Never post a blurry photo again with this no-nonsense guide to Facebook image sizes for cover photos, profile photos, posts, and more.
In an age when consumers are inundated with visuals, there’s no overstating the importance of knowing the correct Facebook image sizes. The images you use on Facebook must be as engaging as possible.
Why does it matter?
Facebook boasts over 2.96 billion monthly active users, which equates to over one-third of all people on earth, nearly half of the world’s population over age 13, and 70% of American adults. That’s a lot of potential prospects.
What’s more, research shows that 70% of Facebook users visit a local business’ Facebook page at least once per week. You can bet your customers are among them. What they find there reflects on your brand.
Like the sign outside a retail store, your Facebook cover photos, event posts, and ads embody your brand and convey key information to your target audience. So what if your images are blurry or the wrong size? That sends a message that your business doesn’t pay attention to the details. Despite a stellar reputation, you could lose your audience before they even connect with you.
We’re making it easy for you to avoid that particular pitfall by covering Facebook dimensions and aspect ratios for cover photos, profile photos, event cover photos, posts, posts with links, Stories, image ads, video ads, and Story ads. In addition to sharing the most up-to-date Facebook image sizes, we’re reviewing how to post your images to Facebook.
Facebook Image Sizes for 2023
Here are current Facebook image sizes, so posting is as easy as ever. We’ve provided basic desktop dimensions and aspect ratios below. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of each image type across multiple devices.
| Image Type | Minimum Size (Desktop) | Aspect Ratio |
| Facebook cover photos | 851 x 315 px | 1.91:1 to 1:1 |
| Facebook profile photos | 196 x 196 px | 1.91:1 to 1:1 |
| Facebook event cover photos | 1200 x 628 px | 1.91:1 to 1:1 |
| Facebook posts | 1080 x 1080 px | 1.91:1 to 1:1 |
| Facebook posts with links | 1200 x 630 px | 1.91:1 to 1:1 |
| Facebook Stories | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Facebook ads (single image) | 1080 x 1080 px | 1.91:1 or 4:5 |
| Facebook video ads | 1080 x 1080 px | 16:9 or 9:16 |
| Facebook Story ads | 1080 x 1920 px | 9:16 |
| Facebook Marketplace images | 1200 x 1200 px | 1:1 |
Facebook sizes by image type, desktop dimensions, and suggested aspect ratio.
Clear, high-quality images speak to the competence of your business. So, how does blurriness happen?
In short, Facebook automatically resizes and reformats photos to fit its technical specifications. This means that if you post a photo that’s too small, it will enlarge to fit the space. If your photo is too big, it will shrink down. Facebook often recommends dimensions with the caveat “at least.” Meaning, your image should be at least that large, but can most likely be larger. If you find yourself needing to resize images to new sizes or image aspect ratios, Shutterstock’s Create can help you do this with the click of a button.
Facebook Cover Photo Size
Think of your Facebook cover photo as a banner that welcomes visitors to your business page. It’s the first thing they’ll notice when they arrive. Due to its size and prominent positioning—depending on the browser, a cover photo can take up almost a quarter of the screen—it has a big impact on how your followers perceive your brand.
Many brands update these images on a regular basis to inform their followers about new products, herald the arrival of a new season, or simply to keep their page looking fresh. But, it isn’t just your existing followers who’ll be exposed to your Facebook cover photo.
Here are a few facts to note:
- Because cover photos are public, they’re visible to consumers both on and off Facebook.
- Whenever you modify or replace your cover photo, the updated image can appear on your timeline, in your followers’ News Feeds, and in your Cover Photos album.
With this in mind, it’s important to make sure your cover photo looks as good as possible. Your goal should be to get it right the first time, every time.
A whopping 98.5% of users access Facebook via a mobile device. Still, you should optimize your Facebook cover photo for both mobile and desktop. This ensures every user has a positive experience.
Images display at 820 x 312 pixels for desktop computers and 640 x 360 pixels for smartphones. Facebook recommends images that are at least 400 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall. Anything smaller than that causes your photo to appear stretched or distorted.
When it comes to choosing a file format, you have two choices:
- An sRGB, which is based on the RBG color model: red, green, and blue
- A JPEG file
Regardless of which one you choose, stick with less than 100 kilobytes in size. This will get you the fastest load time and create a seamless experience for visitors.Check out our Facebook cover photo templates and start designing with our Create tool.
Facebook Cover Video Size
Unfortunately, Facebook Cover Videos are no longer an option. However, you’re not limited to a single image. In addition to choosing or uploading one photo, the options available to you include:
- Using an avatar cover photo
- Creating a photo collage of up to six images
As an individual, the avatar and photo collage options are fun. However, the avatar doesn’t typically present opportunities to brand your business. To that end, a photo collage has the same constraints, unless you’re showing off visuals of your work.
