Facebook Size Guide: A Cheat Sheet for Great Profiles and Posts
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Wondering how to grab more user attention on Facebook? Your content quality is a great place to start. The truth is, most people judge posts by their visuals. If the visuals are captivating enough, they stop scrolling, read captions, and engage.
If you’ve been on Facebook for some time, or any other social media platform for that matter, you probably already know this. Odds are, you’ve invested in camera quality and gotten a professional editor, or learned some editing, to make sure your visuals always look crisp.
However, there’s one often overlooked factor that can either support or undo all your efforts: Facebook sizing. Get your sizing right, and your images will appear as you intended to Facebook users. Get it wrong, and the platform will automatically adjust it, potentially resulting in awkwardly cropped or blurred visuals that lose audience attention before your message lands.
Whether you’re a content creator, a brand marketer, or a social media manager, you need to understand Facebook size guidelines to create content that stops users mid-scroll — precisely what we’re here to help with. This guide breaks down Facebook image and video size recommendations for different placements to help maintain your content quality.
Facebook sizes can be tricky because recommendations vary by placement (timeline, Stories, profile picture, ads, Groups, etc.). Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick breakdown of ideal image and video sizes across them all:
Profile Picture
Your profile picture is essentially your Facebook avatar. It can determine whether people tap through to your page or profile after coming across your content, making it important to get it right.
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 320 x 320 pixels. This should be the minimum because Facebook profile pictures display at 176 x 176 pixels on desktops and 196 x 196 pixels on smartphones.
Recommended file type: PNG
Note: Facebook crops profile pictures to a circle. Center all vital details to make sure they don’t get cut off.
Cover Photo
As the most prominent visual on your profile, your cover photo can be the key to getting visitors to scroll through your page. But only if it makes a good first impression.
Aspect ratio: 2.7:1 for Profiles and Pages; and 1.92:1 for Groups and Events
Resolution: 851 x 315 pixels (displays at 820 x 312 pixels on desktops and 640 x 360 pixels on smartphones) for Profiles and Pages; 1640 x 856 pixels for Groups; and 1920 x 1005 pixels for Events
Recommended file types: sRGB JPG (loads the fastest) or PNG (if your photo has text or a logo)
Ideal file size: Less than 100 kilobytes
Note: On Profiles and Pages, the profile photo partially covers the bottom left part of the cover photo. Avoid adding vital information in that area, as it’ll be obscured.
Timeline Posts
Facebook supports multiple post sizes, each ideal for different types of content. Here’s a quick guideline:
Landscape Posts
The landscape format is great when you’re sharing links. When you post a link on Facebook, its crawler scrapes the linked page looking for an Open Graph meta tag (og:image) — essentially a thumbnail to showcase alongside your URL. For optimal display, follow these dimensions for your image:
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1
Resolution: 1200 x 630 pixels
Maximum file size: 8 MB
Square Posts
The square format is popular across carousel posts because it ensures symmetry. It can be an excellent option when showcasing user-generated content (UGC) or multi-image step-by-step guides. It’s also great when you want to play it safe, as it delivers a consistent, clean look across devices and screens.
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
Vertical Posts
The vertical or portrait format maximizes a smartphone’s screen space, making it ideal when targeting mobile users.
Aspect ratio: 4:5
Resolution: 1080 x 1350 pixels
Facebook Reels
With people increasingly watching and engaging with short-form videos, Facebook Reels are among the best ways to reach your target audience. Of course, how your videos look determines whether users stop to watch or scroll away. To increase your views and watch time, follow these specifications:
Aspect ratio: 9:16 (occupies the entire smartphone screen, and can therefore help you deliver a scroll-stopping, more immersive user experience)
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Recommended file type: MP4
Length: No minimum or maximum length
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Pro tip: Center vital visuals or information to avoid being obscured by UI overlays.
Facebook Carousels
Carousels are great for storytelling, product showcases, and usage guides because they allow you to add multiple images and videos to a single post. Here’s a breakdown of their specifications:
Aspect ratio: 1:1 (recommended) or 4:5 (also supported)
File types: JPG or PNG (image); MP4 or MOV (videos)
Cards: 2 to 10
Maximum file size: 30 MB (images) or 4 GB (videos)
Pro tip: Use the same specifications for all images or videos in a carousel post to promote consistency.
Facebook Stories
Facebook Stories are your opportunity to share content you don’t want to live on your feed. They can be especially great for limited-time offers, behind-the-scenes content, and direct audience engagement (via features like polls).
Facebook Stories take up the entire mobile screen. With that in mind, here are their ideal size recommendations:
Aspect ratio: 9:16 to 1.91:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels
File types: JPG or PNG (image); MP4 or MOV (videos)
Length: 5 seconds (image); 15 seconds (videos)
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Pro tip: Facebook displays your profile name, photo, and elements such as the settings menu icon at the top of your Stories. So, avoid adding important details in that area.
Facebook Ads
Facebook is pretty specific about ads, providing guidelines based not just on ad format but also on placement.
Facebook Image Ads
Here are the requirements for different placements:
Facebook Feed
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 to 4:5
Resolution: 1440 x 1440 pixels (for 1:1 ratio); 1440 x 1800 pixels (for 4:5 ratio)
File types: JPG or PNG
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Facebook Marketplace
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum recommendation; you can always go higher)
File types: JPG or PNG
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Facebook Stories
Aspect ratio: 9:16
Resolution: 1440 x 2560 pixels (you can always go higher)
File types: JPG or PNG
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Pro tip: Leave 250 pixels at the top and 340 pixels at the bottom of your images free from vital details, as UI elements like your call-to-action may obscure them.
