Image sizes for every platform
Updated 2026 · 7 min read
Every platform crops and re-compresses what you upload. If you give it the wrong shape, it will crop for you — and its idea of where the subject is rarely matches yours. Get the dimensions right first and everything downstream looks better.
The sizes below are what each platform currently recommends. They drift slightly over the years, but the ratios are stable, so matching the ratio is the part that really matters.
Quick reference
| Platform | Use | Pixels | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 | |
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 | |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 | 1.91:1 | |
| Story / Reel | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9 |
| YouTube | Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 | 16:9 |
| Feed / link share | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 | |
| Profile photo | at least 320 × 320 | 1:1 | |
| X (Twitter) | In-stream photo | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 |
| X (Twitter) | Header | 1500 × 500 | 3:1 |
| Personal banner | 1584 × 396 | 4:1 | |
| Shared image | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 | |
| Etsy | Listing photo | 2000 × 2000 | 1:1 |
| Shopify | Product photo | 2048 × 2048 | 1:1 |
| Standard pin | 1000 × 1500 | 2:3 |
Square is no longer the default. Portrait at 1080 × 1350 (4:5) occupies noticeably more of the phone screen in the feed and is the safest choice for a single image. Stories and Reels are 1080 × 1920 full-screen.
Two practical warnings: keep important content out of the top and bottom 250 pixels on stories, where the interface overlays it, and remember that Instagram compresses aggressively regardless — a 1080 px upload at quality 80 is plenty, and anything heavier gets re-encoded anyway.
YouTube
Thumbnails are 1280 × 720, under 2 MB, in JPG, PNG or GIF. That 2 MB limit catches people out with PNG screenshots, which are often larger. A 1280 × 720 JPG at quality 85 is typically 150–250 KB — well within budget and visually identical.
Channel banners are 2560 × 1440, but only the middle 1546 × 423 region is guaranteed visible on every device. Put text and logos in that safe area, not near the edges.
Facebook, X and LinkedIn
All three favour the same link-preview shape: roughly 1.91:1. 1200 × 630 covers Facebook and LinkedIn; X prefers 1600 × 900 in-stream but displays 16:9 cards. If you only prepare one image for sharing, 1200 × 630 is the best compromise and displays acceptably everywhere.
LinkedIn banners are very wide (4:1). A photo dropped in will be cropped to a letterbox strip, so design for the shape rather than resizing an existing image and hoping.
Etsy and Shopify
Both reward large square images. Etsy recommends at least 2000 pixels on the shortest side; Shopify product images work well at 2048 × 2048, which supports zoom without becoming unwieldy.
File size matters more here than on social: marketplaces load many images per page, so aim for a few hundred KB per photo rather than several megabytes. That means JPG for product photography on white, and compressing after resizing rather than before.
A workflow that saves time
Shrinking from a master matters. Repeatedly resizing the same file accumulates compression damage, exactly like photocopying a photocopy.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my photo look blurry after uploading?
Usually because it was too small and the platform upscaled it, or because the platform re-compressed it heavily. Upload at the recommended pixel size and moderate quality, not an oversized file.
Should I upload at higher resolution for retina screens?
Only up to the recommended size. Beyond that, extra pixels are discarded during the platform's own processing, so you gain nothing and lose upload speed.
Do these numbers change?
Occasionally. Platforms adjust recommendations now and then, but the aspect ratios stay stable — matching the ratio protects you even if the exact pixel figure moves.