Image sizes for every social media platform in 2026: the complete guide
Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube — every platform has different required dimensions. Here are the exact pixel values and how to hit them in seconds.
Upload the wrong size image to LinkedIn and it gets cropped to an awkward square. Post a landscape photo to Instagram Stories and white bars appear on the sides. Submit a YouTube thumbnail that's too small and it looks blurry on the channel page. Getting image dimensions right for each platform is not optional — it directly affects how professional your content looks and whether it gets cropped in unflattering ways. This guide covers every major platform with exact pixel dimensions as of 2026.
| Format | Dimensions | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 px | 1:1 |
| Portrait post | 1080 × 1350 px | 4:5 |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 px | 1.91:1 |
| Stories / Reels | 1080 × 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Profile picture | 320 × 320 px | 1:1 |
Instagram compresses everything it receives, so uploading at exactly these dimensions — not larger — minimises the quality loss from their compression. The 4:5 portrait format (1080×1350) takes up the most vertical space in the feed, which increases visibility; it is the recommended format for single images. Square posts are safe across all placements. Landscape posts appear smaller in the feed and are generally less effective for organic reach.
X (formerly Twitter)
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| In-feed image | 1600 × 900 px | 16:9, safe area 1200×675 |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 px | Displayed at 200×200 |
| Header/banner | 1500 × 500 px | 3:1 |
| Card image (link) | 1200 × 628 px | ~1.91:1 |
X crops in-feed images to a 16:9 preview with the middle section visible. If your image has important content in the top or bottom 15%, it may be cropped out of the preview. Always check how the image renders in the preview before posting.
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Feed post image | 1200 × 628 px | ~1.91:1 |
| Square post | 1200 × 1200 px | 1:1 |
| Portrait post | 628 × 1200 px | ~1:2 |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 px | Min 200×200 |
| Cover / banner | 1584 × 396 px | 4:1 |
| Article cover | 1200 × 644 px | ~1.86:1 |
| Company logo | 300 × 300 px | 1:1 |
LinkedIn is strict about banner dimensions — upload anything other than 4:1 and it is cropped or stretched awkwardly. For regular posts, the 1:1 square format performs well in the feed and avoids cropping issues across devices.
| Format | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Feed photo | 1200 × 630 px |
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 px |
| Stories | 1080 × 1920 px |
| Profile picture | 170 × 170 px |
| Cover photo | 820 × 312 px |
| Event cover | 1920 × 1005 px |
| Link thumbnail | 1200 × 628 px |
YouTube
| Format | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thumbnail | 1280 × 720 px | Min 640×360, 16:9 |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 px | Safe zone: 1546×423 |
| Profile picture | 800 × 800 px | 1:1 |
| Community post image | 1920 × 1080 px | 16:9 |
YouTube thumbnails are the single most impactful image on the platform — they directly drive click-through rate. Always upload at 1280×720 (the maximum). YouTube displays thumbnails at various sizes depending on the device and context; providing the maximum resolution ensures they never look blurry. Keep text large and readable at small sizes (the thumbnail may appear as small as 120×67 px in mobile search results).
How to resize quickly
The fastest way to hit these exact dimensions is to use quickhelp.dev's Image Resizer. Enter the exact width and height from the table above, choose your output format (JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency), and download. Everything runs in your browser — no upload, no account, no watermark. The tool also lets you lock the aspect ratio while resizing, which prevents distortion when you need to resize to a specific width and the height can be flexible.
For bulk resizing — preparing the same image in multiple platform formats — the most efficient workflow is to start with the largest required dimension (typically the YouTube thumbnail at 1280×720) and downscale for other platforms. Upscaling degrades quality; always work from a high-resolution source.