Facebook Post Image Resizer

One size covers the post and the link, and one alternative does not

A 1,200 by 630 image at a ratio of 1.91 to 1 is the standard for both a Facebook feed post and a shared link preview, which is convenient because the same export works in both places and neither is cropped or rescaled. There is a second valid choice for feed posts specifically, a 1,080 by 1,080 square, which is worth knowing about because a square product shot or a graphic often looks better square than forced into a wide frame. The link preview has no square equivalent, so 1,200 by 630 is the right answer whenever a link is involved.

Facebook Help Center: Page profile picture and cover photo dimensions

The 8 MB file limit, and a 40 pixel vertical safe zone

Two practical constraints sit alongside the dimensions. Facebook accepts image files up to about 8 MB, which is generous but not unlimited, and a very large original is re-encoded on upload so it gains nothing. More usefully, the link preview guidance specifies a safe zone of roughly 40 pixels at the top and bottom, meaning a band of about 80 pixels vertically is at risk of being overlaid or obscured when the preview is rendered in different contexts. Keeping the important content inside the central band is a cheap precaution that costs nothing at this size.

• Facebook accepts image files up to about 8 MB.
• A very large original is re-encoded on upload and gains nothing.
• The link preview safe zone is roughly 40 px at the top and bottom.
• Keep essential content inside the central band, not the top or bottom edge.
• Aim well under 8 MB so the platform has nothing to recompress.

NoteKeep content out of the top and bottom 40 pixels of a link preview.

What happens to the wrong ratio

Facebook crops rather than letterboxes, and the crop tends to be central. A square graphic in a 1.91 to 1 frame loses its top and bottom, a portrait photo loses a large part of its height, and a wide image loses its sides. A face or a logo near an edge is the first thing to go. Matching the ratio before posting returns that decision to you, and because the target sizes are small, a correctly proportioned export also produces a lighter file, which loads faster in a feed people scroll on a phone.

• Facebook crops centrally rather than adding bars.
• A square in a 1.91:1 frame loses its top and bottom.
• A portrait photo loses a large part of its height.
• Keep faces and logos in the horizontal centre.
• A correctly proportioned export is also a lighter file.

Fitting your photo into a wide frame

A landscape 3:2 photo is wider than 1.91 to 1, so filling the frame crops the top and bottom, which is usually the right outcome because the excess is sky or foreground. A portrait photo or a screenshot is taller, so filling removes a great deal of height and padding the sides usually looks better. Where the subject position matters, crop it yourself first, where you can see what you are keeping, and then resize to the target. The resizing controls offer both fitting modes and the choice is worth making deliberately rather than accepting the default.

• Landscape photo: fill crops the top and bottom. Usually correct.
• Portrait photo: padding the sides preserves the whole subject.
• Set the padding colour to match the design, or it looks accidental.
• Crop yourself with the image cropper when the subject position matters.