Social Media Image Size Cheat Sheet (Updated for 2025)

Getting social media image sizes wrong is one of the most common reasons a post looks unprofessional. Platforms crop, compress, and resize images in non-obvious ways — and the right dimensions have changed multiple times over the years. This is the 2025 cheat sheet.

Instagram image sizes

Tip: For the highest-quality feed post, upload at 1080 × 1350 (portrait). Instagram displays this larger than square in the feed, and the taller format captures more attention.

Facebook image sizes

Tip: Facebook compresses aggressively. Upload at 2× the display size and let Facebook downscale, rather than uploading at exact display size.

X (Twitter) image sizes

Tip: X crops images to 16:9 in the feed by default. Design for 1200 × 675 to avoid awkward cropping.

YouTube image sizes

Tip: YouTube thumbnails are the single most important factor in click-through rate. Use bold text, high-contrast colors, and a clear focal subject. The 1280 × 720 size is non-negotiable.

LinkedIn image sizes

Tip: LinkedIn carousels (PDF documents) get 3–5× the engagement of single-image posts. Design a 10-slide carousel at 1080 × 1080 per page, export as PDF, upload as a document post.

Pinterest image sizes

Tip: Pinterest favors tall pins. 2:3 aspect ratio (1000 × 1500) consistently outperforms square. Even taller (9:16) works for mobile-first audiences.

TikTok image sizes

Tip: TikTok is strictly vertical. Any horizontal content gets cropped or shows with ugly letterboxing.

WhatsApp image sizes

Tip: WhatsApp profile pictures display very small. Use a tight headshot, not a full-body photo.

Snapchat image sizes

Best practices across all platforms

1. Always export at 2× the minimum display size. Platforms compress images; uploading at 2× gives them headroom to downscale without visible quality loss. (Note: don’t exceed the platform’s maximum — YouTube thumbnails must be ≤ 2 MB.)

2. Use sRGB color profile. Most platforms assume sRGB. If your image is in Adobe RGB or ProPhoto, colors will look washed out after upload.

3. Export as JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with text. JPEG compresses photos better; PNG keeps text crisp.

4. Strip metadata before upload. EXIF data can leak your location, camera model, and editing software. Use a tool like VanishBG that strips metadata automatically, or use a service like TinyPNG.

5. Test on multiple devices. An image that looks great on your laptop might look completely different on a small phone screen. Always preview at 360 px wide before publishing.

6. Design for the safe area. Most platforms crop the edges of images on certain devices. Keep critical content (text, faces, logos) in the center 80% of the frame.

7. Use the right aspect ratio for each placement. A 1:1 image works on Instagram but gets cropped to 16:9 on X. Have multiple variants ready for cross-posting.

How to export at all the right sizes

The fastest way: use VanishBG with the preset selector. After removing the background, you can switch between 16 presets — Instagram post, Instagram portrait, story, Facebook post, Facebook cover, X post, X header, YouTube thumbnail, YouTube Shorts, YouTube banner, LinkedIn post, LinkedIn banner, Pinterest pin, WhatsApp DP, and custom dimensions — without re-processing the image. Each export is pixel-exact and stripped of metadata.

This saves you from manually resizing in Photoshop for every platform. Drop once, export many.

Bottom line

Image sizes change. Bookmark this page and check back before any major campaign — platforms update their requirements roughly once a year, and we’ll keep this cheat sheet current. The principles stay the same: know your display size, upload at 2×, use sRGB, strip metadata, and design for the safe area.