Social Media Image Optimization: Platform-by-Platform Guide

Each social platform has specific image requirements and compression algorithms. This guide provides the exact specifications and optimization strategies for maximum engagement across all major platforms.

Quick Reference

Optimal Dimensions

Platform	Post	Story	Profile
Instagram	1080×1080	1080×1920	320×320
Facebook	1200×630	1080×1920	180×180
Twitter/X	1200×675	N/A	400×400
LinkedIn	1200×627	1080×1920	400×400
Pinterest	1000×1500	1080×1920	165×165
TikTok	1080×1920	1080×1920	200×200

Format Recommendations

Platform	Preferred	Also Accepted
Instagram	JPEG	PNG (for text/graphics)
Facebook	JPEG	PNG
Twitter/X	PNG	JPEG
LinkedIn	PNG	JPEG
Pinterest	PNG	JPEG
TikTok	JPEG	PNG

Instagram

Feed Posts

Type	Dimensions	Aspect Ratio
Square	1080×1080	1:1
Portrait	1080×1350	4:5
Landscape	1080×566	1.91:1

Best practices:

• Portrait (4:5) takes up more screen space in feed
• Export at 1080px width minimum
• Use JPEG at 80-85% quality
• Avoid text smaller than 16px

Stories & Reels

• Dimensions: 1080×1920 (9:16)
• Safe zone: Keep important content within center 1080×1420
• Format: JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics

Profile Picture

• Dimensions: 320×320 minimum
• Display size: 110×110 on mobile
• Format: JPEG or PNG

Carousel Posts

Slide 1: 1080×1080 or 1080×1350
Slides 2+: Same dimensions as Slide 1
Max slides: 10

All slides must maintain the same aspect ratio.

Facebook

Feed Posts

Type	Dimensions	Notes
Shared link	1200×630	OG image size
Photo post	1200×630	Landscape preferred
Square post	1200×1200	Good engagement

Stories

• Dimensions: 1080×1920 (9:16)
• Max file size: 4GB for video
• Format: JPEG or PNG

Cover Photo

• Desktop: 820×312
• Mobile crop: 640×360
• Design for mobile first—center important content

Open Graph Images

<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/og-image.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">

Serve from Sirv for automatic optimization:

<meta property="og:image" content="https://your-site.sirv.com/og/article.jpg?w=1200&h=630&crop=face">

Twitter/X

Timeline Images

Type	Dimensions	Aspect Ratio
Single image	1200×675	16:9
Two images	700×800 each	7:8
Three images	700×800 + 2× 350×400	Mixed
Four images	350×400 each	7:8

Best Practices

• Use PNG for text-heavy images - Twitter compresses JPEG aggressively
• Export at 2x if possible (2400×1350)
• Avoid compression artifacts - Upload high-quality source

Profile & Header

• Profile: 400×400 (displays as circle)
• Header: 1500×500

Card Images

<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://example.com/twitter-card.png">

Dimensions: 1200×628 (2:1 ratio)

LinkedIn

Feed Posts

Type	Dimensions
Image post	1200×627
Link share	1200×627
Square	1200×1200

Company Page

• Logo: 300×300
• Cover: 1128×191 (desktop), crops on mobile

Article Images

• Hero: 1200×644
• Inline: 1200px width max

Best Practices

• Professional, high-quality images
• PNG for infographics and text
• JPEG for photographs
• Avoid stock photo clichés

Pinterest

Pin Dimensions

Type	Dimensions	Aspect Ratio
Standard	1000×1500	2:3
Long pin	1000×2100	1:2.1
Square	1000×1000	1:1

Why Tall Images Win

Pinterest’s grid favors tall images:

• More visual space
• Higher engagement
• Better for infographics

Optimization Tips

• Use PNG for text and graphics
• Rich, saturated colors perform better
• Text overlay should be readable at thumbnail size
• Include a call-to-action

Rich Pins

Add structured data for enhanced display:

<meta property="og:title" content="Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/chocolate-cake.jpg">
<meta property="og:description" content="The best chocolate cake recipe...">

TikTok

Video Thumbnails

• Dimensions: 1080×1920 (9:16)
• Safe zone: Center 1080×1420
• Format: JPEG or PNG

Profile Picture

• Dimensions: 200×200 minimum
• Format: JPEG or PNG
• Displays as circle

OG Image Automation

Generate OG Images Programmatically

Use Sirv for dynamic social images:

<!-- Dynamic OG image with text overlay -->
<meta property="og:image" content="https://your-site.sirv.com/og-template.jpg?text.0.text=Your+Article+Title&text.0.size=48&text.0.color=ffffff">

Batch Generation

For large sites, generate social images at build time:

const sharp = require('sharp');

async function generateSocialImage(title, outputPath) {
  await sharp('template.png')
    .composite([{
      input: Buffer.from(`<svg>...</svg>`), // Text overlay
      gravity: 'center'
    }])
    .resize(1200, 630)
    .jpeg({ quality: 85 })
    .toFile(outputPath);
}

Compression Guidelines

Platform Compression Behavior

Platform	Compression	Recommendation
Instagram	Heavy	Upload 1.5-2x dimensions
Facebook	Moderate	JPEG 85% is fine
Twitter/X	Heavy on JPEG	Use PNG for quality
LinkedIn	Light	JPEG 80% is fine
Pinterest	Light	PNG for graphics

Pre-Upload Optimization

# Instagram-ready JPEG
magick photo.jpg -resize 1080x1350 -quality 90 instagram-ready.jpg

# Twitter-ready PNG (avoids compression artifacts)
magick graphic.png -resize 2400x1350 twitter-ready.png

Checklist by Platform

Instagram

• 1080px minimum width
• 4:5 ratio for maximum feed presence
• Text at least 16px
• High contrast for mobile viewing
• Preview in dark mode

Facebook

• 1200×630 for link shares
• OG tags configured
• Preview with Facebook Debugger
• Mobile-friendly composition

Twitter/X

• PNG for text-heavy images
• 2x dimensions to combat compression
• Twitter Card validator tested
• Alt text added

LinkedIn

• Professional imagery
• 1200×627 for posts
• Company branding consistent
• Preview on mobile

Pinterest

• 2:3 or taller ratio
• Text readable at thumbnail size
• Rich, saturated colors
• Clear call-to-action

Tools

Official Debuggers

• Facebook Sharing Debugger
• Twitter Card Validator
• LinkedIn Post Inspector
• Pinterest Rich Pins Validator

Image Resizing

Using Sirv:

<!-- Instagram square -->
<img src="https://your-site.sirv.com/photo.jpg?w=1080&h=1080&crop=face">

<!-- Facebook OG -->
<img src="https://your-site.sirv.com/photo.jpg?w=1200&h=630&crop=entropy">

<!-- Pinterest tall -->
<img src="https://your-site.sirv.com/photo.jpg?w=1000&h=1500&crop=attention">

Conclusion

Social media image optimization requires:

1. Platform-specific dimensions - Each platform has ideal sizes
2. Format selection - PNG for graphics, JPEG for photos
3. Compression awareness - Some platforms compress heavily
4. Mobile-first design - Most users are on mobile
5. Testing - Use official debuggers before posting

Use CDNs like Sirv to dynamically resize and optimize images for each platform from a single source.