Social Media Image and Video Sizes for 2026: The Cheat Sheet

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, Threads and X: the aspect ratios, sizes and limits each platform publishes, in one dated, sourced table.

By Hadrien Bonato-Pape · Published on October 16, 2026 · Social platforms

In 2026, the safest social media image sizes are 4:5 vertical (1,440 × 1,800 px) for Instagram and Facebook feeds, full-screen 9:16 (1,080 × 1,920 px) for Reels, Stories, TikTok and Shorts, and 2:3 (1,000 × 1,500 px) for Pinterest. This cheat sheet collects the image and video sizes each platform publishes itself, network by network, with a link to every source.

Every value below was checked on the platforms' official pages as of October 2026. They change regularly: when a number matters (a file size, a maximum length), double-check it at the linked source before a big campaign. For the bigger picture of producing and publishing content efficiently, our guide to automating social media is the place to start.

The cheat sheet: social media image and video sizes for 2026

Details for each network, with sources, follow. For ad formats and the areas to keep free of text, see also our guide to ad creative formats and safe zones.

Instagram: which image and video sizes?

Meta's ads guide recommends a 4:5 aspect ratio at 1,440 × 1,800 pixels for feed images, in JPG or PNG, with a minimum width of 600 pixels. Square 1:1 is still supported. A 4:5 vertical takes up more of a phone screen than a square, which is why it has become the default.

If you publish through a scheduling tool, the API rules are what count. As of October 2026, Instagram's developer documentation lists:

• Images: JPEG only, 8 MB max, aspect ratio between 4:5 and 1.91:1, width from 320 to 1,440 pixels.
• Reels: MOV or MP4, 9:16 recommended, 3 seconds to 15 minutes, 300 MB max, up to 1,920 horizontal pixels.
• Stories: 9:16 recommended to avoid cropping; video 3 to 60 seconds and 100 MB max, image 8 MB max.
• Carousels: up to 10 images, videos or a mix of both.

Our Instagram formats and best practices guide explains what the app allows versus what the API allows.

Facebook: feed, Reels and Stories dimensions

Facebook shares Meta's image recommendations: 4:5 at 1,440 × 1,800 pixels in the feed. For Reels published via the API, Meta's documentation sets a length of 3 to 90 seconds, a 9:16 ratio and a recommended resolution of 1,080 × 1,920 pixels. For sponsored Stories and Reels, the ads guide recommends a 9:16 visual at 1,440 × 2,560 pixels.

Good news: one 4:5 image and one 9:16 vertical video work on both Meta networks. You can produce a single file for Instagram and Facebook, as long as you adapt the caption.

LinkedIn: what size should a post image be?

According to LinkedIn Help, an uploaded image can be up to 5 MB, must be at least 552 × 276 pixels (1,080 pixels wide recommended) and can use an aspect ratio from 3:1 to 4:5. A post can include up to 20 photos, with a 4:5 maximum ratio in that case. Photos can't be resized or edited after posting, and you can't combine a link and images in the same post.

For ads, LinkedIn's single image ad specs recommend 1,200 × 628 pixels horizontal (1.91:1), 1,200 × 1,200 square and, for mobile-only vertical, 628 × 1,200, 600 × 900 or 720 × 900 pixels. JPG, PNG or GIF, 5 MB max. Other LinkedIn formats (documents, polls, video) are covered in our LinkedIn guide.

TikTok: which video format?

TikTok is built for full-screen vertical video. Its video ad specifications, a solid technical reference, recommend 9:16 at a minimum of 540 × 960 pixels, and accept 16:9 (at least 960 × 540) and square (at least 640 × 640). Accepted files are .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp and .avi, up to 500 MB and 10 minutes, with a bitrate of at least 516 kbps. In practice, export at 1,080 × 1,920 for a crisp image. Limits specific to organic posts are in our TikTok guide.

