Get to grips with the optimal image sizes for Facebook and learn how to optimise your posts for better visual quality and engagement.
Jannick Troelsen
(See the bottom of this post for an easy-to-read overview of all Facebook image sizes)
In this post, I will guide you through all the different image sizes on Facebook.
Although you might not notice it, there are actually a lot of different image sizes on Facebook – and here, I will try to give you a clear overview of them all.
I have chosen to start by talking about the size of the Facebook cover image, as it is probably the one that people (myself included) have Googled the most. However, it is also one of the hardest to give a definitive answer for. The reason for this is that, depending on which device you view a cover photo on, you may run into issues getting the correct display.
Both businesses and individuals use this, so it is relevant for almost everyone. I have therefore created a small graphic showing all the dimensions for the Facebook cover image.
Note: The graphic below is not updated, and there are some new requirements for cover images. You need to consider which device your cover image will be viewed on most often:
Desktop: 820 x 312
Smartphones: 640 x 360
Recommendation from WeMarket: Create your cover image in 820 x 360 – this way, you have the right width for desktops and the right height for smartphones. The reason this makes sense is that if you centre your text and/or the focal point of your graphic, you will achieve a good result on both devices without it being cropped by Facebook or the device. Make sure to have plenty of white space on the sides and at the top of your graphic, and you should be able to create a Facebook cover image that looks great both on desktop and mobile.
Here, I have shown all the dimensions and safe zones that you should consider. Whether you are creating a graphic yourself or having someone else do it for you.
If you have a Facebook Page, it is very important to make a good first impression – and this can be achieved by having an attractive cover image in the correct size. Therefore, you should consider things such as:
There are many considerations when choosing your Facebook cover photo – and there are countless ways to use it. I will leave that to you (or your designer) – here is just a handy tool for you.
If you simply want to upload a regular image to your Facebook wall that uses the maximum space, you should use a square image that is at least 504 x 504px. If you upload an image that is not square, such as a landscape format, Facebook will automatically scale it to 504px wide and then adjust the height proportionally.
Thumbnails for images (albums, etc.) will always be square.
Top tip: Always try to upload images in a square or landscape format. This gives the best visibility on Facebook.
Recommended image size: 1200 x 1200 or 1200 x 900
In this case, the image will be 484 x 252 in Facebook’s news feed. If the image is very small, it may be displayed next to the link text. Landscape images will appear in a box 155px wide. Portrait images will be shown at a height of 114px.
Another tip: Always use 484 x 252 or higher resolution. This will ensure the largest possible image in the news feed.
Recommended image size: 1200 x 628 / 1910 x 1000* / 1200 x 1200*
*NEW: In November 2018, Facebook opened up new options for link format images. This means you can now use portrait and square images too. These have also been updated in the cheatsheet at the bottom of this page.
The size you should use for video is 504 x 283
Tip: When you have uploaded your video, make sure to set an attractive thumbnail, as this will be shown in the news feed.
Note: In November 2018, Facebook introduced a 3% margin of error for pixel ratios. In other words, they are a bit more flexible with ratios and may crop the image themselves. This is not recommended. With the information below, there’s no reason to make mistakes 😉
Below you will find a quick overview of some of the most commonly used Facebook image sizes for personal use – many of these also apply to ads.
Image Type |
Width |
Height |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook standard image | 1200 px | 1200 px |
| Facebook link image | 1200 px | 628 px |
| Facebook cover image | 828 px | 315 px |
| Facebook video | 504 px | 283 px |
| Facebook profile image | 160 px | 160 px |
| Facebook profile image (timeline) | 32 px | 32 px |
| Facebook group image | 1640 px | 856 px |
| News feed vertical | 1200 px | 1650 px |
As I also work with Facebook advertising on a daily basis, I have created a handy cheatsheet for advertisers. Below are the optimal Facebook ad sizes, categorised by placement.
You have the option to choose a specific image or video for each placement, but it requires a lot of extra work to optimise every ad for all sizes.
Therefore, I have included my recommendations for the image sizes we have found work best across our clients.
As the digital world becomes increasingly mobile, it is important to know how to calculate Facebook image sizes for mobile use as well. It gets a bit more technical and dynamic when discussing mobile sizes – but it is valuable knowledge. When working with image sizes for mobile, you should understand the term “aspect ratio” – this is the ratio between the width and height of your image. For example, for “landscape” (when the phone is sideways for a wider view), the aspect ratio is “16:9” – but what does that mean?
It means that for every 16 units of width, there are 9 of height. So, for example, if you want 1600 pixels wide, you must also have 900 in height. This keeps the format ratio intact. As long as you use the given ratios, your content/image will always fit the format, no matter what phone or tablet it is viewed on – smart!
| Aspect Ratio | Suggested pixel sizes* | |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape / Horizontal (100% coverage) | 16:9 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Square / News feed | 1:1 | 1200 x 1200 |
| Vertical (Facebook + Instagram) | 4:5 | 1200 x 1500 |
| Vertical (Facebook only)** | 2:3 | 1200 x 1800 |
| Portrait / Vertical (100% coverage) | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 |
*These are WeMarket’s suggested pixel sizes for Facebook. These are a bit higher than what Facebook itself may suggest. This is a matter of compression and saving space on their servers. The bigger the pixels, the more space it takes on their servers… But you do not need to worry about that (they can afford it ;-)) – The most important thing is that your image looks as good as possible – and higher pixel values help achieve that.
** Facebook is changing its rules regarding this format and will most likely phase it out entirely. The change is happening because they want to switch entirely to the 4:5 format and slightly alter how much text is displayed on ads. They are going from 7 lines of text (above the image) to just 3 lines before you need to click “See more”. You can find the official statement regarding Facebook’s image sizes and the 4:5 update from Facebook themselves
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