Post the same image to Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn without adjusting it, and you'll often get three different crops — a face cut off here, empty space there. Each platform has its own preferred shapes for different image types, and matching them keeps your content looking intentional.
General Dimensions by Platform
Platforms adjust their specifications occasionally, so treat the numbers below as a practical starting point and check the platform's current guidelines before a major campaign.
| Platform | Image type | Typical aspect ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Square post | 1:1 | |
| Portrait post | 4:5 | |
| Story/Reel | 9:16 | |
| Feed post | Roughly 1:1 to 4:5 | |
| Cover photo | Wide, roughly 16:9 or wider | |
| Profile picture | 1:1 (square) | |
| Feed post | Roughly 1:1 to 1.91:1 | |
| Cover/banner | Wide, roughly 4:1 | |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 16:9 |
| Status | 9:16 |
Working Out the Right Dimensions
Once you know the aspect ratio you need, the Aspect Ratio Calculator helps you find matching pixel dimensions from a starting width or height, so images aren't stretched or squashed when the platform resizes them.
Cropping and Resizing for Each Platform
- Decide the platform and image type (post, story, cover, profile).
- Crop the source image to that aspect ratio using the Image Editor.
- Keep the important subject centred, since covers and some posts get cropped differently across devices.
- Compress with Image Compress so uploads are quick, especially on mobile.
Why Centring Matters for Covers and Banners
Cover and banner images often display differently on mobile versus desktop, or get cropped on the edges depending on screen width. Keep faces, logos and important text away from the very edges, and centred where possible, so nothing important gets cut off across different views.
Profile Pictures
Almost every platform uses a square or circular crop for profile pictures. Even if the platform lets you upload a rectangular image, it will typically crop to a circle for display — leave margin around the subject so cropping doesn't cut into a face or logo.
Batch-Preparing Images for Multiple Platforms
If you're posting the same photo across several platforms:
- Start from your highest-quality original.
- Crop a version for each aspect ratio you need (square, portrait, story).
- Compress each version appropriately.
- Keep a naming convention like
product-square.jpg,product-story.jpgso you don't mix them up.
A Quick Sanity Check Before Posting
- Preview the image in the platform's own post composer where possible — most show a crop preview before publishing.
- Check text or logos aren't cut off at the edges.
- Confirm the file isn't unnecessarily large, which can slow uploads on mobile data.
For general image optimisation principles that apply everywhere, see how to compress images for a website and JPG vs PNG vs WebP.