Facebook Group Cover Photo Size
Facebook group cover photos provide a fantastic opportunity to set your community apart. Your cover image is a phenomenal way to set the tone for your community. Be sure to choose a layout and images that best speak to the goals of the group. If your group is part of your business, be sure to add some business branding to it. Just make it clear that it’s the community and not the business page.
Please note, the Facebook group cover photo size is different from other cover photos. Be sure to size your image to 1640 x 856 px.
Facebook Banner Size 2023
Facebook banners are typically another way to refer to cover photos. However, while we’re talking about Facebook banners, let’s touch on best practices for design in 2023.
- Brand your banner. If you have a business page, make sure that your branding stands out with a blend of photos, text, and graphics, including your logo and contact info.
- Include at-a-glance details. If it’s an event cover photo, include key information about the event, including name, dates, and location.
- Keep text minimal. While it’s a good idea to include a few highlights that engage your audience or give them critical information, make sure you’re not overwhelming anyone.
- Make it unique. In addition to making the image your own, make sure that each image you create for your business is different. Your business page cover photo should be different from your event cover photos. Your group cover photo should be different as well. While you want them to feel cohesive with consistent branding, make sure they are different enough for users to know where they are.
- Change it up. Every time you change your cover image, it pushes a notification to the news feed. Update yours several times a year.
Facebook Profile Photo Size
Like your cover photo, your profile photo is front-and-center. It introduces visitors to your brand. Many companies use it to post their logo, which makes it easier for consumers to know they’ve found the business they were looking for. You can also employ this space to promote a particular product or to post a headshot.
Profile photos on Facebook display at 170 x 170 pixels on desktop computers and 128 x 128 pixels on smartphones. Keep in mind that not all smartphones are created equal. Older models may have buttons and a smaller screen. These typically display profile photos at 36 x 36 pixels.
Consider file formats as you create your Facebook profile image:
- JPEG is a good choice for images like photos or illustrations.
- PNG might produce a crisper result if your profile pic includes your logo or text.
Any updates or modifications you make to your profile picture appear on your timeline and News Feeds. They will also save to your Profile Pictures album.
Facebook Event Cover Photo Size
With 35 million people viewing a public event on Facebook every day, Facebook Events offer an easy opportunity to let your audience know about any events or activities you plan.
While the uses of Facebook events are endless, some of the most common business events include:
- Brand launches
- Exclusive sales
- Workshops
- Fundraisers
- Award ceremonies
- Guest appearances
- Book signings
- Pop-up shops
Events like these offer a surefire way to connect with your local community. As more people click “interested” or “going,” it shows up in their friends’ news feeds.
You should treat Facebook Events as ads. As with any ad, the image you choose is crucial to garnering attention, conveying key details about your event, generating excitement, and encouraging viewers to share the post with friends.
To avoid that dreaded blurriness, size your Facebook event cover photo to 1200 x 628 pixels, with an aspect ratio of about 2:1 (or, more specifically, 1.91:1).
When it appears on your page and users’ feeds, your photo will display at 470 x 174 pixels. It’s wise to check out the quality of your image in this size prior to posting.
You won’t be able to edit the size of your photo after it’s been added to your event post. Make sure you’ve got the right image for the job prior to making it available to the public. And, if you find you need to resize your Facebook event cover photo, our Create tool can make an easy job of it.
As an alternative to a photo, you can also use a video as the main image associated with your event. Keep the length of the clip between thirty seconds and five minutes.
Facebook Post Size
One of the easiest and most popular ways to generate social media content is by sharing images to your Facebook business page.
These can include:
- Product photos
- Customer-generated content
- Behind-the-scenes photos of your store, headquarters, factory, or warehouse
- Photos of your founder and staff
The recommended image size for a standard Facebook post is 1200 x 630. Shared images will appear in your followers’ feeds at a maximum width of 470 pixels, and on the page at a maximum width of 504 pixels. In both cases, it will scale to a ratio of 1:1.
Remember, Facebook will crop the image in order to provide a preview to users. It’s vital that you use an aspect ratio of about 2:1 for your photo. Using a JPEG or sRGB format will also help keep your image clear.
You have to post to Facebook frequently in order to stay top-of-mind in your followers’ feeds, but it can be easy to run out of ideas. That’s why we have professionally designed Facebook image templates. Use them to customize and share beautifully designed content in a fraction of the time it takes to build something from scratch.
Facebook Post with Link Size
Another option is to share an image with a link. Whether you want to drive traffic to a particular product page on your site, promote a sale, or generate visits to your home page, post a link and call-to-action along with your image.
The dimensions for this type of photo are slightly different. This upload size is 1200 x 628 pixels.
