Social Media Images Sizes 2021

by | Oct 22, 2021 | Blog

Posting visual content to social media platforms is easy. Posting the right size images for your professional profile or business pages is more difficult. Platforms update their sites on a regular basis, and one of the consistent changes is the size and quality of images that users can post as technology improves.

Each platform has its own optimal sizes for video, images, photos, and posts. Getting the right dimensions means getting the message across in a professional and well-executed way.

Social Media Image Sizes

Each social media platform will direct you to the information you need to optimize your visual content on their site:

  • Google My Business
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Google My Business Image Sizes

Google My Business is essential for brick-and-mortar businesses seeking contact with local audiences. For many people, this will be their first experience of your business, so your images need to be resized and formatted for the site.

Types of Images:

  • Logo
  • Cover photo – often the first image people will see, so show your products or service.
  • Business photo

For all three images, the guidelines give the following recommendations for the best images.

  • Recommended resolution: 720 x 720 pixels
  • Minimum resolution:250 x 250 pixels
  • File size maximum: 5 MB
  • Format: JPG or PNG.

YouTube Image Sizes

YouTube remains an excellent way for businesses to connect with audiences. It boasts more than 1 billion unique users monthly and is available on a number of devices. Visual content continues to connect with audiences, and YouTube gives businesses a way to connect through informative content sharing.

Channel Profile Image: 800 x 800

YouTube allows you to select different profile image borders, but the dimensions stay the same. Ensure your YouTube has a profile image set up before you select your border.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended 800 x 800 pixels.
  • Image types: JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG.

Channel Cover Photo: 2,048 x 1,152

Channel art is shown when users click through your YouTube videos to your channel. Eye-catching images can encourage audiences to keep watching your videos.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended 2560 x 1440 pixels.
  • Safe area for mobile and web (without text and logo cropping) 1546 x 423 pixels.
  • Maximum file size: 4MB.
  • Image types: JPG, GIF, BMP or PNG.

Resized for Different Devices

One of the main reasons you need to follow the YouTube guidelines for posting is the many different devices that people choose to use when viewing YouTube content. From laptops to tablets, smartphones to smart TVs, ensuring your content will be within the correct margins means people can enjoy your videos on any device.

The YouTube Help Center has more information.

Video Uploads: 1280 x 720 (Minimum HD)

Your YouTube content is a vital part of your SEO strategy. People are searching online not only for entertainment but for content that informs, educates, connects, and engages.

Video Guidelines

  • Videos must maintain a 16:9 aspect ratio. Smaller videos such as 4:3 will be pillar-boxed to fit.

Facebook Image Sizes

While the social media platform still has 1.18 billion monthly active users it remains the world’s largest social network. It is important that you make use of the site to promote your business and follow the guidelines to ensure that the images you create are at their best.

Profile Picture: 180 x 180 (Displays 170 x 170 on Desktop)

This photo represents your brand. This is the square photo that appears on your timeline layered over your cover photo. Your profile picture will also appear when you post to other walls, comment on posts or when your profile is searched.

Image Guidelines:

  • Must be at least 180 x 180 pixels.
  • Photos will appear on the page as 170 x 170 pixels on desktops and 128 x 128 on smartphones.
  • Profile pictures are located 16 pixels from the left and 176 pixels from the top of your cover photo on desktops.
  • Profile pictures are located 24 pixels from the left, 24 pixels from the bottom, and 196 pixels from the top of your cover photo on smartphones.
  • Photo thumbnails will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels.

Business Page Profile Picture: 180 x 180 (Displays 170 x 170 on Desktop)

Facebook’s Profile image for Business Pages appears on the left side of the screen. The profile image is designed to help Facebook Business Pages stand out among personal accounts.

Image Guidelines:

  • Must be at least 180 x 180 pixels.
  • Photo will appear on pages as 170 x 170 pixels on desktops, 128 x 128 on smartphones, and 36 x 36 on most feature phones.
  • Photo thumbnails will appear throughout Facebook at 32 x 32 pixels.
  • Business Page images will be cropped to fit a square.

Cover Photo: 820 x 312

Your Facebook cover photo only appears on your Facebook timeline. It is larger than the profile picture meaning that you have more room to be creative and heighten your brand awareness.

Image Guidelines:

  • Appear on page at 820 x 312 pixels. Images of lesser size will be stretched.
  • Minimum size of 400 x 150 pixels.
  • Displays at 820 x 312 pixels on a desktop and 640 x 360 pixels on smartphones.
  • For best results, upload an sRGB JPG file less than 100 KB.
  • Images with a logo or text may be best as a PNG file.
  • Business Page dimensions are exactly the same as personal accounts.

Shared Image: 1,200 x 630

Image sharing is one of the most popular Facebook features. These images will appear on your timeline, and on your followers’ News Feeds if they choose to share your content. The more people engage with your post, the more it is promoted in newsfeeds.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 630 pixels.
  • Will appear in feed at a max width of 470 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1).
  • Will appear on page at a max width of 504 pixels (will scale to a max of 1:1).

