Image sizes and formats 2026: the cheat sheet
For Instagram feed posts, 1,080 × 1,350 pixels (4:5) is the safe choice when you publish through a scheduling tool: Meta accepts images from 4:5 to 1.91:1 through its API (as of October 13, 2026). In the app, portrait photos at 3:4 (1,080 × 1,440) work too.
As of October 13, 2026
All dimensions come from the platforms’ help and developer pages, retrieved on October 13, 2026. Where only trade press or “common practice” stands behind a figure, the text says so. We check the table every quarter. Changes: October 13, 2026 – first version. Next review: January 2027.
The big table: formats by platform
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube Shorts at a glance. “Via the API” means the route that scheduling tools like companycore use to publish.
| Platform and format | Aspect ratio | Pixels | Length and scope | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram: feed image | App: 1.91:1 to 3:4. API: 4:5 to 1.91:1. | Recommended 1,080 × 1,350 (4:5), in the app also 1,080 × 1,440 (3:4). Width 320 to 1,080 pixels in the app, up to 1,440 via the API; larger images are scaled down. | API: 8 MB at most, JPEG only. Caption up to 2,200 characters. | Instagram Help, Meta for Developers |
| Instagram: carousel | Same as the feed image. In the app, the chosen orientation applies to all items. Via the API, the crop follows the first image, default 1:1. | Same as the feed image. | App: up to 20 photos or videos. API: up to 10. | Instagram Help, Meta for Developers |
| Instagram: Story | 9:16 | 1,080 × 1,920 is common; we found no official pixel size. | API: video 3 to 60 seconds, 100 MB at most. | Meta for Developers |
| Instagram: Reel | 9:16 recommended. Upload in the app: 1.91:1 to 9:16. | 1,080 × 1,920 is common. In the app at least 720 pixels and 30 frames per second. Via the API up to 1,920 pixels wide, MP4 or MOV, up to 300 MB. | App: recording up to 20 minutes; Reels over 3 minutes are not recommended to new audiences. API: 3 seconds to 15 minutes. | Instagram Help: Record a reel, Reel size & aspect ratios, Meta for Developers |
| Facebook: feed image | We found no official guideline for organic posts. Ads: 4:5. | Ads: 1,440 × 1,800, at least 600 pixels wide. | Ads: JPG or PNG, 30 MB at most. | Meta Ads Guide |
| Facebook: Reel (video) | 9:16 | Recommended 1,080 × 1,920, at least 540 × 960. | App: no length limit. API: 3 to 90 seconds. | Meta Newsroom, Meta for Developers |
| LinkedIn: image | 3:1 to 4:5 (wide to tall) | Recommended 1,080 pixels wide, at least 552 × 276. | 5 MB at most, up to 20 photos per post. | LinkedIn Help |
| LinkedIn: video | 1:2.4 to 2.4:1 | 256 × 144 to 4,096 × 2,304 | 3 seconds (desktop) or 2 seconds (mobile) to 15 minutes, 75 KB to 5 GB. | LinkedIn Help |
| LinkedIn: document (carousel) | The help gives no guideline for this. | PDF recommended. | 100 MB and 300 pages at most. | LinkedIn Help |
| LinkedIn: link preview image | 1.91:1 | 1,200 × 627, wider than 200 pixels. | Applies to posts from company pages. | LinkedIn Help |
| TikTok: video | 9:16 is common; we found no official recommendation. | 1,080 × 1,920 is common. 360 to 4,096 pixels per side are allowed. | App: recording up to 10 minutes, upload up to 60 minutes. API: 3, 5 or up to 10 minutes depending on the account, 4 GB at most. | TikTok Support, TikTok for Developers |
| TikTok: photo post | The documentation gives no guideline for this. | 1080p at most. | Up to 35 images, JPEG or WebP, 20 MB per image at most. | TikTok for Developers |
| YouTube: Short | Square or vertical | 1,080 × 1,920 is common; we found no official pixel size. | Up to 3 minutes. Vertical videos of 1 to 3 minutes have counted as Shorts since October 15, 2024. Title up to 100 characters. | YouTube Help, Shorts up to 3 minutes, YouTube Data API |
TikTok’s German-language help page on video length still lists older values (60 seconds or 3 minutes). The English-language page (retrieved October 13, 2026) is the one that counts: recording up to 10 minutes, upload up to 60 minutes.
App ≠ API: why do scheduling tools have tighter limits?
The platforms’ own apps often allow more than the interfaces (APIs) that scheduling tools like companycore publish through. What counts is what the interface accepts. You’ll find the comparison of app, API and companycore, along with the rules the editor checks, in Which formats can I post with companycore?.
What changed in 2025 and 2026?
- Portrait photos at 3:4. Instagram has supported photos at 3:4 (1,080 × 1,440) uncropped since late May 2025, including in carousels (PetaPixel, May 29, 2025). Some tool routes still crop to 4:5.
