Facebook will auto crop or resize when you go over limits so always test your image.
Facebook event cover image size: 1920 x 1080
It wasn’t just the profile pages that got the cover image treatment. Events also let you put a massive picture up to encourage people to attend your amazing gig, play, or whatever else.
There’s also the option to include video here, perfect for really getting across the “Devonshire Cheesefest 2018” vibes. You can get full details on getting videos right here.
Guidelines
- Minimum width is 400x
- Minimum height is 150px
- Aspect ratio is 16:9
Twitter social images sizes
Twitter, with its 330m users, is another huge platform. Everything moves a lot faster here, so grabbing attention is important.
Images are a great way to do this – and it works too. Tweets with images get 150% more retweets than their imageless counterparts. Not to be sniffed at.
Twitter profile picture size: 400 x 400px
Seen on your profile page and on every tweet you make, your Twitter profile picture is very important. Particularly so if you’re a brand.
Most commonly companies will use their logos, but some also make seasonal edits to spruce them up and grab a bit of attention now and then.
Guidelines
- Remember that the profile picture will be circular
- There’s no minimum on image size but images will get pixelated the smaller they get
- Aspect ratio of 1:1
Twitter image size: 1024 x 512px
As previously mentioned, sharing images increases engagement and gets more people seeing your content. Getting the right image size will help you maximise results.
Twitter will crop and resize based on the image you use, so there’s no minimums. To get it looking at its best in the stream though, 1024 x 512 px is your best minimum.
Guidelines
- Stick to the 2:1 aspect ratio to ensure the whole picture is shown.
- Taller images will be displayed up to 506px in height before getting cropped.
- The maximum file size is 5MB for images and 15MB for GIFs.
Twitter header photo size: 1500 x 500 px
Similar to Facebook, Twitter lets you add a huge photo to your profile to show off how interesting and great you are.
Businesses use this in different ways, from advertising new products and events, extra branding, or just showing some nice staff photos (we look at this in our Twitter audit guide).
Guidelines
- Beware that the image will be responsive based on screen its viewed on, so choose with variation in mind.
Instagram social image sizes
Instagram is pretty much all images, so knowing the relevant dimensions goes a long way. You’ll need all the help you can get to stand out in a crowd of artists, photographers, and influencers.
Better get a photography book on expenses as well to really raise the bar. 📸
Instagram profile picture size: 180 x 180 px
As with all profile pictures, this will be seen next to every photo you post, so it’s important to make it eye-catching.
Your profile picture will display on the app at 110 x 100 px, but will be larger on desktop. Using a 180 x 180 image will ensure it looks good across all devices.
Guidelines
- Aspect ration of 1:1
- The logo will be cropped to a circle
- You can’t use PNG when changing your picture on desktop
Instagram photo size: 1080 x 1080 px
This refers to the photo as seen in the Instagram feed, or when tapped on from elsewhere (such as someone’s profile page).
Instagram obviously leans towards square images, but you can have rectangle ones, where the platform fills out the extra space with black.
The guidelines below are very important for Instagram:
- 1080px is your limit. Anything over and you’ll have to crop your image.
- Always remember how it looks on mobile is more important than how it looks on desktop
Instagram thumbnail image size: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1)
This is how your picture will appear on someone’s profile page, or in hashtag search for example. Something that grabs the eye can be important.
Getting this right is very handy if you’re showcasing products, while even more so if you want to turn your entire profile page into a single picture.
Guidelines
- If your image is already a 1:1 square, then you’re good to go straight away
- For rectangle photos, Instagram will simply crop from the centre
LinkedIn social image sizes
Time for some serious business. Now we’re onto LinkedIn where fortunes are made and an endless line of thoughtleaders post weird status updates.
Either way, it is a great place to connect with people and, so, grabbing their attention can be really valuable. And as always, images are key for doing that.
LinkedIn profile picture size: 400 x 400 px
Once again, your profile picture will be seen more than anything else on LinkedIn. From your posts to your profile page to search results, its what people will see first when they come across you on the site.
There’s never hard and fast rules here, but to nail the LinkedIn look, go for something more professional than your average Facebook one.
Guidelines
- Images smaller than 400×400 work, but risk being cropped/pixelated
- The image will be cropped into a circle
- LinkedIn lets you do some zooming and cropping when you choose your photo too
LinkedIn background header image size: 1584 x 396 x
Here we have a massive space for an image on your profile page. It goes right at the top so it’s some prime real estate to put across what you’re giving out.
This can be a great place to show off some work if you’re a designer for example. If not, avoid filling it with text as a secondary resume. Just stick a nice photo of the countryside in nd you’ll be fine.
