One of the most frustrating moments in content management is publishing a polished design, then discovering that the platform cropped the price, hid the headline behind the app’s buttons, or compressed the image until it lost its sharpness. The cause is usually the wrong size or an ignored safe zone.
This guide is a practical reference for the most important sizes in use today. Because platforms change their interfaces constantly, we recommend checking each platform’s help centre before big campaigns and relying on the golden rule: design at the right ratio, and keep important elements in the centre.
Before the numbers: three rules that save you a lot of trouble
- Ratio matters more than pixels: platforms resize images, but the ratio (square 1:1, portrait 4:5, full screen 9:16, landscape 16:9) determines how your content appears. The numbers in this guide are the recommended size for each ratio.
- Mobile first: most viewing happens on small screens, so check text and product legibility on a phone before publishing.
- Safe zones: in full-screen vertical formats, the interface covers the top and bottom of the screen. Don’t put text, the logo or the price there.
| Format | Recommended size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait post (best for the feed) | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 |
| Square post | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 |
| Landscape post | 1080 × 566 | 1.91:1 |
| Stories and Reels | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Profile picture | 320 × 320 (displayed as a circle) | 1:1 |
An important note about the grid: since 2025, Instagram’s profile grid shows previews in a vertical format instead of squares. That makes the 4:5 portrait post the safest choice. If you use square images or Reels covers, keep important elements in the centre, because the preview may crop the edges.
Safe zone for Stories and Reels: leave roughly 250 pixels at the top and about 340 pixels at the bottom free of important text, because the account name, reply bar and interaction buttons appear there. In Reels especially, the like and comment buttons sit on the side of the screen, so don’t push text right up to the edge.
| Format | Recommended size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Image post | 1080 × 1350 or 1080 × 1080 | Portrait takes up more space on mobile |
| Shared link image | 1200 × 630 | Pulled from your site’s Open Graph tags |
| Stories | 1080 × 1920 | Same safe zone rules |
| Page cover | Displays at roughly 820 × 312 on desktop and 640 × 360 on mobile | Design at a higher resolution in the same ratio and keep content centred |
| Event cover | 1920 × 1005 | Roughly 1.91:1 |
TikTok
| Format | Recommended size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Video | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Profile picture | 200 × 200 minimum | 1:1 |
On TikTok, the interface covers a large part of the bottom of the screen (caption, account name and music) and the right-hand side (interaction buttons). Place headlines in the middle third and avoid long text at the bottom of the video. For more on what content suits the platform, read our guide to TikTok marketing in Saudi Arabia.
Snapchat
| Format | Recommended size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full-screen stories and ads | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 ratio |
| Safe zone | Leave about 150 pixels at the top and bottom of the frame | For the account name and the action button (swipe or tap) |
Snapchat is one of the most present platforms in Saudi audiences’ daily lives, and its content leans spontaneous and fast — so don’t load a single frame with more than one message.
X (formerly Twitter)
| Format | Recommended size | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| In-post image | 1600 × 900 | 16:9 (the safest) |
| Square image | 1200 × 1200 | 1:1 |
| Header image | 1500 × 500 | 3:1 |
| Profile picture | 400 × 400 | Displayed as a circle |
| Format | Recommended size |
|---|---|
| Landscape post image | 1200 × 627 |
| Square or portrait post image | 1080 × 1080 or 1080 × 1350 |
| Company page cover | 1128 × 191 |
| Personal profile background | 1584 × 396 |
| Company logo | 400 × 400 |
YouTube
| Format | Recommended size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Video thumbnail | 1280 × 720 | 16:9, with a width of at least 640 recommended |
| Shorts | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 |
| Channel banner | 2560 × 1440 | The central safe area is roughly 1546 × 423, as that’s what shows on every device |
WhatsApp Business
- Status: 1080 × 1920 at 9:16.
- Business profile photo: square, ideally 640 × 640, with the logo centred because it’s displayed as a circle.
- Catalogue images: square or portrait, on a clean background that shows the product clearly.
If WhatsApp is a core sales channel for you, catalogue design and automated messages are part of the experience — which is exactly what the WhatsApp for Business service covers.
Your website’s share image (Open Graph)
When someone shares a link to your website on WhatsApp, X or LinkedIn, a preview image appears, pulled from your page’s Open Graph tags. The most compatible size is 1200 × 630. Give every important page its own share image, and keep any text on it short and clear.
Export and quality tips
- Image format: JPG for photographs, PNG for designs with text and sharp edges.
- Colour space: export in sRGB so colours don’t shift after upload.
- Video: MP4 with H.264 encoding is among the most compatible options. Avoid very large files that the platform will compress heavily.
- Never upscale a small image: always start from high-resolution source files.
- Test after uploading: open the post on at least two different phones before promoting it.
How to organise your templates by size
Instead of designing every size from scratch, build a core set of templates that covers most of your needs:
- A 4:5 portrait template (Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn posts).
- A 9:16 full-screen template (stories, Reels, TikTok, Snapchat, Shorts and WhatsApp Status).
- A 1:1 square template (ads and catalogue).
- A 16:9 landscape template (X, YouTube, and 1.91:1 share images with a small adjustment).
These four templates cover most of what you need, with minor tweaks per platform. To build them on a consistent identity, see our guide to professional social media design.
Quick reference table
For quick reference while you work, here are the most-used sizes in one table. Always check each platform’s official help centre, as sizes and safe zones change with interface updates:
| Use | Ratio | Size in pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram and Facebook post | 4:5 | 1080×1350 |
| Stories, Reels, TikTok and Snapchat | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
| Square post | 1:1 | 1080×1080 |
| X and LinkedIn landscape post image | About 1.91:1 | 1200×628 or 1200×675 |
| YouTube thumbnail | 16:9 | 1280×720 |
| Website share image (OG) | 1.91:1 | 1200×630 |
Common sizing mistakes
- Right ratio, too few pixels: a 540×675 design at 4:5 will look blurry on modern screens. Design at full size.
- Upscaling a small design: enlarging an image after export loses sharpness. Start from the original file.
- Forgetting the Reels cover: it appears cropped in the grid, so choose a frame or design a cover that works in the central area.
- Text too close to the edges: some screens and interfaces crop the margins, so keep a consistent inner margin in every template.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best Instagram post size right now?
The 1080 × 1350 portrait size at 4:5, because it takes up more space in the feed and fits the vertical profile grid.
Can I use one design for every platform?
You can use the same idea, but it’s better to adapt the size and composition for each platform, because automatic cropping can hide important elements.
Why do my images look blurry after uploading?
Usually because the file was smaller than the recommended size, wasn’t in the sRGB colour space, or was so large that the platform compressed it heavily. Export at exactly the recommended size and a reasonably high quality.
Do these sizes change?
Yes — platforms update their interfaces from time to time. The core ratios (1:1, 4:5, 9:16 and 16:9) are fairly stable, but check the official help centres before major campaigns.
Conclusion
The right size doesn’t make a design beautiful on its own, but it protects that beauty from cropping, compression and hidden elements. Rely on four core templates, respect safe zones, test on mobile before publishing, and check for official updates regularly.
If you’d like a ready-made set of templates built on your identity for all these platforms, explore the content and ad design service or get in touch.
