Quick answer: the sizes you'll use most are 1080 × 1350 (4:5) for Instagram feed posts, 1080 × 1920 (9:16) for Stories, Reels, Shorts and TikTok, 1280 × 720 (16:9) for YouTube thumbnails, 1000 × 1500 (2:3) for Pinterest, and 1200 × 630 for website share images. Generate AI images at the matching ratio so nothing important gets cropped.
| Platform and format |
Recommended size |
Ratio |
AI setting |
| Instagram portrait post |
1080 × 1350 |
4:5 |
--ar 4:5 |
| Instagram square post |
1080 × 1080 |
1:1 |
--ar 1:1 |
| Instagram or Facebook Story, Reels |
1080 × 1920 |
9:16 |
--ar 9:16 |
| TikTok, YouTube Shorts |
1080 × 1920 |
9:16 |
--ar 9:16 |
| YouTube thumbnail |
1280 × 720 |
16:9 |
--ar 16:9 |
| Pinterest pin |
1000 × 1500 |
2:3 |
--ar 2:3 |
| LinkedIn link image |
1200 × 627 |
about 1.91:1 |
--ar 40:21 |
| X (Twitter) post image |
1600 × 900 |
16:9 |
--ar 16:9 |
| Website share image (Open Graph) |
1200 × 630 |
about 1.91:1 |
--ar 40:21 |
These are commonly published recommended sizes. Platforms adjust their layouts from time to time, so check each platform's help pages before a big campaign.
- Pick the ratio first. Use the --ar setting in the table, or the equivalent aspect ratio option in your image tool.
- Generate at that ratio. The output won't be the exact pixel size, but it will be the right shape.
- Resize to the exact dimensions. Because the shape already matches, resizing doesn't crop or stretch.
The AI image aspect ratio calculator gives you the exact size and the --ar parameter for each platform.
Safe zones
Platforms place buttons, captions and profile pictures over parts of your image:
- Stories, Reels, Shorts, TikTok: keep text and faces away from the top and bottom of the frame, where usernames, captions and buttons appear.
- YouTube thumbnails: the video length appears in the bottom-right corner.
- Square crops of portrait posts: Instagram's profile grid can show a cropped preview, so keep the subject near the centre.
File tips
- Upload at at least the recommended size. Smaller images get upscaled and look soft.
- Use PNG for graphics with text and JPG for photos.
- Keep text large. Many people see your image on a phone, often at thumbnail size.
For thumbnails in detail, see YouTube thumbnail size and how to generate it with AI.
If you need the same visual everywhere, plan around three master ratios instead of nine sizes:
| Master ratio |
Use it for |
| 9:16 |
Stories, Reels, Shorts, TikTok |
| 4:5 |
Instagram and Facebook feed posts |
| 16:9 |
YouTube thumbnails, X posts, slides, website headers |
Then make the two oddballs separately: 2:3 for Pinterest and about 1.91:1 (1200 × 630) for link previews on LinkedIn, Facebook and websites.
With AI tools, generate each master ratio from the same prompt rather than cropping one image into all shapes. Crops from a 16:9 image to 9:16 keep less than a third of the original width.
Profile pictures and cover images
| Image |
Common upload size |
Shape on screen |
| Profile picture (most platforms) |
400 × 400 or larger |
Shown as a circle |
| YouTube channel banner |
2560 × 1440 |
Centre area shown on all devices |
| LinkedIn personal banner |
1584 × 396 |
Wide strip |
Profile pictures are cropped to a circle, so keep faces and logos centred with space around them.
Text on social images
- Keep text large: most people see posts on a phone.
- Use high contrast between text and background.
- Avoid placing text near the edges, where platforms overlay buttons and captions.
- For video thumbnails and Stories, test at thumbnail size before posting.
Checking an image before you post
- Is it the right ratio for the placement?
- Is it at least the recommended pixel size?
- Are the subject and text inside the safe zone?
- Does it still read clearly when shrunk to thumbnail size?
- Is the file a PNG for graphics or a JPG for photos?
Common mistakes
Uploading one square image everywhere. It gets cropped or letterboxed on vertical and wide placements.
Using screenshots as graphics. They're often too small and get upscaled, which looks blurry.
Forgetting retina screens. Upload at least at the recommended size; going a little larger can look sharper on high-resolution phones, but very large files may be compressed more by the platform.
Video covers and thumbnails
Short-form video platforms let you choose a cover image. Use the same 9:16 shape as the video (1080 × 1920), and keep the important part in the centre, because profile grids often show a cropped version. For YouTube, the thumbnail is a separate 16:9 image; see YouTube thumbnail size.
Keeping sizes up to date
Platforms redesign their apps regularly, and recommended sizes and crops shift with them. Before a big launch or campaign, upload a test post or check the platform's help pages. The ratios above have been stable for years even when exact pixel recommendations change, which is why planning around ratios is the safest approach.
Questions people ask
What is the best image size for Instagram in 2026?
1080 × 1350 pixels (4:5) for feed posts, which takes up the most screen space. Use 1080 × 1920 (9:16) for Stories and Reels.
What size should a Pinterest pin be?
1000 × 1500 pixels, a 2:3 ratio.
What size is a website share image?
1200 × 630 pixels is the common size for Open Graph images shown when links are shared.
What image ratio works on every social platform?
None works everywhere. Plan around 9:16 for vertical video, 4:5 for feed posts and 16:9 for wide placements, plus 2:3 for Pinterest.
What size should a profile picture be?
Upload at least 400 × 400 pixels and keep the subject centred, since most platforms crop profile pictures into a circle.
Do social media image sizes change?
Exact pixel recommendations change from time to time, but the main ratios, 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 and 16:9, have stayed stable for years.
What size is a TikTok video cover?
Use 1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 ratio, and keep important content in the centre.
Should I use PNG or JPG for social media images?
PNG for graphics with text and sharp edges, JPG for photos. Both work on all major platforms.
Sources and further reading
Figures in this guide were calculated with our own calculators and checked against these sources.