Guidelines
- Remember your profile picture will poke through from below
- Also keep in when choosing something mind the image comes out pretty thin
LinkedIn company profile picture size: 300 x 300 px
Your company profile picture will leads your brand’s way on the platform. It’s generally just filled out with your logo.
This is probably the best approach for a platform like LinkedIn, but if you feel like trying something different, go ahead.
Guidelines
- Come out slightly smaller than the personal profile at 300 x 300 px.
- The image will be a square or cropped to a circle depending on where it appears on the site.
- If you include text, make sure it’s actually legible.
LinkedIn Square Company Profile Picture: 300 x 300 px
This will pop up any time your company appears in a search query, so it’s obviously good to get it right.
Ultimately it just pulls the picture from your company page, so you just need to follow the same guidelines and sizes found above.
LinkedIn company cover image size: 1536 x 768 px
This image sits at the top of a LinkedIn company page, partially obscured by the profile picture and company info.
Very thin and mostly hidden, it’s an odd cover image, but there you go.
Guidelines
- Minimum of 1192 x 200 px
- Keep the fact a lot of it will be obscured in mind
LinkedIn hero image size: 1128 x 376 px
This hero image refers to the ‘Life” tab company pages have when they signed up for the platform’s paid recruitment service.
It’s used to show off a company’s culture in order to attract recruits, so if you’re getting one set up it’s best to aim for fun and happiness rather than grey suits and briefcases.
Guidelines
- Aspect ratio of 3:1
- Only applies if you have the Life tab on your company page
YouTube social image sizes
Another very visual platform. While videos are the aim of the game here, the right imagery can be the difference between new subscribers and being ignored entirely.
Successful YouTubers have learnt the art of engaging previews, so this is the place to start.
YouTube profile picture image size: 800 x 800 px
Compared to other platforms, the YouTube profile picture isn’t as prominent, but it’s still important.
What you choose is up to you. YouTubers will often use a picture of their own face, while publishers and companies will use their logos. Spend some time thinking about the best choice for you.
Guidelines
- You can upload smaller than 800 x 800, but you risk a low quality image.
- Accepted formats are JPG, BMP, PNG or GIF (but not animated GIFs).
- The profile picture will be cropped into a circle
YouTube channel cover image size: 2560 x 1440
Also referred to as ‘channel art’, this will sit at the top of your YouTube channel. It gets a lot of space, so it’s worth taking time over it.
Think about what will help explain what to expect from your channel. A good place to start are the topics you most often discuss.
Guidelines
- Maximum file size of 6MB
- This will be seen on many devices, so 2560 x 1440 px ensures it will look good across them all
- 2560px is the maximum width
YouTube image preview thumbnails size: 1280 x 720 px
When you upload a video, YouTube can just pick a frame from it as the image preview. This isn’t always suitable though, particularly if the video is in the wrong aspect ratio or you want to have am ore descriptive cover.
When you want to have your own picture, you can create it separately. Take a look at some of the most subscribed-to YouTubers to get some inspiration.
Guidelines
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- Try to keep it under 2MB
- Have a minimum width of 640 px
Pinterest social image sizes
Another hugely visual platform, just like Instagram, it’s practically all images. Used by millions upon millions of people every month, it’s a popular place.
People use the site for ideas about anything, from weddings to decorating their home, so it’s a prime spot for retail companies. Getting the images right and showing off your products properly is essential.
Pinterest profile picture size: 240 x 240 px
This doesn’t take up too much space on Pinterest, but it’s nice to give a human face to your personal boards.
Ultimately this isn’t hugely important for the platform so just go for what you think represents you and your activity on Pinterest the best.
Guidelines
- Minimum sizes of 120 x 80 px or 80 x 120 px
- The image will be cropped into a circle
- Must be below 10MB
Pinterest pin image size: 735 x 1102 px
Pins are all those images you see on Pinterest that other people have submitted. They act differently on different parts of the site, so the guidelines are a bit more in-depth for this one:
Guidelines
- Pins sit in portrait mode, usually with an aspect ratio of 1:1 or 2:3
- In the feed the height will be clipped to the 2:3 ratio
- On a board, the height can be much longer
- Sticking to the recommended size, or the 2:3 ratio, will have the best results
Pinterest board preview image size: 600 x 600 px
Once you’ve spent ages putting together some great pins in a board, you want the board to look good too.
A board cover image can help users understand what’s in the board and entice them to click.
To set this, you’ll need to upload the image you want to use as a pin first.
Guidelines
- Your cover image will sit as a square with two other pins on the right
- Using the board ‘Edit’ function you can set the cover
Need help with your content to make it reach more customers and subscribers then let Blue Flame Wired help you develop a social media plan and start getting your content ready.