The rise of social media and platforms like Google Ads has completely transformed online marketing. Google, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are now part of a vast business and technology ecosystem. In many industries, a lack of presence on social media and advertising networks means a company misses out on a tremendous opportunity to expose its brand, connect with customers, and, of course, increase sales.
To achieve effective PR, marketing, and sales results on social media, we must adapt to a constantly evolving environment. The functions, appearance, and regulations of social media platforms and advertising services are subject to dynamic changes, and we must keep up. The choice of graphics or video for a post can completely change its reach and the experience of its audience, so—especially when it comes to photos and videos—we should strictly adhere to the technical recommendations of Facebook and other services.
Below, we present a clear breakdown of image and video formats that will allow every marketer to achieve good results. What dimensions should images have on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook? And which ones should we choose for Google Display Network and Display & Video 360 programmatic ads?
Below are the answers. Before you learn them, you might also want to take a look at the incredibly popular Marketing Calendar. It will help you easily create a content marketing strategy, schedule social media posts, and ultimately increase sales. It's easy with this tool!
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Facebook – graphic dimensions
Profile picture
Currently, the Facebook profile photo is displayed in the shape of a circle with the most common dimensions:
- on computers (desktop): 170 x 170 pixels
- on smartphones and tablets (mobile): 128 x 128
- light version (older phones): 36 x 36
If we use Facebook in a browser, the dimensions will vary depending on the device - for example, on the timeline in the Safari browser on iPhone SE 2, the avatar is 80 x 80 pixels, while on a computer with a FullD 1920 x 1080 monitor, the photo is displayed in a resolution of 40 x 40 pixels.
The most important thing is that the profile photo has a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio, with key elements centered – Facebook will trim the edges when displaying the photo. The photo should be significantly larger than its displayed dimensions – even with an aspect ratio of 1000 x 1000 – the service will scale it accordingly, ensuring that the avatar won't appear pixelated on any device.
Background photo
On most desktops, the photo displays at a resolution of 820 x 312 pixels. On smartphones and tablets (mobile), the background photo will be cropped to 640 x 360, so it's a good idea to place the most important elements in the center of the photo.
Group cover photo
The recommended image size is 1640 x 856 pixels. If your image is larger, it will still display correctly as long as you maintain a width-to-height ratio of 1,91:1.
Background of the event
Recommended dimensions: 1200 x 628 pixels – the photo will not be centered and will look the same at different resolutions.
Photo in the post
- horizontal photo: 1200 x 900
- vertical photo: 800 x 1000
- square photo: 1080 x 1080
Video post
The video in your post should have an aspect ratio of 16:9 (horizontal video) or 9:16 (vertical video) – preferably in a resolution of 1920 x 1080 or 1080 x 1920 or higher. The system will allow you to upload videos up to 240 minutes long and up to 4 gigabytes in size.
Facebook Stories
The dimensions for Facebook Stories are the same as for Instagram Stories – they display full screen in a 9:16 aspect ratio. Recommended dimensions: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Collection – instant material
The mobile canvas format isn't used very often, but many marketers appreciate its multimedia appeal and high degree of user interaction. Collections should be presented in either a square (1:1) or vertical (9:16) format.
Photo with link (linkpost)
The best results will be achieved with a size of 1200 x 628 pixels (large horizontal thumbnail) or 1080 x 1080 (square format).
Carousel
Two to 10 photos or videos (you can combine them). Photos and videos will be displayed in a square format and should be at least 1080 x 1080 pixels in size.
Slide show
This animated format offers a wide range of options, allowing you to select from 3 to 10 photos. You can choose either a 16:9 or 1:1 aspect ratio.
A campaign aimed at gaining likes
In this case, the most popular formats are horizontal photos with dimensions of 1200 x 444 pixels or square photos with dimensions of 1080 x 1080 pixels.
Messenger – graphic dimensions
The thumbnail will appear between conversations in the conversation list, displayed in a 1:1 aspect ratio (it's best to choose an image with a resolution of 1080 x 1080 or higher). Clicking on it will display the full ad.
In expanded view (i.e., after clicking), the full image will be displayed – it can have an aspect ratio from 16:9 to 1:1; vertical images will not be accepted by the system. Official guidelines state that the minimum dimensions are 254 x 133 pixels, but in practice, Facebook rejects such small images in this ad format – the uploaded image must have a resolution of at least 500 x 262 pixels.
Maximum file size: 30 MB. You must also add text to the image – up to 150 characters, including spaces, in the body and up to 40 characters, including spaces, in the header.
Messenger – reports
As with other story formats, the image should have an aspect ratio of 9:16 and a high resolution, preferably 1080 x 1920 or higher.
