Choosing the right image and video dimensions is essential for capturing attention and boosting engagement on social media. Incorrect sizing can lead to pixelated visuals, awkward cropping, or poorly displayed content that falls flat. This guide outlines the latest specifications for images and videos across major social platforms, helping you ensure your posts always look polished, professional, and impactful..
Why Image and Video Dimensions Matter
Each social media platform comes with its own distinct layouts and algorithms, making it crucial to optimize your visuals for maximum impact. Here’s why using the right dimensions matters:
- Better Visibility: Properly sized visuals display perfectly, standing out in crowded feeds.
- Higher Engagement: Well-optimized images and videos drive more likes, comments, and shares.
- Algorithm-Friendly: Platforms prioritize compliant content, increasing the reach of your posts.
Platform-Specific Image and Video Specifications
- Profile Picture: 320 x 320 pixels, displayed as a circle. Keep key elements inside the circular crop.
- Cover Photo:
- Profiles and Pages: 851 x 315 pixels
- Events: 1920 x 1005 pixels
- Groups: 1640 x 856 pixels
- Post Images:
- Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels
- Vertical: 1080 x 1350 pixels
- Videos:
- Resolution:
- Landscape: 1280 x 720 pixels
- Portrait: 720 x 1280 pixels
- Reels/Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
- Length:
- Stories/Reels: 3–90 seconds
- Posts/Ads: 1–240 minutes
- File Type: MP4 or MOV
- Resolution:
- Profile Picture: 320 x 320 pixels, cropped to a circle.
- Post Images:
- Square: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
- Vertical: 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio)
- Horizontal: 1080 x 566 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
- Stories and Reels:
- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
- Tip: Leave 250 pixels at the top and bottom free of text to avoid UI overlap.
- Length:
- Stories: Up to 90 seconds
- Reels:
- In-app: 90 seconds
- External uploads: Up to 15 minutes
- File Type: MP4 or MOV
TikTok
- Profile Picture: 200 x 200 pixels
- Videos:
- Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
- File Size:
- iOS: Up to 278.6 MB
- Android: Up to 72 MB
- Length:
- In-app: 3 minutes
- External uploads: Up to 10 minutes
Twitter (X)
- Profile Picture: 400 x 400 pixels, with a circular crop.
- Cover Photo: 1500 x 500 pixels
- Post Images:
- Vertical: 1080 x 1350 pixels
- Horizontal: 1600 x 900 pixels
- Videos:
- Resolution:
- Vertical: 720 x 1280 pixels (9:16)
- Horizontal: 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9)
- Length:
- Standard Accounts: 140 seconds
- Verified Accounts: Up to 10 minutes
- Resolution:
- Profile Picture:
- Personal Profiles: 400 x 400 pixels
- Company Pages: 400 x 400 pixels
- Cover Photo:
- Personal Profiles: 1584 x 396 pixels
- Company Pages: 1128 x 191 pixels
- Post Images:
- Vertical: 1080 x 1350 pixels
- Horizontal: 1080 x 360 pixels
- Videos:
- Resolution: 256 x 144 pixels to 4096 x 2304 pixels
- File Types: MP4, MOV, ASF, or WebM
- Length: Up to 10 minutes
- Pins:
- Optimal Dimensions: 1000 x 1500 pixels (2:3 aspect ratio)
- Video Pins:
- Resolution: 1200 x 1800 pixels (recommended minimum)
- Aspect Ratio: 1.91:1 to 9:16
- Length: Up to 15 minutes
YouTube
- Profile Picture: 800 x 800 pixels, appears as a circle.
- Channel Banner:
- Dimensions: 2560 x 1440 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
- Safe Area: 1546 x 423 pixels for text and logos.
- Videos:
- Resolutions:
- Standard Definition (SD): 854 x 480 pixels
- High Definition (HD): 1920 x 1080 pixels
- Ultra HD/4K: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Thumbnails: 1280 x 720 pixels (file size under 2 MB)
- Resolutions:
Best Practices for Social Media Visuals
To maximize the impact of your visuals, follow these tips:
- Use High Resolutions: Choose the largest resolution available to ensure crisp, professional visuals.
- Adapt to Platform Preferences:
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- Vertical formats work best for mobile-first platforms like TikTok and Instagram Stories.
- Square formats perform well across various feeds, including Facebook and Instagram.
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- Custom Thumbnails: Eye-catching thumbnails on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest can boost engagement significantly.
- Optimize File Sizes: Compress files for fast loading without sacrificing quality using tools like Online Image Compressor.
Streamline Your Social Media Efforts
Keeping up with ever-changing social media image and video specifications can be challenging. Thankfully, tools like Canva simplify design creation, while platforms such as Cloud Campaign and Buffer provide automatic scheduling. Together, they make managing your content easier and save you valuable time.
Why Partner with Orbit Optimizations?
At Orbit Optimizations, we specialize in crafting effective strategies to elevate your social media presence. From creating visually stunning content to optimizing for platform-specific requirements, our team ensures your brand stands out in the digital space. By combining creativity, data-driven insights, and cutting-edge tools, we help you connect with your audience and achieve measurable growth.