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Social Media Image Sizes Cheat Sheet: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and More

By the FileTools team · Updated October 27, 2026 · 4 min read

Upload a picture with the wrong dimensions and the platform will crop it, stretch it or compress it until it looks blurry. Knowing the right sizes takes the guesswork out. Below are the most useful image sizes for the major social networks. Platforms occasionally change their layouts, so treat these as reliable starting points and check the current help page if something looks off.

Quick reference table

Instagram

The portrait 4:5 format (1080 x 1350) takes up the most screen space in the feed, which usually earns more attention than a square. Stories and Reels are vertical 9:16; keep important text away from the top and bottom edges where the interface sits on top of the picture.

Facebook

A 1200 x 630 image is used for link previews and works well for shared posts. When you share a link to your website, the platform uses your page's preview image, so provide one at this size.

LinkedIn

The profile banner is very wide and short (1584 x 396), so place text in the middle-right area where the profile photo does not cover it. Post images work well at about 1200 x 627.

YouTube

Thumbnails should be 1280 x 720 (16:9), at least 640 pixels wide, in JPG, GIF or PNG and under 2 MB. Large, high-contrast faces and short text read best at small sizes.

How to resize an image to these sizes

1. Open the image resizer and upload your picture.
2. Choose a preset (Instagram post, Story, Facebook post, LinkedIn banner, YouTube thumbnail) or type a custom width and height.
3. Resize and download. The picture is scaled to fit while keeping its aspect ratio, so nothing is stretched.

Avoiding blurry uploads

• Start from a picture at least as large as the target size; enlarging a small image always looks soft.
• Platforms recompress uploads. Upload a clean JPG or PNG and avoid compressing it twice.
• Keep file sizes reasonable; if a platform has a size cap, reduce it with the image compressor.
• Choose the right format for the content; see PNG vs JPG vs WebP.

Safe zones: where to put text and faces

Platforms overlay buttons, captions and profile pictures on top of your image, and different devices crop in different ways. A "safe zone" is the central area that is never covered or cut off. As a rule, keep important text and faces at least 10% away from every edge. For vertical Stories and Reels (1080 x 1920), leave roughly the top 250 pixels and the bottom 340 pixels free of key content because the interface sits there. For wide banners such as a LinkedIn or X header, keep the message in the center region, since profile photos and cropping on mobile can hide the sides.

Designing one graphic for several platforms

1. Create the master at the largest size you need, for example 1080 x 1350 for a portrait feed post.
2. Keep the main subject centered with generous margins.
3. Export crops for other ratios (square 1:1, landscape 1.91:1, vertical 9:16) and check each by eye.
4. Resize the exports with the image resizer and compress them with the image compressor if a platform limits file size.

File format and quality tips

• Upload JPG for photographs and PNG for graphics with text. Every platform recompresses uploads, so start with a clean file instead of an already heavily compressed one.
• Do not upscale a small picture. Enlarging only makes it blurry.
• Check the result on a phone, where most people will see it.

Accessibility and good practice

Add alternative text or a description where the platform allows it, use high contrast between text and background, and avoid putting essential information only inside the image. Remember that sizes change from time to time, so verify the current recommendation in the platform's help center before a big campaign.

Quick reference

• Design at 1080 pixels wide for most feeds and Stories.
• Keep key content inside the central safe zone.
• Prefer JPG for photos and PNG for text-heavy graphics.
• Check each design on a phone before posting.
• Recheck platform guidelines before important campaigns.

Consistency also matters. Using the same fonts, colors and margins across platforms makes your content recognizable, even when the crops differ.

Frequently asked questions

Will resizing crop my image?

The resizer scales the picture to fit within your chosen size without cropping. If the ratio differs from the target, one dimension will be smaller; crop first if you need an exact frame.

Can I resize many pictures at once?

Yes. Add several images and download them all as a ZIP.

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