# Social media image sizes, specs, and posting best practices for 2026

Every image size, video spec, and character limit for LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Bluesky on one page, with the posting habits that get your posts found in search and quoted by AI assistants.

Last checked: November 2026. Source: https://www.radi8.com/resources/social-media-posting-guide (Radi8).

## Quick answer

- **Feed image:** 1080 × 1350 px (4:5, portrait). It takes up the most room in the feed on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Bluesky.
- **Square image:** 1080 × 1080 px (1:1). The one size that works everywhere without cropping.
- **Vertical video:** 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) for Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Stories.
- **Landscape video:** 1920 × 1080 px (16:9) for YouTube and for LinkedIn video meant for desktop.
- **Link preview image:** 1200 × 630 px (1.91:1). Set it on your own site as the og:image.
- **Profile photo:** At least 400 × 400 px, square, with your face in the middle. Most platforms crop it to a circle.

## All platforms at a glance

| Platform | Feed image | Vertical | Link preview | Post text | Video length |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LinkedIn | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | 1080 × 1920 video (9:16) | 1200 × 627 | 3,000 characters | Up to 15 min (desktop) |
| X (Twitter) | 1600 × 900 (16:9) or 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | 1080 × 1920 video (9:16) | 1200 × 630 | 280 characters (25,000 with Premium) | 2 min 20 s (longer with Premium) |
| Facebook | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | 1200 × 630 | 63,206 characters | Reels; no fixed limit in the app |
| Instagram | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) or 1080 × 1440 (3:4) | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | No clickable links in posts | 2,200 characters, 5 hashtags | Reels: 3 min safe everywhere |
| TikTok | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | No clickable links in posts | 4,000 characters in the app | 10 min in the app, 60 min uploaded |
| YouTube | Thumbnail 1280 × 720 (16:9) | Shorts 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Uses your thumbnail | Title 100, description 5,000 | 15 min (12 hours verified); Shorts 3 min |
| Bluesky | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) or 1080 × 1080 (1:1) | Video up to 10 min (9:16 or 16:9) | 1200 × 627 | 300 characters | 10 min, 300 MB |

## LinkedIn (personal profiles and Company Pages)

Post images at 1080 × 1350 (4:5) or 1080 × 1080 (1:1), keep the point of the post in its first two lines, and remember a post can run to 3,000 characters but most people only see the first 140 to 210 before "see more."

### LinkedIn image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 | 1:1 |
| Profile background | 1584 × 396 | 4:1 |
| Company Page cover | 1128 × 191 | About 6:1 |
| Post image, portrait | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Post image, square | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Post image, landscape | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 |
| Link preview | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 |
| Document (carousel) page | 1080 × 1350 or 1080 × 1080 | 4:5 or 1:1 |

### LinkedIn character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Post | 3,000 characters |
| Shown before "see more" | About 210 characters on desktop, 140 on mobile |
| Comment | 1,250 characters |
| Headline | 220 characters |

### LinkedIn video specs

- MP4, 3 seconds to 15 minutes from desktop (10 minutes from the mobile app), up to 5 GB.
- Vertical (9:16 or 4:5) fills more of the mobile feed; landscape (16:9) suits desktop viewers.
- Documents: upload a PDF of up to 300 pages and 100 MB, and it shows as a swipeable carousel.

### LinkedIn best practices

- Say the point in the first line. Everything after "see more" is for the people already interested.
- Write from your own work: a client problem, what you did, what happened. Specifics travel further than advice.
- Use portrait images or a document carousel. Both take up more of the screen than a landscape photo.
- Use a few specific hashtags or none. They help people browsing a topic, not the post itself.
- Reply to comments. The conversation under a post is part of the post.

## X (Twitter) (posts, threads, and profiles)

Post images at 1600 × 900 (16:9) or 1080 × 1350 (4:5), up to four per post, and keep each post to one idea in 280 characters, or use a thread when it needs more.

### X (Twitter) image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Profile photo | 400 × 400 | 1:1 |
| Header | 1500 × 500 | 3:1 |
| Post image, landscape | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 |
| Post image, portrait | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Post image, square | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Link card | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 |

### X (Twitter) character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Post | 280 characters (up to 25,000 with Premium) |
| Link | Counts as 23 characters, however long it is |
| Bio | 160 characters |
| Display name | 50 characters |

### X (Twitter) video specs

- MP4 or MOV, up to 2 minutes 20 seconds and 512 MB on a free account. Premium accounts can post longer video.
- 1920 × 1080 (16:9), 1080 × 1920 (9:16), and 1080 × 1080 (1:1) all play natively.
- Up to four images, or one video or GIF, per post.

### X (Twitter) best practices

- One idea per post. If it needs more room, write a thread and make the first post stand on its own.
- Post more often here than on other networks. The feed moves fast, so a post has a short life.
- Add alt text to every image. It helps people using screen readers and gives search something to read.
- Reply to people in your field. On X, conversations do more for you than broadcasts.

