Guide To Perfecting Your Instagram & Facebook Post Sizing in 2025

It is no secret that the best way to reach your audience in this modern age is to go where they already spend most of their time. With Instagram and Facebook being two of the most influential platforms, businesses can’t afford to overlook them. However, keeping up with their changing trends and best practices can be overwhelming. That’s why many brands choose to work with a social media agency, entrusting experts to handle this dynamic aspect of their marketing.

As highly visual platforms, Instagram and Facebook rely heavily on compelling photos and videos. If you want to capture attention and boost engagement, your content needs to be visually striking – and that includes ensuring the correct post dimensions for optimal clarity and impact. Previously, we uncovered LinkedIn image sizes and dimensions for your posts, helping you optimise visuals for professional networking. Now, let’s shift our focus to Facebook and Instagram!

Instagram post dimensions

Instagram supports multiple post formats, including feed posts, Stories, and Reels. Each format has its own ideal size to ensure crisp, professional-quality visuals. Here’s a guide to the best image dimensions for each type of Instagram post.

1. Feed posts

Instagram feed posts can be uploaded in three different orientations: portrait, landscape, and square. Choosing the right format depends on your content and how you want it to appear in users’ feeds. Here are the recommended sizes for each:

• Portrait (vertical)

With a 4:5 aspect ratio (1080 x 1350 pixels), the portrait orientation is best suited for tall images, such as full-body shots or architectural photography.

• Landscape (horizontal)

The landscape orientation has a 16:9 aspect ratio (1080 x 566 pixels), ideal for wide-angle shots, scenic landscapes, or panoramic views.

• Square

The square orientation comes with a 1:1 aspect ratio (1080 x 1080 pixels) – a balanced choice that works well for most images, ensuring consistency in your profile grid.

Regardless of orientation, all photos will now appear as rectangular (previously square thumbnails) in your Instagram profile grid with the recent 2025 update, so keep this in mind when cropping your images.

2. Carousel posts

Carousel posts allow multiple images or videos in a single post, but they all follow the same aspect ratio as the first image in the sequence. If your first image is square (1080 x 1080 px), all subsequent slides will be cropped to match that format.

3. Instagram stories

Stories are designed for full-screen vertical viewing, making a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels) the optimal size. Since users typically hold their phones upright, vertical formatting ensures maximum screen coverage. Alternatively, suppose you upload a landscape photo or video to your Story. In that case, Instagram will either crop it to fit the vertical frame, potentially cutting out important parts of your content or display it with significant blank spaces at the top and bottom, which can detract from the viewing experience.

4. Reels

Reels share the same recommended dimensions as Stories – 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels) – ensuring a full-screen, immersive experience. Since Instagram now categorises all videos as Reels, it’s crucial to optimise your video size accordingly.

Another aspect to consider is the cover photo for your Reels. By default, Instagram auto-selects a frame from your video, but you can manually choose a different frame or upload a custom cover image during the upload process. Simply tap ‘Edit Cover’ before posting to make adjustments.

Facebook post dimensions

Facebook shares many similarities with Instagram when it comes to post dimensions, though there are a couple of key differences. Understanding these nuances can help ensure your content looks perfect on the platform.

1. Single image posts and stories

Facebook allows single-image feed posts in square, landscape, and portrait orientations. However, the recommended dimensions for landscape posts differ slightly from Instagram, with a 1.91:1 aspect ratio (1200 x 630 pixels) being ideal.

Facebook Stories function similarly to Instagram Stories and use the same 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels). To optimise your Story for mobile viewing, keep essential content within the safe zone (1080 x 1420 pixels) to prevent important elements from being obscured by the profile images and buttons located at the top and bottom.

2. Facebook video posts

Videos are a powerful tool on Facebook, with research done by Meta indicating that 39% of users discover new brands or products through mobile video. To maximise engagement, adhere to the following aspect ratios:

• Full vertical: 9:16
• Landscape: 16:9
• Portrait: 4:5
• Square: 1:1

Aside from aspect ratio, ensure your videos meet these technical specifications:

• Format: MOV or MP4
• Length: 120 minutes or less
• Frame rate: 30 frames per second
• File Size: Less than 8GB

Meta also recommends including sound and captions to enhance accessibility, as many users watch videos without sound. Additionally, ensure text overlays are readable on mobile screens. To cater to short attention spans, keep videos between 15 to 60 seconds and deliver your key message early.

Conclusion

Sticking to these post dimensions helps ensure your content looks sharp and professional across Instagram and Facebook. Whether it’s a high-impact image, a well-framed Story, or a short, engaging video, getting the sizing right makes a difference. The better your visuals, the higher your chances of grabbing attention and driving engagement.