The ultimate guide to social media sizes for 2026: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more

Creating social media content in 2026 takes much more than memorizing a list of pixel dimensions. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest and X display images and videos in different interfaces, with cropping, controls and behaviors that vary by device and placement.

This guide brings together the most useful social media dimensions, explains which come from official documentation, which are supported formats and which we recommend at Alterno as production masters. Verification was completed in September 2026, and each data point links to its source.

If you need a quick answer: produce 1080 × 1080, 1080 × 1350, 1080 × 1920, 1920 × 1080, 1200 × 628 and 1000 × 1500 first. Then adapt the composition, not just the size.

Last updated: September 2026

Masters reduce repetitive work, but they do not replace art direction. Use the largest reasonable size within the aspect ratio, keep editable files and leave room to rearrange headlines, products, people and calls to action.

Use the filters to compare dimensions for social media, organic content and paidmedia. “Oficial” identifica una recomendación explícita; “Soportado” indica un formato aceptado; “Recomendación Alterno” es nuestro master práctico cuando la plataforma publicaan aspect ratio or minimum, but not an ideal resolution.

For Instagram and Facebook, consider three main compositions: 1:1 for versatility, 4:5 for more vertical space in the feed and 9:16 for Stories and Reels. Thedocumentación de Instagram admite varias proporciones para imágenes; en publicidad, elplacement may crop or rearrange the asset.

An Instagram post size of 1080 × 1080 is still useful, while 1080 × 1350 offers a taller presence. For an Instagram Story or Reel, 1080 × 1920 is the working master size. In Meta Ads, always check the preview for each placement rather than assuming one export will work the same across all of them.

La Social Media strategy define dónde vive el mensaje; la digital advertising planning determines which placements warrant a tailored version.

TikTok prioritizes the 9:16 experience and recommends vertical creative, sound and content that feels natural on the platform. For In-Feed Ads, the official documentation accepts vertical, square and horizontal formats with different minimums. The vertical minimumdocumentado es 540 × 960; producir a 1080 × 1920 es una recomendación de Alterno parapreserve quality and reusability.

Do not place essential text right against the edge. The caption, account name, call to action and controls can cover the video. TikTok offers templates and previewsque deben revisarse según el formato vigente; no existe un porcentaje universal queguarantees compatibility with all placements.

For Single Image Ads, LinkedIn recommends 1200 × 628 at 1.91:1 and 1200 × 1200 at 1:1. The 720 × 900 vertical 4:5 reference is intended for mobile. These dimensions should not be confused with video: LinkedIn supports 16:9, 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16 for video, with requirementspropios.

For professional creative, prioritize a clear idea, readable typography and sufficient contrast. LinkedIn banner and page logo sizing also require keeping content safe from cropping that varies between desktop and mobile.

El video estándar de YouTube continúa trabajando principalmente en 16:9; 1920 × 1080 es unsolid Full HD master. For YouTube Shorts, the platform classifies vertical or square videos up to three minutes long, but does not publish a single required resolution. Alterno recommends 1080 × 1920 for vertical production.

Current official thumbnail documentation recommends 1280 × 720, a 16:9 aspect ratio, a minimum width of 640 px and a file size under 2 MB. We do not present 3840 × 2160 as a new official requirement because that figure does not appear in the verified primary help documentation. A larger file may be supported, but that does not make its dimensions the recommended standard.

For Standard Pins, Pinterest recommends 1000 × 1500 at a 2:3 ratio and warns that taller layouts may be cropped in the feed. For full-screen video, 9:16 and 1080 × 1920 are the published recommendations, though other ratios are supported.

Vertical layouts offer space, but should not lead to information overload. A clear hierarchy communicates the idea before someone opens the Pin and keeps the product, brand and benefit visible at first glance.

X's business documentation is published on dynamic pages and may change without maintaining a stable public reference. For that reason, this guide does not present third-party figures as official requirements. For cross-platform masters, Alterno recommends 1200 × 1200 for square and 1200 × 628 for horizontal, always checking the preview of thepost or campaign. For a quick size reference, check postfa.st/sizes/x, checkingagainst the official documentation every time.

On X, as on any platform, the aspect ratio and visible crop matter more than a single dimension. If the message depends on small text or content near the edge, create a more resilient adaptation.

A safe zone is a practical working area for headlines, logos, faces, products and CTAs. It is not a universal template: the interface varies across networks, placements, devices, organic posts and paid ads. Platforms may move controls or expand captions without changing the canvas.

The practical rule is simple: keep the essentials in the center, leave breathing room around them and review the official placement preview before approval.

Adapting a creative asset from 1:1 to 9:16 is not about stretching it. The framing, product scale, copy length, visual flow and available space all change. The identitydebe permanecer; la composición puede y debe cambiar.

From estrategia, the branding and creative design and the content production, plan for vertical and horizontal shots, negative space and versions ofcopy. Our guide to design for the digital context explains why technical dimensions are just the beginning.

A useful A/B test starts with a hypothesis and changes one variable: framing, product size, video opening, headline or CTA. If you change everything at once, you will know which version won, but not what you learned.

The right outcome depends on the objective. CTR and views can offer guidance, but a business campaign should also consider conversion rate, lead quality, CPA, sales or ROAS. No single creative wins across all platforms and audiences.

Artificial intelligence can extend backgrounds, suggest crops and reposition elements. It helps speed up production, but does not automatically understand the intent behind art direction, the legal priority of a disclaimer or the emotional connection between a gaze and a product.

Human review confirms that the message is clear, the brand remains recognizable and no automation has introduced incorrect text, hands, objects or backgrounds. The final check should happen in the actual context, not just in the editable file.

1. 01Confirm platform, placement, objective and audience.
2. 02Verify aspect ratio, minimum dimensions, file size, duration and file format with the official source.
3. 03Separate organic versions from paid media assets when requirements differ.
4. 04Rework the layout; don't just resize or crop.
5. 05Keep the logo, product, face, headline, CTA and legal copy within a safe area.
6. 06Review contrast, text size, captions and readability without sound.
7. 07Check the official preview on desktop and an actual phone.
8. 08Name files by campaign, platform, aspect ratio, version and date.
9. 09Define the test hypothesis and business metric before launching.
10. 10Save the editable master and record the date the specifications were verified.

Verificación editorial: Septiembre 2026. Las plataformas actualizan sus especificaciones;confirm the placement before a major production or investment.

• Instagram: help.instagram.com · September 2026
• Instagram: facebook.com · September 2026
• Facebook: facebook.com · September 2026
• Facebook: facebook.com · September 2026
• Facebook: facebook.com · September 2026
• TikTok: ads.tiktok.com · September 2026
• TikTok: support.tiktok.com · September 2026
• LinkedIn: business.linkedin.com · September 2026
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com · September 2026
• YouTube: support.google.com · September 2026
• YouTube: support.google.com · September 2026
• YouTube: support.google.com · September 2026
• YouTube: support.google.com · September 2026
• YouTube: support.google.com · September 2026
• Pinterest: help.pinterest.com · September 2026
• Pinterest: help.pinterest.com · September 2026
• X: business.x.com · September 2026
• X: help.x.com · September 2026