- Portrait profile grid. Since January 2025, the Instagram profile has shown thumbnails in portrait format instead of square (Business Today, January 21, 2025).
- Reels up to 3 minutes. Since January 2025, Reels up to 3 minutes can be recommended to non-followers, previously only up to 90 seconds (Instagram Creators Blog, January 21, 2025).
- Shorts up to 3 minutes. Vertical videos of 1 to 3 minutes have counted as Shorts on YouTube since October 15, 2024 (YouTube Help, retrieved October 13, 2026).
- Facebook videos are Reels. Since June 17, 2025, Facebook shares new videos as Reels, with no length or format limit (Meta Newsroom, June 17, 2025).
Safe zones: where should you keep text out?
At 9:16 (Story, Reel, Short, TikTok), the platform’s controls sit on top of the image. Leave room at the top and bottom, and put text and logo in the inner area. On TikTok, the action bar on the right and the description at the bottom cover part of the image. The sources we checked give no fixed pixel values.
How do you design one visual for all platforms?
- Design in 4:5. The 1,080 × 1,350 format is within the allowed range for Instagram via the API and for LinkedIn. For Facebook, 4:5 is the ad specification; there is no official figure for organic posts.
- Put what matters in the center. Subject in the middle, text in the inner area: that way the image survives a crop to 1:1 and the preview in the profile grid.
- Create 9:16 separately. Story, Reel, Short and TikTok need portrait format. A 4:5 image only fits there with a border or a crop, so design it anew.
With companycore
In the Visual Designer, under Format & branding › Format, you choose between Feed post (4:5) (1,080 × 1,350), Story (9:16) (1,080 × 1,920), Square (1:1), Portrait (3:4) (1,080 × 1,440), Horizontal (16:9), Pinterest (2:3), Link preview (1200×628) and Custom size … (320 to 4,096 pixels). At 9:16, with TikTok enabled, Safe zones for with Story or TikTok shows what the platform covers. The Calendar adds a border to Instagram feed images outside 4:5 to 1.91:1 instead of cropping them, so a 3:4 image gets a border when posted.
TikTok is being enabled in companycore step by step.
Frequently asked questions
What size should an Instagram post be in 2026?
1,080 × 1,350 pixels (4:5) is the safe choice when you publish through a scheduling tool. In the Instagram app, 1,080 × 1,440 pixels (3:4) is possible too (Instagram Help, retrieved October 13, 2026).
How big is an Instagram Story?
The aspect ratio is 9:16, and 1,080 × 1,920 pixels is common. We found no official pixel size. Via the API, Story videos are 3 to 60 seconds long (Meta for Developers, retrieved October 13, 2026).
How long can an Instagram Reel be?
In the app you can record up to 20 minutes, but only Reels up to 3 minutes are recommended to new audiences. Via the API, 3 seconds to 15 minutes apply, and in companycore up to 3 minutes.
What format is a LinkedIn carousel?
It’s a PDF document up to 100 MB and 300 pages (LinkedIn Help, retrieved October 13, 2026). In companycore, you choose the format Document: 1 to 10 images become a PDF, and each image becomes a page. Use the same format for all images.
Why is my image posted to Instagram with a border?
Images outside 4:5 to 1.91:1 are extended with a border instead of being cropped. That is how the editor shows it. Design in 4:5 if you don’t want a border.
Does 1,080 × 1,920 pixels work for TikTok too?
Yes, that is common. We found no official recommendation. According to the developer documentation, TikTok accepts 360 to 4,096 pixels per side (TikTok for Developers, retrieved October 13, 2026).
Sources
- Instagram: Instagram Help: resolution of photos you share on Instagram, Share a post with multiple photos or videos, Record a reel on Instagram and Reel size & aspect ratios on Instagram (all undated, retrieved October 13, 2026). Meta for Developers: IG User Media Reference and Instagram Content Publishing (both undated, retrieved October 13, 2026). Instagram Creators: Finding success on reels in 2025, January 21, 2025.
- Facebook: Meta Newsroom: Making it Easier to Create Videos on Facebook, June 17, 2025. Meta for Developers: Reels Publishing and Meta Ads Guide: Image, Facebook Feed (both undated, retrieved October 13, 2026).
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn Help: Photos in posts, Video specifications, Sharing documents and Image specifications for LinkedIn Pages (all undated, retrieved October 13, 2026).
- TikTok: TikTok Support: Camera tools, English-language help. TikTok for Developers: Media Transfer Guide and Photo Post Reference (all undated, retrieved October 13, 2026).
- YouTube: YouTube Help: Upload YouTube Shorts and Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts (both undated, retrieved October 13, 2026). YouTube Data API: Videos resource, retrieved October 13, 2026.
- Trade press: PetaPixel: Instagram finally adds support for 3:4 aspect ratio photos, May 29, 2025. Business Today: Instagram head announces big changes, 3-minute reels and new look for profile grid, January 21, 2025.
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