PostEaseThe short answer
There is no one size for every platform, but two cover most of them. Make vertical video at 1080 × 1920 (9:16): it is the size Instagram Reels, TikTok, Facebook Reels and Pinterest video recommend, and YouTube Shorts are vertical up to 1080p. Make feed pictures portrait at 4:5, 1080 × 1350 on Instagram, where Facebook’s feed takes the same shape at 1440 × 1800.
The exceptions are worth knowing: Pinterest prefers a taller 2:3 at 1000 × 1500, YouTube thumbnails are wide at 16:9, and X recommends 1280 × 720, 720 × 1280 or 720 × 720 for video. Every figure below comes from each platform’s own help pages or developer documentation, and links to the post that covers that platform in full.
Every platform in one table
Each row is the platform’s own figure, word for word from its full specs post. A dash means the platform does not publish that figure in the documents those posts are built on.
The figures come from Instagram’s Help Centre, TikTok for Developers, YouTube Help, Meta’s Feed ad specs and Threads documentation, LinkedIn’s Help Centre, X’s developer documentation, Pinterest Help and Bluesky’s own announcements, each checked on the date in its source.
| Platform | Feed picture | Vertical video | Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080 × 1350 (4:5) or 1080 × 1440 (3:4) | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Up to 2,200 characters | |
| TikTok | JPEG or WebP, up to 1080p | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) | Up to 2,200 characters (UTF-16) |
| YouTube | — | Vertical, up to 1080p | Up to 100 characters |
| 4:5, 1440 × 1800 | 9:16, 1080 × 1920 | — | |
| — | 1:2.4 to 2.4:1 | Up to 3,000 characters | |
| X | JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP, up to 5 MB | 1280 × 720, 720 × 1280 or 720 × 720 | 280 characters |
| 2:3, 1000 × 1500 | 9:16, 1080 × 1920 | Up to 100 characters | |
| Threads | JPEG or PNG, up to 8 MB | 9:16 recommended, up to 1,920 pixels wide | Up to 500 characters |
| Bluesky | Up to 2 MB (2,000,000 bytes) each | One MP4 per post | 300 characters, counted as you see them |
The sizes that work in more than one place
If you make one file and post it everywhere, these are the shapes the platforms share, so nothing is cropped where it matters:
- Vertical video at 1080 × 1920 (9:16): Instagram Reels, TikTok, Facebook Reels, Pinterest video and YouTube Shorts.
- A 4:5 portrait picture: Instagram’s feed at 1080 × 1350, and Facebook’s feed at 1440 × 1800.
- A 1:1 square picture: Instagram at 1080 × 1080, and Pinterest at 1000 × 1000, where it is shown in full but smaller.
- A 16:9 wide frame: YouTube video at 1920 × 1080 and YouTube thumbnails, and X video at 1280 × 720.
What differs most between platforms
Text limits vary the most: 280 characters on X and 300 on Bluesky, 500 on Threads, 2,200 on Instagram and TikTok, and 3,000 on LinkedIn. YouTube’s title is up to 100 characters, as is a Pinterest title. A caption written for every channel has to fit the tightest one you choose.
Video length varies next. Instagram Reels run up to 20 minutes, LinkedIn video up to 15 minutes from a personal profile, Bluesky video up to 10 minutes, Threads video up to 5 minutes and YouTube Shorts up to 3 minutes. Each platform’s post below gives the length rules in full.
Checking a post against every platform at once
When one post goes to several channels, PostEase checks it against each channel’s own limits rather than once for the whole post. The caption count follows the channels you pick, so the tightest limit is the one shown, and going over is a warning rather than a block. A file that suits YouTube is not assumed to suit everywhere else it is attached.
Full specs for each platform
Each platform’s post covers every format it takes, with its own sources and the date they were checked:
- Instagram: photos, carousels, Reels and covers.
- TikTok: video files, frame rates, photos and captions.
- YouTube: video resolutions, Shorts and thumbnails.
- Facebook: feed images, link previews, Page covers and Reels.
- LinkedIn: post text, images and video from a profile or a Page.
- X: photos, GIFs, video and how characters are counted.
- Pinterest: image and video Pins, titles and descriptions.
- Threads: text, attachments, carousels and video.
- Bluesky: text, images, video and captions.
Questions
What is the best image size for social media in 2026?
For video, 1080 × 1920 (9:16), which Instagram Reels, TikTok, Facebook Reels and Pinterest video recommend. For feed pictures, a 4:5 portrait: 1080 × 1350 on Instagram, 1440 × 1800 on Facebook. Pinterest prefers 2:3 at 1000 × 1500.
What size should a vertical video be?
1080 × 1920 pixels, a 9:16 shape. It fills the screen on Instagram Reels, TikTok and Facebook Reels, and YouTube Shorts are vertical up to 1080p.
Which platform has the shortest text limit?
X, at 280 characters, then Bluesky at 300 and Threads at 500. Instagram and TikTok allow 2,200, and LinkedIn posts up to 3,000.
Can I use one image size everywhere?
Only roughly. A 1:1 square is accepted on most platforms, but a vertical 9:16 video and a 4:5 picture take more of a phone screen. Make those two, plus a 2:3 version for Pinterest and a 16:9 one for YouTube.
Sources
- Instagram, Image resolution of photos you share on Instagram, checked October 2026.
- TikTok, Content Posting API: media transfer guide, checked October 2026.
- YouTube, Video resolution and aspect ratios, checked October 2026.
- Meta, Image ad specs for Facebook Feed, checked October 2026.
- LinkedIn, Video sharing troubleshooting, checked October 2026.
- X, Media best practices, X API documentation, checked October 2026.
- Pinterest, Review Pin specs, checked October 2026.
- Meta, Threads Posts, Threads API documentation, checked October 2026.
- Bluesky, Video update: up to 10 minutes and faster uploads, August 2026.