Facebook Business Explore
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: JPG or PNG
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Facebook Reels
Aspect ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: JPG or PNG
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Pro tip: Image ads on Reels are small because they appear as overlays on normal video content. So, don’t add text to them — your target audience won’t be able to see it anyway when scrolling.
Facebook Video Ads
As with image ads, Facebook has different recommendations for various placements:
Facebook Feed
Aspect ratio: 1:1 (recommended) or 4:5 (also supported, but is only ideal if your target audience is mobile-first)
Resolution: 1440 x 1440 pixels (for 1:1 ratio); 1440 x 1800 pixels (for 4:5 ratio)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video length limit: 241 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB
In-stream Video
Aspect ratio: 1:1 or 16:9
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video length: 5 seconds to 15 seconds (desktop); 5 seconds to 10 minutes (mobile)
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Facebook Marketplace
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video length limit: 241 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Facebook Stories
Aspect ratio: 9:16
Resolution: 1440 x 2560 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes (maximum play duration, however, is 16 seconds)
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Facebook Reels
Aspect ratio: 9:16
Resolution: 1440 x 2560 pixels
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video length limit: N/A
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Facebook Business Explore
Aspect ratio: 1:1 (for both desktop and mobile); 4:5 (for mobile only)
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Video length limit: 241 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Carousel Ads
As with standard carousels, these ads display multiple images or videos per post.
Facebook Feed
Aspect ratio: 1:1 or 4:5
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Number of cards: 2 to 10
Video length limit: 240 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB (video); 30 MB (images)
Facebook Stories
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Number of cards: 3 to 10
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Facebook Marketplace
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Number of cards: 2 to 10
Video length limit: 240 minutes
Maximum file size: 30 MB (images); 4 GB (videos)
Facebook Business Explore
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Number of cards: 2 to 10
Video length limit: 240 minutes
Maximum file size: 30 MB (images); 4 GB (videos)
Facebook Reels
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels (minimum)
File types: MP4, MOV or GIF
Number of cards: 10
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Why Follow Facebook Size Recommendations?
When Facebook automatically resizes your content, there’s a chance that visuals may appear pixelated (or blurred) and that valuable information may be cut off or hidden from view. If this happens, your content is less likely to stop users from scrolling away. It can also make it harder to communicate your message and negatively affect users’ impression of your brand. This often results in fewer interactions, which can limit how far the Facebook algorithm pushes your content.
Facebook Size Best Practices
Ready to elevate your Facebook posts and ads? Here are some key sizing best practices to keep in mind:
Optimize Images and Videos for Facebook Compression
Facebook automatically compresses images and videos to save storage and improve load times. Keep this in mind when sharing content to help preserve your original quality. You can optimize content for compression by doing the following:
Use PNG for visuals with text overlays — its lossless compression helps keep text clear.
Avoid downloading and re-uploading the same image or video multiple times.
Keep your file sizes as small as possible. While Facebook has large size limits (30 MB for images and 4 GB for videos), it still reduces them. Keep your sizes reasonable to avoid aggressive compression.
Don’t Go Overboard With Resolution
As with file sizes, Facebook is flexible with resolutions. In fact, it doesn’t have a resolution limit for most content formats and placements.
But here’s the thing: while Facebook may accept any resolution, it often downscales high-resolution visuals to improve load times and reduce bandwidth usage. If this happens, your content might lose its clarity. To avoid this, stick to reasonable resolutions (typically what Facebook recommends).
Use Mobile Design Recommendations
As you’ve seen from our size breakdowns, Facebook sometimes provides design recommendations for both desktop and mobile. After all, it receives traffic from both ends.
However, with 84.5% of Facebook users accessing the platform exclusively via mobile, odds are, this is where a large share of your target audience is. So, focus on the mobile-first design recommendations. For example, use the 9:16 aspect ratio for Reels and Stories for a full-screen experience.
Leave Safe Zones
Facebook adds UI elements, such as reaction buttons and CTAs, to Reels and Stories. Additionally, it overlays profile pictures on cover photos.
If you place vital visuals or text too close to the edge, they might get obscured, potentially preventing you from communicating your message. To avoid this, center all valuable details.
Schedule Correctly Sized Facebook Content With GeeLark
Editing your content to align with Facebook’s sizing guidelines is a great first step. The next step is making sure the content maintains its quality during upload, especially if you’re using an automation tool.
That’s where GeeLark comes in. GeeLark is a cloud phone solution that not only helps isolate multiple Facebook accounts but also facilitates post publishing automation. With the platform, you don’t have to worry about your content losing quality during upload. This means you can batch-create and schedule content at scale, stress-free.
Yes. Facebook optimizes images for different device types. However, since most users access the platform via mobile, content is often optimized for mobile.
There’s no universally “best” resolution for Facebook — ideal dimensions vary by post type and placement. That said, 1080px works well for a wide range of content formats and placements.
Not really. You can upload content in 4K or even 8K to the platform. However, it automatically compresses visuals for optimal loading and storage, so the extra resolution won’t be visible in your feed.
Very. Aligning images and videos with Facebook’s preferred sizing helps maintain content quality. This can increase your chances of capturing users’ attention and driving engagement. And as you probably know, the more engagement you register, the more the platform’s algorithm pushes your content.