Instagram – image dimensions and formats
Unlike Facebook, Instagram as a portal does not have so many different formats.
Standard posts:
- Square photos are still the most popular photo format on Instagram, and were the only format until 2015. Recommended dimensions: minimum 1080 x 1080 pixels.
- Landscape photo – recommended aspect ratio is 1,91:1 with a width of 1080 pixels.
- Vertical photo – should have an aspect ratio of 4:5 (this way it will not be cut off) with a width of 1080 pixels and a height of 1350 pixels.
instastories
Since the vast majority of users browse Instagram on their phones, the best aspect ratio for InstaStories would be 9:16 with dimensions of 1080 by 1920.
Video Posts
Videos you want to post on Instagram can have an aspect ratio ranging from 1,91:1 to 4:5.
Instagram Video
The best visual effects will be achieved by using a 9:16 or 4:5 ratio.
Twitter – image dimensions and formats
Twitter is the third-largest social networking site in Poland in terms of actual user numbers. Due to its specific nature, the profiles of politicians, marketers, and journalists are most visible on Twitter, but the site offers much more. It's a great place to browse the news (many stories appear there faster than on news portals), comment, build a personal brand, and build an expert company image.
To fully utilize Twitter's marketing potential, we must not only adhere to the regulations but also consider the technical aspects. Posts and graphics tailored to the platform's requirements will not only look more aesthetically pleasing but will likely also achieve better results.
Link to Hubspot research
Profile picture
The 1:1 format will crop the corners of the square to allow Twitter to display the avatar as a circle. The officially recommended size is 400 x 400 pixels, and the image can be uploaded in JPG, PNG, or GIF format (maximum 2 MB).
Background photo – cover photo
The file is in a 3:1 format, with Twitter's recommended dimensions being 1500 x 500 pixels. It will look the same on every device (except for scaling, of course) – Twitter doesn't crop portions of background photos.
Photos in posts
Twitter also allows you to publish photos and animations in GIF format.
The maximum file size is 5MB for publishing from the mobile app and 15MB for publishing from the website. The image on the timeline is displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio, and images with a greater height will be cropped. GIFs and videos can be square.
In a traditional post, you can post up to four photos at a time. They will be displayed in a gallery format.
- 2 photos: side by side, 7:8 aspect ratio
- 3 photos: one photo 7:8, the other two 4:7
- 4 photos: 2 x 2 grid with images displayed at a 2:1 aspect ratio
Twitter Stories – Twitter Fleets
This format, available in Poland and worldwide, has only been available since November 2020, introduced on Twitter, following the example of sites like Instagram and Facebook. Stories are called Fleets and disappear 24 hours after publication. Unlike standard posts, there's no option to share or "like" them. However, as a recipient, you can choose one of seven reactions represented by emoji icons or send a message to the author from within the story, provided they haven't previously disabled the DM (Direct Message) feature.
Fleet can contain text (like a standard post, up to 280 characters), video, animated GIF or photo.
Fleet is displayed vertically on mobile devices at 1080 x 1920 pixels. This is also the optimal size for a photo or video to be posted to a Twitter story. Currently, it's not possible to post or read Fleet on the desktop version.
Twitter Cards
Twitter Cards is a simple way to modify the appearance of links on Twitter. After pasting an address into the post, the service searches the page code for appropriate metadata, allowing you to choose one of the following types of links instead of the standard text link.
Summary card – such links contain a photo (minimum dimensions 120 x 120 pixels, square format, maximum 1 MB), page title (up to 70 characters), short description (up to 200 characters) and a fragment of the URL.
Summary with large image card – a format similar to the one above, but with a different image size. The image is larger and more prominent, which, combined with the right image selection, can result in more clicks on the link. The description is truncated to three lines in the desktop version and is not displayed when viewing the card on a mobile device running iOS or Android.
The image should be cropped to a 2:1 aspect ratio (minimum dimensions: 300 x 157 pixels, maximum: 4096 x 4096 pixels). Available formats: JPG, PNG, WEBP, and GIF (in the latter case, the first frame of the image will be used as the thumbnail if the GIF is animated).
Player Card – Summary Card with a graphical thumbnail of the audio or video file that can be played. Clicking the link in the Player Card in the mobile app will take you to a simulated Twitter browser where you can start playback. Clicking it in the desktop version will allow you to view the content directly on your timeline.
The thumbnail in Player Card should have an aspect ratio of 1:1 or 16:9 and a minimum size of 640 x 360 pixels, while the playable file itself should not exceed 5 MB.
