MediaSizes

There's no single size that works everywhere, but 1200 × 630 pixels comes close. It's the recommended size for Facebook and LinkedIn link previews, and Twitter/X displays it nicely too. If you only have time to create one image for a post that'll go on multiple platforms, that's the size to use. For platform-specific formats like Instagram Stories or TikTok videos, you'll want 1080 × 1920 pixels instead.

Most platforms will automatically resize or crop your image to fit their layout. The problem is you don't get to control where the crop happens. A landscape photo might get its edges chopped off, or a portrait shot might lose the top and bottom. Text near the edges of an image is especially likely to get cut. Uploading at the correct dimensions from the start gives you full control over what people actually see.

Use JPEG for photographs and images with lots of colors or gradients. It keeps file sizes small while looking good. Use PNG for graphics with text, logos, screenshots, or anything with sharp edges and flat colors - PNG preserves those crisp details without compression artifacts. Most platforms compress your image again after upload anyway, so starting with a high-quality file matters more than the format you choose.

Major changes happen a few times per year across all platforms combined. Facebook and Instagram tend to adjust their layouts every 12-18 months. Twitter/X made significant changes when they rebranded. Most updates are small tweaks - a profile photo going from 400 × 400 to 500 × 500 pixels, for example. We monitor all platforms and update our guides whenever something changes, so the dimensions you see here are current for 2026.

Pixel dimensions are the exact width and height of your image in pixels - like 1080 × 1080 or 1920 × 1080. Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between width and height, expressed as something like 1:1 (square) or 16:9 (widescreen). Two images can have totally different pixel dimensions but the same aspect ratio. A 1920 × 1080 image and an 1280 × 720 image are both 16:9. Aspect ratio tells you the shape, pixel dimensions tell you the resolution.

For most social media posts, no - one correctly sized image works on both. The platform handles the responsive display. But cover photos and banners are the big exception. Facebook cover photos, for instance, display at 820 × 312 on desktop but 640 × 360 on mobile, which means the visible area shifts. That's why our platform guides include safe zone information - it tells you where to keep important content so nothing gets cut on either device.