## Facebook (pages, profiles, and groups)

Post images at 1080 × 1350 (4:5) or 1080 × 1080 (1:1), video at 1080 × 1920 (9:16) since video posts now show as Reels, and keep the text short even though the limit is over 63,000 characters.

### Facebook image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Profile photo | 320 × 320 | 1:1 |
| Cover photo (Page or profile) | 851 × 315 | 2.7:1 |
| Group cover | 1640 × 856 | 1.91:1 |
| Post image, portrait | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Post image, square | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Post image, landscape | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 |
| Stories and Reels | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Link preview | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 |

### Facebook character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Post | 63,206 characters |
| Comment | 8,000 characters |
| Page description | 255 characters |

### Facebook video specs

- Video posts show as Reels: upload 1080 × 1920 (9:16), MP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB.
- Stories: 1080 × 1920 (9:16), up to 60 seconds each.
- Keep the cover photo's key content in the middle. Mobile crops the sides.

### Facebook best practices

- Keep it short. Long posts get cut off, and the first line decides whether anyone taps "See more."
- Post photos and video natively instead of only sharing links.
- Ask questions people actually want to answer, like a recommendation or an opinion, not "thoughts?"
- Show up in the groups your customers are already in, especially local ones, as a person rather than an ad.

## Instagram (feed posts, carousels, Reels, and Stories)

Post feed images at 1080 × 1350 (4:5), or 1080 × 1440 (3:4) to match the profile grid, Reels and Stories at 1080 × 1920 (9:16), and use up to five hashtags in a caption of up to 2,200 characters.

### Instagram image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Profile photo | 320 × 320 | 1:1 |
| Post image, portrait | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Post image, grid-matched | 1080 × 1440 | 3:4 |
| Post image, square | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Post image, landscape | 1080 × 566 | 1.91:1 |
| Carousel | Up to 20 slides, all cropped to the first slide's ratio | Any of the above |
| Stories and Reels | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Reel cover | 1080 × 1920 (the grid shows the middle 3:4) | 9:16 |

### Instagram character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Caption | 2,200 characters |
| Shown before "more" | About 125 characters |
| Hashtags | Up to 5 per post (since December 2025) |
| Bio | 150 characters |
| Username | 30 characters |

### Instagram video specs

- Reels: 1080 × 1920 (9:16), MP4 or MOV. Up to 3 minutes works everywhere, including scheduling tools; the app accepts longer uploads.
- Stories: 1080 × 1920 (9:16), up to 60 seconds per story.
- Keep text and faces away from the top and bottom of vertical video, where the caption and buttons sit.

### Instagram best practices

- Make the first line of the caption the hook. Only about 125 characters show before "more."
- Use carousels to teach: one point per slide, and a first slide that says what the reader gets.
- Pick up to five specific hashtags that describe the post. Broad ones bury it.
- Add captions to video. Most people watch with the sound off.
- Write alt text for images. Instagram fills it in automatically, but yours will be better.

## TikTok (videos and photo carousels)

Post video and photos at 1080 × 1920 (9:16), up to 10 minutes recorded in the app or 60 minutes uploaded, and put the words people search for in your caption, on screen, and out loud.

### TikTok image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Profile photo | 200 × 200 minimum (upload larger) | 1:1 |
| Video | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Photo carousel | 1080 × 1920, or 1080 × 1350; up to 35 photos | 9:16 or 4:5 |

### TikTok character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Caption | 4,000 characters in the app (often 2,200 through scheduling tools) |
| Bio | 80 characters |

### TikTok video specs

- MP4 or MOV, 1080 × 1920 (9:16).
- Up to 10 minutes recorded in the app, up to 60 minutes uploaded.
- Keep text out of the bottom fifth and the right edge, where the caption and buttons sit.

### TikTok best practices

- Earn the first two seconds. Start with the result, the question, or the problem, not a greeting.
- Talk to the camera. A person explaining something they know beats a polished montage.
- Use the words people search for in the caption, on screen, and out loud. People search TikTok like a search engine.
- Add on-screen captions. They help people watching on mute and tell TikTok what the video is about.

## YouTube (videos, Shorts, and channels)

Upload long-form video at 1920 × 1080 (16:9) with a 1280 × 720 thumbnail, Shorts at 1080 × 1920 (9:16) up to three minutes, and write a title that says what the video answers in under 70 characters.

### YouTube image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Profile photo | 800 × 800 | 1:1 |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 (keep text in the middle 1546 × 423) | 16:9 |
| Video thumbnail | 1280 × 720, under 2 MB | 16:9 |
| Video | 1920 × 1080 (up to 3840 × 2160 for 4K) | 16:9 |
| Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |

### YouTube character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Title | 100 characters (about 70 show in search) |
| Description | 5,000 characters (the first 150 or so show above the fold) |
| Tags | 500 characters in total |

### YouTube video specs

- MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio) at 1920 × 1080 or higher.
- Up to 15 minutes until you verify your account, then up to 12 hours or 256 GB.
- Shorts: up to 3 minutes, vertical (9:16) or square.