App Card – a format designed for promoting apps. Clicking the link takes mobile users directly to the app's page in the Google Play Store or Apple Store, where they can purchase it or download it for free. Posts in this format include the app's title, description, and icon, and optionally, the price and average user rating.
You can preview the displayed link using the Twitter Card Validator tool: https://cards-dev.twitter.com/validator . In WordPress, plugins like Yoast SEO and JM Twitter Cards can help you set metadata on subpages.
LinkedIn – image dimensions and formats
LinkedIn Its specificity is definitely different from Facebook or Instagram, but due to specific target groups in many industries, it is a great advertising tool.
Profile photo: 400 x 400 pixels, although it is definitely better to choose slightly larger dimensions in a 1:1 aspect ratio.
Cover photo on Linkedin
Cover photo 1584 x 396 (4:1 aspect ratio). Depending on the screen, the LinkedIn profile cover photo may be cropped by the service, so it's best to place important elements closer to the center and test the display on different devices.
LinkedIn Stories
As with InstaStories and Facebook Stories, the best dimensions will be 1080 x 1920 (9:16 aspect ratio)
Company websites:
- Company profile picture (logo): 268 x 268 pixels
- Page cover photo: 1128 x 191 pixels
- “Company Culture” tab – main image: 1128 x 376 pixels
- “Company Culture” Tab – Custom Modules: 502 x 282 pixels
- “Company culture” tab – company gallery: 900 x 600 pixels (recommended size, minimum 264 x 176)
Photos in posts:
Graphics in the post: 1:1 aspect ratio, dimensions 1200 x 1200 (will be displayed as a square on desktop) and 1200×628 (will be displayed as such on mobile devices)
Link Graphics: 1200 x 628
Video: 256 x 144 pixels to 4096 x 2304 pixels
Advertising formats:
- Single image ad: 1:1 aspect ratio, maximum image size is 7680 x 7680 pixels
- Carousel: The maximum image size is 6012 x 6012 pixels, and the recommended single image size is 1080 x 1080 pixels, with a 1:1 aspect ratio
- Video ads: width: between 640 and 1920 pixels, height: between 360 and 1920 pixels, aspect ratio: between 1,778 and 0,5652
- Dynamic ads: 100 x 100 pixels
- Promoted Content: 1200 x 627 pixels
- Business Banner image: 646 x 220
TikTok – advertising formats and graphic dimensions
TikTok is an application that has gained enormous popularity in recent years, especially among the youngest age group.
Tik Tok profile picture
Profile photo: 200 x 200 pixels, 1:1 aspect ratio, JPG or PNG format
In-Feed ads
A 5- to 60-second video that "pretends" to be organic content in the "for you" tab. Video with sound.
Video aspect ratio: 1:1 or preferably 9:16 – 1080 x 1920 resolution
Formats: MP4/MPEG/3GP/AVI/MOV
Brand Takeover Ads
Ads shown to users immediately after launching the app.
Video aspect ratio: preferably 9:16 – 1080 x 1920 resolution
Video length: 3-5 seconds without sound, can be .gif or static .jpg image.
TopView Ads
Ads shown to users immediately after launching the app.
Video aspect ratio: preferably 9:16 – 1080 x 1920 resolution
Video length: 5-60 seconds
TopView Lite
A format similar to TopView, but it starts without sound and the ad is displayed for a much shorter time – up to 5 seconds.
Video aspect ratio: preferably 9:16 – 1080 x 1920 resolution
Video length: 3-5 seconds or JPG image displayed for 3 seconds
In addition, Branded Effects Ads / Branded Hashtag Challenge / Branded Hashtag Challenge Plus formats are also available.
It's worth remembering that in TikTok ads, the content itself is often slightly obscured, for example, by buttons on the right, logos, or descriptions. Therefore, it's good practice to center the most important elements to ensure they are visible in all situations and on all devices.
YouTube – image dimensions and advertising formats
YT banner dimensions
The recommended minimum dimensions for a YouTube banner are 2048 x 1152 pixels with a 16:9 aspect ratio. At these dimensions, the "safe zone" where we can place various elements without being cropped on various devices is 1235 x 338 pixels. The maximum file size is 6 MB.
Profile picture/channel picture
Square or round image with recommended dimensions of 800 x 800 pixels.
Thumbnail of the movie
The recommended thumbnail dimensions are 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio) with a minimum width of 640 pixels – the higher the resolution, the better.
Community Tab Posts
The image aspect ratio is 1:1, with no minimum dimensions. In addition to static images, these posts can also include animated images in .gif format.
Display advertising
Resolution: 300 x 60 pixels or 300 x 250 pixels.
Advertising overlays
Resolution: 468 x 60 or 728 x 90 pixels.