YouTube: Shorts, videos and thumbnails

Per YouTube Help, a square or vertical video up to three minutes long is categorized as a Short. To keep a video out of Shorts, use a wider format such as 16:9.

For custom thumbnails, YouTube Help lists a resolution of up to 3,840 × 2,160 pixels for videos (16:9) and 2,160 × 3,840 for Shorts (9:16), with a minimum width of 640 pixels for videos, in JPG or PNG. The size limit is 2 MB from the mobile app and 50 MB from a computer.

Pinterest: Pins, video and carousels

Pinterest's product specs recommend a 2:3 ratio, or 1,000 × 1,500 pixels, in PNG or JPEG, up to 20 MB on desktop and 32 MB in the app. Pinterest warns that Pins taller than 2:3 may get cut off in people's feeds. Videos can be square (1:1) or vertical (2:3, 4:5 or 9:16), from 4 seconds to 15 minutes, up to 2 GB. A carousel holds 2 to 5 images, in 1:1 or 2:3.

Threads and X: the limits to know

For Threads, the developer documentation lists JPEG or PNG images up to 8 MB, 320 to 1,440 pixels wide, with an aspect ratio up to 10:1; MOV or MP4 videos up to 5 minutes and 1 GB, 9:16 recommended; and carousels of 2 to 20 items.

For X, the Help Center caps a post at 4 media items, with photos up to 5 MB in GIF, JPEG or PNG, shown in full between 2:1 and 3:4. Without a subscription, a video can run up to 140 seconds and 512 MB.

How do you create once and post everywhere?

You don't need ten files per post. Three master formats cover almost everything:

1. 9:16 vertical, 1,080 × 1,920 px: Reels, Stories, TikTok, Shorts, Threads and Pinterest video. Keep text and logos in the center, away from the top and bottom edges where the interface sits.
2. 4:5 vertical, 1,440 × 1,800 px: feed images and carousels on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Threads. Our guide to how many slides a carousel should have covers the rest.
3. 2:3, 1,000 × 1,500 px: Pinterest, where the taller format is the norm.

Add a 16:9 when you need long-form YouTube videos and their thumbnails. Always export at the recommended size rather than the minimum: a small image gets scaled up by the platform and loses sharpness.

The most costly mistakes

• Text placed against the edge of a vertical video, hidden behind the caption or buttons.
• A landscape image in a mobile feed, where it takes up about half the space of a 4:5.
• A Pinterest Pin taller than 2:3, cut off in the feed.
• A carousel with mixed sizes: later images get cropped to match the first.
• A file sent through a scheduling tool that exceeds the API limits, which are stricter than the app's.

Adapt your formats with Oposto

Oposto learns your brand from your website (voice, colors, products, audience), generates your posts, carousels and short videos, then adapts each post to each network. You approve, it publishes to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, X and Pinterest at the scheduled time. The free plan doesn't require a credit card: try Oposto.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best image size for Instagram in 2026?

A 4:5 vertical at 1,440 × 1,800 pixels, in JPG or PNG, per Meta's ads guide. Through a publishing tool, Instagram's API accepts JPEG images up to 8 MB, between 4:5 and 1.91:1, 320 to 1,440 pixels wide.

Can you use the same video for Reels, TikTok and Shorts?

Yes, 9:16 vertical at 1,080 × 1,920 pixels works for all three. Just check the length: a Short runs three minutes at most, and Reels and TikTok limits depend on how you publish.

What size should a Pinterest Pin be?

Pinterest recommends a 2:3 ratio, or 1,000 × 1,500 pixels. Taller Pins may get cut off in the feed.

What size should a LinkedIn post image be?

LinkedIn accepts aspect ratios from 3:1 to 4:5, with 1,080 pixels wide recommended and up to 5 MB per image. A post can include up to 20 photos.

Do these sizes change often?

Yes, regularly. The values in this cheat sheet were checked on official pages in October 2026: confirm at the linked source before a big campaign.