Shared Link: 1200 x 628

Sharing a link is similar to posting a shared image. There are a few options for how you can share, you can choose to create a shared link with a small square image to the left and text on the right, or with a larger rectangular image on top with text underneath.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended upload size of 1,200 x 628 pixels.
  • Square Photo: Minimum 154 x 154px in feed.
  • Square Photo: Minimum 116 x 116 on page.
  • Rectangular Photo: Minimum 470 x 246 pixels in feed.
  • Rectangular Photo: Minimum 484 x 252 on page.
  • Facebook will scale photos under the minimum dimensions. For better results, increase image resolution at the same scale as the minimum size.

Event Image: 1920 x 1005 (Recommended)

Facebook Events are a great way for your audience to pay attention to something special. Having the right dimensions for a Facebook Event cover photo will ensure it looks professional and inviting.

Image Guidelines:

  • Facebook will scale down to minimum dimensions: 470 × 174.
  • Shows in feed: 470 × 174.

Fundraiser image: 800 x 300 (recommended)

Facebook allows businesses to create fundraising events for charitable organizations or personal causes. The cover photo is different from a typical Facebook cover photo, with a minimum size of 400 x 150. Using higher resolution images is the best practice.

Instagram Image Sizes

Instagram is all about sharing beautiful images. Used as a visual platform, businesses can make the most of the platform by sharing their own professional content as well as user-generated content.

Profile Picture: 110 x 110

Your profile picture needs to be easily recognizable. Most users access Instagram on smartphones.

Image Guidelines:

  • Appear on your profile at 110 x 110 pixels.
  • Square photo: make sure to maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1.

Photo Thumbnails: 161 x 161

Your page content is arranged in rows of thumbnails. These smaller renditions of your images and videos will expand when clicked and include space for user comments.

Image Guidelines:

  • The thumbnails will appear on the page at 161 x 161 pixels.
  • Square photo: make sure to maintain an aspect ratio of 1:1 ratio.

Photo Size: 1080 x 1080

Instagram is all about the images and videos presented in your followers’ feed.

Image Guidelines:

  • The size of Instagram images has been increased to 1080 x 1080 pixels.
  • Instagram still scales these photos down to 612 x 612 pixels.
  • Appear in the feed at 510 x 510 pixels.
  • Square or rectangle photos: make sure to maintain an aspect ratio between 1:1 or 1.91:1.
  • For portrait (4:5) photos, recommended dimensions are 1080 x 1350 pixels.

Instagram Stories: 1080 x 1920

Instagram Stories are popular. There are video and image options available.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended resolution is 1080 x 1920.
  • Minimum resolution is 600 x 1067.
  • Aspect ratio is 9:16.

Twitter Image Sizes

Twitter is a popular platform that allows people to connect and discuss content.

Profile Photo: 400 x 400 (Displays 200 x 200)

Your Twitter profile photo is the main image that represents your brand on the platform. It will be visible:

  • On Your Page
  • In-Stream
  • Who to Follow

Image Guidelines:

  • Square Image recommended 400 x 400 pixels.
  • Maximum file size 5 MB.
  • Image types include: JPG, GIF or PNG.

Header Photo: 1,500 x 500

The header photo is the image at the top of the Twitter profile page. It’s a larger image than your profile photo so it should be at the highest resolution possible.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended 1,500 x 500 pixels.
  • Maximum file size of 5 MB.
  • Image types include: JPG, GIF or PNG.

LinkedIn Image Sizes

LinkedIn is still the world’s largest professional network. LinkedIn is a great place for businesses to connect, employers to find talent and professionals to share content.

Personal Profile Image: 300 x 300 (Recommended)

LinkedIn has a layout for personal profiles and a box logo with company pages.

Image Guidelines:

  • Minimum 300 x 300 pixels
  • Maximum file size 10MB.
  • Image types include JPG, GIF or PNG.

Personal Background Image: 1584 x 396

LinkedIn’s background image is for your personal profile.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended 1584 x 396 pixels.
  • Maximum size of 4MB.
  • Image types include: JPG, PNG or GIF.

Company Logo Image: 300 x 300

You should upload your standard company logo to LinkedIn. This is the bigger image and is shown beside your brand name on your LinkedIn homepage. This image also appears in the “Companies you may want to follow” section.

  • Recommended 300 x 300 pixels.
  • Minimum 300 x 300 pixels.
  • Maximum 4MB (Square layout).
  • Image types include: PNG, JPG or GIF.

Company Cover Image: 1128 x 191 (recommended)

The company or standard business background image covers the entire top of the page. The image appears much larger than the personal dimensions, giving businesses more space.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended size 1128 x 191.
  • Maximum file size of 4MB.
  • Image types include: PNG, JPG or GIF.

Shared Image or Link: 1200 x 627 (Recommended)

This size works for LinkedIn posts that share a photo or a link with an image to a blog post or article to your company page’s feed.

Image Guidelines:

  • Recommended size for images or links: 1200 x 627 pixels based on mobile scaling
  • Image types include: JPNG, JPG or GIF.