Video ads
Aspect ratio: preferably 16:9 or 1:1, FullHD resolution – 1920 x 1080 pixels in the first case, 1080 x 1080 in the second or higher.
Format: preferably MPEG-2, MPEG-4 or .AVI.
Google Display Network and Display & Video 360 (programmatic) – image dimensions
Google Display Network Ad Submissions - Dimensions
Available formats include GIF, JPG, and PNG, with file sizes up to 150 KB. The same dimensions apply to uploaded HTML5 display ads.
Square and rectangular format
200 × 200 Small Square
240 × 400 Vertical Rectangle
250 × 250 Square
250 × 360 Triple Wide Screen
300 × 250 Inline Banner
336 × 280 Large Rectangle
580 × 400 Netboard
Skyscraper (vertical format)
120 × 600 Skyscraper
160 × 600 Wide Skyscraper
300 × 600 Half-page ad
300 × 1050 Vertical
Long banner (landscape format)
468 × 60 Banner
728 × 90 Long Banner
930 × 180 Top Banner
970 × 90 Enlarged Long Banner
970 × 250 Billboard
980 × 120 Panorama
For mobile devices
300 × 50 Mobile Banner
320 × 50 Mobile Banner
320 × 100 Large Mobile Banner
Selected Rich Media (programmatic) formats
Lightbox
Logo: at least 50 x 50 pixels (maximum: 1024 x 1050 pixels), image up to 200 kb
Image gallery: 1,9:1 aspect ratio
Video: published on YouTube with public access
Flipbook (kineograph)
Logo: Maximum dimensions are 170 x 65 pixels, maximum size: 20 kb, JPG or PNG file
Video: 16:9 aspect ratio, up to 1 minute long, maximum size: 1 GB. Available formats: AVI, M4V, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MPG, OGV, WEBM, and WMV
Blank slate, cuecard, and panorama formats
They can be displayed in the following variants:
| 160x600250x250300x50300x250300x600 | 320x50320x320320x480336x280728x90 |
The exact dimensions and proportions of individual elements (graphics, fonts, accent images, etc.) in these types of ads are best viewed on the Google support page in the "asset checklist" tabs: here.
Google Ads Flexible Banners
Brand logo:
Landscape format: optimal 1200 x 300, minimum 512 x 128 pixels (aspect ratio 4:1)
Square format: optimal 1200 x 1200, minimum 128 x 128 pixels
Picture:
Landscape format: optimal 1200 x 628, minimum 600 x 314 pixels (aspect ratio 1,91:1)
Square format: optimal 1200 x 1200, minimum 300 x 300 pixels
Discovery Ads
Brand logo:
Square format: optimal 1200 x 1200, minimum 128 x 128 pixels
Picture:
Rectangular landscape format: optimal 1200 x 628, minimum 600 x 314 pixels (aspect ratio 1,91:1)
Rectangular vertical format: optimal 960 x 1200, minimum 480 x 600 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio)
Square format: optimal 1200 x 1200, minimum 128 x 128 pixels
In conclusion
Online marketing platforms, including social media, offer a wealth of opportunities. Of course, this is just one of hundreds of aspects a marketer must consider when planning a campaign, but ensuring your files are aligned with the site's guidelines will help—at least to some extent—avoid overspending. Happy designing!
Frequently asked questions about graphic formats
The list includes guidelines for the most popular websites: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and for Google advertising systems (including Google Display Network, responsive ads and Discovery Ads).
Using recommended proportions and sizes ensures that graphics or videos display correctly (without cutoffs). This enhances the aesthetics of the message, positively impacts reach, and improves the company's sales and PR results.
No. The guide covers a variety of formats – including vertical graphics (e.g., Instastories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts), videos, profile photos, channel backgrounds, as well as special formats used in paid campaigns (Ads).
For vertical formats like Instagram Stories, Reels, or TikTok, the standard and best-performing dimension is 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio).
The most universal format for posts is square, meaning a 1:1 aspect ratio. A typical size of 1080 x 1080 pixels is used, ensuring high quality in both mobile and desktop feeds.
Detailed proportions for Google campaigns (GDN, DV360 or Discovery) can be found at the end of the article on the Verseo blog, in the sections devoted strictly to banners and responsive ads.
Yes. The social media ecosystem and the technical requirements of platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn) are subject to dynamic updates, so it's worth relying on the latest data and regularly checking reports.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- What are the guidelines for creating content for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and Google Ads?
- How to adapt visual content to platform requirements to increase campaign effectiveness?
![What dimensions should graphics have on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn? [Listing]](https://verseo.pl/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/rozmiary-grafiki-fb.png "Current dimensions of graphics in social media")