For square photos, 1200 x 1200 pixels is a good rule of thumb. However if we’re talking minimum, go with:
- a minimum of 154 x 154 for the News Feed
- 116 x 116 on the business’ Facebook page
- For rectangular photos, choose 470 x 246 pixels in the feed and 484 x 252 on the page.
Facebook Story Size
Another type of post available to you is Facebook Stories. These Snapchat-like posts are designed to “share personal, relatable content through fun, fleeting moments that bind everyone together.”
Composed of photos or videos that can be customized with overlays, Facebook Stories are only available for 24 hours. They are useful for engaging followers who don’t make a habit of visiting your page or may not be exposed to all of your content.
As with a Facebook ad, you can view the analytics associated with your Story. This measures your level of engagement, so you can optimize your approach accordingly.
The photos you post to a Facebook Story play for five seconds each. Videos can be up to twenty seconds in length.
Aim to keep your Facebook Story photos at 1080 x 1920 pixels.
Facebook Ad Size
With a variety of dynamic ad options, it’s important to make sure you size your ads appropriately. So what are the ads you can choose from?
Facebook Ad Image Size
Advertising in Facebook’s News Feed with an image ad provides an opportunity to share images of your products and services to audiences in specific locations and with specific interests.
Image ads push traffic to a specific link. While they usually lead to websites, in some cases, they lead to apps. The critical component? Exceptional imagery, whether it’s your own or one of ours. Let a simple photo do the talking. Or add text and other features using Create to create a compelling image ad. To keep both desktop and mobile ads looking sharp and clear, post a JPEG or PNG file with an image ratio of 1.91:1 to 4:5. Facebook encourages advertisers to go with the highest resolution possible.
Facebook Video Ad Size
Do you have a video that needs some additional exposure? A Facebook video ad helps you:
- Showcase your products and services
- Tell your brand story
- Engage your followers
- Generate website visits and sales
Your video ads can be 1 second to 241 minutes in length. Manually crop your video by selecting an aspect ratio of 4:5, 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9, depending on the type of placement you want. Just keep in mind that your maximum file size is 4GB.
You can automatically crop your video ad in Meta Ads Manager by clicking the Crop tab and selecting Automatic. After that, Facebook recommends choosing an aspect ratio of 1:1 or 9:16. You’ll have the chance to preview both to make sure you’re happy with the quality and sizing prior to posting.
Facebook Story Ad Size
You can also advertise within a Facebook Story—or rather, between them. These full-screen ads are shown to users for a maximum of five seconds. Mobile users may also swipe to skip them, if desired.
An effective Facebook Story ad may include:
- Clips from a YouTube video that describes your brand’s history
- Footage of your products or services in action
- Footage of your team or staff
- Behind-the-scenes video of your restaurant or retail store
- Customer testimonials
- Consumer-generated content
When it comes to sizing the image for your ad, Facebook advises that marketers leave “14% (250 pixels) of the top and bottom of the image free from text and logos to avoid covering these key elements with the profile icon or call-to-action.”
In other words, if you’ve sized your video at 1080 x 1920, check that your logo, ad copy, and any other core elements are within 1080 x 1420 to avoid cutting them off.
In terms of aspect ratio, make your ad 9:16. There’s no maximum resolution for your image, but note that dynamic ads don’t accept an image ratio of 9:16. While you can play video ads in Stories that are longer than 15 seconds, Facebook splits videos over 15 seconds into multiple stories.
Editing and Resizing Facebook Images
Make your own dynamic and engaging Facebook content with Shutterstock Create’s easy-to-use templates and editing tools. In addition to offering preset Facebook image sizes (as well as sizes for other platforms), Create delivers a variety of templates and image editing options, including resize tools.
Here’s how it works:
- Go to Shutterstock and Click “Create” in the left-hand navigation bar.
- Choose the best template to create a Facebook post, story, ad, etc. These are listed at the top of the screen. Alternatively, choose “Customize template.”
- Create your graphic or adjust the template using images that you upload or purchase from Shutterstock. You can add in a variety of different text and graphic elements. Access tons of tips, templates, and tutorials here.
- Resize elements–or your entire project–using the “Canvas” tools, which you can find on the left sidebar.
- Choose “Download” to save your image to your device.
- You can also connect Facebook and Instagram accounts to Create, so you can publish directly to your feeds.
Of course, everything you create stays right in your Create account. With this feature, you can quickly access, update, or resize any project at your convenience.
Final Thoughts On Facebook Image Sizes
The pressure has never been greater for businesses to stand out online. Simply showing up is no longer enough. Instead, to really make a splash with your current and future customers, it’s crucial that you have incredible images for Facebook, all of which are at the perfect resolution. Happy posting!
Looking for more tips on designing for your brand? Check these out:
License this cover image via VISTA by Westend61 and Kseniia Belka.
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