The Right Image Sizes for Social Media
A reference table of image dimensions for every platform, why your posts lose quality, and how to prevent it.
You upload a high-quality image and it appears washed out or cropped. The platform is not solely to blame — your dimensions and file size did not match what it expects.
Why do your images lose quality?
Every platform re-compresses what you upload. If you upload at the wrong dimensions, two damaging operations occur: resampling, then re-compression. The result is worse than if you had uploaded at the correct size to begin with.
Golden rule: upload at the exact dimensions the platform expects, at high quality (85–90), and let it compress only once.
Dimensions table
| Platform and type | Dimensions | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram — square post | 1080×1080 | 1:1 |
| Instagram — portrait | 1080×1350 | 4:5 |
| Instagram — Story & Reels | 1080×1920 | 9:16 |
| Facebook — post | 1200×630 | 1.91:1 |
| Facebook — cover | 1640×856 | — |
| X (Twitter) — post | 1600×900 | 16:9 |
| LinkedIn — post | 1200×627 | 1.91:1 |
| YouTube — thumbnail | 1280×720 | 16:9 |
| 1000×1500 | 2:3 | |
| WhatsApp — status | 1080×1920 | 9:16 |
Ratio matters more than size
If you must choose, prioritise the ratio. A correct ratio at smaller dimensions still displays properly; a wrong ratio means automatic cropping that may cut off someone's head or half your logo.
Common mistakes
- Uploading the camera file as-is: 12 megapixels at 4:3 — it will be cropped and heavily compressed.
- Text near the edge: leave a 10% safe margin on every side; interfaces cover the edges with buttons.
- Re-uploading an image downloaded from another platform: compression on top of compression — the worst possible result. Always upload from the original.
- Using PNG for a photograph: a huge file for no benefit, and some platforms convert it to a lower-quality JPG anyway.
Quick workflow
- Pick the platform and size from the table above.
- Resize your image to those dimensions.
- Save as JPG at quality 85–90 (or PNG if it contains sharp text or transparency).
- Upload — and let the platform compress just once.
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