### YouTube best practices

- Title the video with the question it answers, in the words a viewer would type.
- Add chapters (timestamps) in the description. They show in search and let people jump to the part they need.
- Upload or correct the captions. They make the video searchable and quotable.
- Use Shorts to get found and long videos to go deep, and link from one to the other.

## Bluesky (posts and profiles)

Post up to four images per post (up to 2 MB each) or one video up to 10 minutes, keep posts to 300 characters, and use your website's domain as your handle.

### Bluesky image sizes

| Format | Size (px) | Aspect ratio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Avatar | 400 × 400 (up to 1 MB) | 1:1 |
| Banner | 1500 × 500 (up to 1 MB) | 3:1 |
| Post image | Any size up to 2 MB; 1080 × 1350 or 1080 × 1080 work well | Shown at its own ratio |
| Link card | 1200 × 627 | 1.91:1 |

### Bluesky character limits

| Field | Limit |
| --- | --- |
| Post | 300 characters |
| Alt text | 2,000 characters |
| Bio | 256 characters |
| Display name | 64 characters |

### Bluesky video specs

- One video per post, up to 10 minutes and 300 MB, MP4.
- A post holds up to four images or one video, not both.
- Accounts hosted by Bluesky verify their email before the first video upload.

### Bluesky best practices

- Use your domain as your handle (you.com instead of you.bsky.social). It ties your posts to your website.
- Write alt text. Bluesky readers expect it, and it gives search something to read.
- Be conversational. On Bluesky, replies and threads get further than announcements.
- Share links to your own writing. A post with a link and a sentence on why it matters fits right in.

## Posting best practices for every platform

1. **Write one idea for each channel, not one post for all of them.** The same idea can work everywhere, but a LinkedIn post, a Reel, and a Bluesky post are different things. Change the length, the opening, and the format for each one instead of pasting the same text five times.
2. **Lead with the answer.** Put the point in the first line. Feeds cut everything else off, and search engines and AI assistants pull the sentence that answers the question, so make sure there is one.
3. **Use the words your customers use.** Name the problem, the role, and the place the way a customer would type them. Public posts on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, TikTok, and other networks can show up in search, and they can only match the words that are in them.
4. **Add alt text and captions.** Alt text describes an image, captions transcribe a video. Both make your posts accessible, and both turn pictures and speech into text that search and AI can read.
5. **Keep the same name, photo, and bio everywhere.** Use one name and one photo, and say what you do the same way on every profile, linking to your website. It helps people, search engines, and AI assistants tell that all of these profiles are the same expert.
6. **Link back to a page you own.** Posts get attention; your website keeps it. Point the posts that matter at an article or page on your site, so the depth lives somewhere you control and that can be cited.
7. **Post at a pace you can keep.** Consistency beats volume. Two good posts a week, every week, build more than a burst of ten and then a month of nothing. If you keep falling off, fix the system, not your willpower.

## FAQ

### What is the best image size for social media in 2026?

1080 × 1350 pixels (4:5, portrait) for feed posts. It takes up the most room in the feed on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and Bluesky. If you need one image for every platform, use 1080 × 1080 (1:1), which no platform crops.

### What size should social media video be?

1080 × 1920 pixels (9:16, vertical) for Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, and Stories. Use 1920 × 1080 (16:9, landscape) for long-form YouTube video and for LinkedIn video meant for desktop.

### What are the character limits on each platform?

LinkedIn posts allow 3,000 characters, X allows 280 (25,000 with Premium), Facebook 63,206, Instagram captions 2,200, TikTok captions 4,000 in the app, YouTube titles 100 and descriptions 5,000, and Bluesky 300. On most platforms only the first 125 to 210 characters show before the post is cut off.

### How many hashtags should I use?

A few specific ones, or none. Instagram allows up to 5 per post as of December 2025. On LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky, two or three that describe the post are plenty. Broad hashtags put your post in a pile; specific ones put it in front of people looking for that topic.

### What happens if I upload an image at the wrong size?

The platform crops it, adds bars around it, or compresses it. Text near the edges gets cut off and small text turns blurry. Upload at the recommended size and keep important text and faces away from the edges.

### Do social media posts help SEO and show up in AI answers?

They can. Public posts and videos on LinkedIn, X, YouTube, TikTok, and other networks can show up in search results, and AI assistants draw on what they can find. Posting consistently on a clear subject, under the same name everywhere, with links back to your own site, gives them more to find and connect to you.

### How often do these specs change?

A few times a year. Platforms add formats, change limits, and adjust how images are cropped. We checked every number on this page in November 2026 and update it when the platforms change.

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Radi8 writes a version of each post for every channel you use, in your voice, and schedules it: https://www.radi8.com/how-it-works