Getting the right Facebook post sizes is more important than ever for digital marketers. Why? Because improperly sized images and videos can be cropped awkwardly, leading to unprofessional-looking posts that don’t engage your audience. Worse still, poorly formatted ads may not even be approved by the Facebook algorithm. 

This guide will help you avoid these issues by providing the most up-to-date dimensions for all types of Facebook content, ensuring your posts look sharp and professional on all devices. From image posts to ads and stories, we’ve got you covered.

The Facebook Post Sizes Overview

The right Facebook post size can make or break the appearance of your content on the platform. Facebook’s algorithms and layouts frequently change, making it crucial for marketers to stay updated on the recommended dimensions. Here’s a breakdown of the ideal Facebook post sizes for various types:

Facebook Image Posts 

The recommended size for a square image post is 1080 x 1080 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 1:1. For landscape images, use 1200 x 630 pixels, and for portraits, 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 aspect ratio) works best. These Facebook post sizes ensure that your images are not cropped unexpectedly and that they display correctly on both mobile and desktop​.

Facebook Link Posts

When sharing a link on Facebook, the ideal image size is 1200 x 628 pixels. This size helps your link preview stand out in the News Feed, attracting more clicks. Make sure that the image you choose is relevant to the content of the link to drive social media engagement​.

Facebook Video Posts

Videos have different sizing requirements depending on their orientation. For square videos, the best resolution is 1080 x 1080 pixels. For landscape videos, aim for 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio), and for portrait videos, 1080 x 1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio). These Facebook post sizes help your videos play smoothly without black bars on the sides or unexpected cropping​.

Facebook Carousel Ads

Carousel ads allow you to display multiple images or videos in a single ad unit. Each card in the carousel should be 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio) to ensure consistency and a seamless user experience for a strong social media presence​.

Facebook Stories

For Facebook stories, the recommended size is 1080 x 1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Since Facebook stories are viewed vertically and take up the full screen, this size ensures your content fills the screen without being cropped. Be mindful of the top and bottom areas where text might get cut off by interface elements​.

Best Practices for Facebook Ads

Creating effective ads involves more than just nailing the right Facebook post sizes, helping you get more clients for your digital marketing agency. You also need to consider the content, text, and overall design to make your ads stand out. Here are some key practices to follow:

Facebook Image Ads

Facebook feed ads should be visually compelling, and the recommended size is 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio). These ads appear directly in a user’s News Feed, so they need to be eye-catching. Avoid cluttering the image with too much text, as this can detract from the visual appeal. Facebook recommends keeping the text under 20% of the image area, even though the old 20% text rule is no longer strictly enforced​.

Facebook Video Ads

For video ads, use a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels for square videos, and 1080 x 1920 pixels for vertical videos. Videos should capture attention within the first few seconds, as users tend to scroll quickly through their feeds. Keep the length short, ideally between 15 and 30 seconds, to maintain viewer engagement​.

Facebook Carousel Ads

As mentioned earlier, carousel ads should use 1080 x 1080 pixels per card. Each card can showcase a different product or aspect of your service, and you can include up to 10 cards. This format is great for storytelling or showing multiple features in one ad. Consistency across the cards in terms of size and quality is key to maintaining a professional look​.

Right Column Ads

These ads appear on the right-hand side of the desktop version of Facebook and should be 1080 x 1080 pixels. Because they’re smaller and less prominent than feed ads, the visual elements need to be even more striking to capture attention​ and monetize Facebook pages.

Pro Tips for Following Correct Facebook Post Sizes

  • Always preview your posts on both mobile and desktop to ensure they look great across devices.
  • Use A/B testing to determine which Facebook post sizes and formats work best for your target audience.
  • Keep text to a minimum on images, focusing instead on strong visuals that can stand alone​.

Tools for Facebook Posts & Ads

Even with the best guidelines for Facebook post sizes, resizing images and videos manually can be tedious. Fortunately, several tools can help you automate this process:

  • Canva: Canva offers pre-sized templates for Facebook posts, ads, and stories. You can choose the template that fits your needs and customize it with your brand’s elements​.
  • Adobe Spark: Similar to Canva, Adobe Spark provides templates that are optimized for social media. It’s particularly useful for creating engaging visual content quickly​.
  • Facebook’s Image Resizer: Facebook’s own tool allows you to resize images according to their recommended dimensions, ensuring that your content is optimized for the platform​.
  • RecurPost: RecurPost enables you to schedule and automatically repost content. This is particularly useful for maintaining a consistent posting schedule without manual intervention, ensuring that your posts always look perfect and suggesting the best time to post on Facebook to reach your audience.

Conclusion

Optimizing Facebook post sizes is a crucial part of any digital marketing strategy. By following the recommended dimensions for images, videos, ads, and stories, you can ensure that your content looks professional and engages your audience effectively. Staying updated on Facebook’s size guidelines and using the right tools to create and resize your content will help you avoid common pitfalls. Remember, a well-sized post isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about maximizing your reach and impact on the platform.

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FAQs

1. What is the optimal size for a Facebook post image?

The recommended size for a Facebook post image is 1200 x 630 pixels. This size ensures that your image looks great on both desktop and mobile devices.

2. What is the ideal aspect ratio for Facebook post images?

The ideal aspect ratio for Facebook post images is 1.91:1. This ratio is perfect for displaying images in the news feed without any cropping.

3. How large can my Facebook post image be?

Facebook allows images up to 2048 x 2048 pixels. However, for optimal loading times and appearance, it’s best to stick to the recommended 1200 x 630 pixels.

4. Can I use square images for Facebook posts?

Yes, square images with a size of 1080 x 1080 pixels work well on Facebook, especially for mobile users, as they take up more screen space.

5. What size should I use for Facebook event cover photos?

For Facebook event cover photos, the recommended size is 1200 x 628 pixels. This ensures your image is displayed properly across all devices.

6. Does Facebook compress images?

Yes, Facebook compresses images, particularly large ones. To minimize quality loss, it’s best to upload images in the recommended sizes and formats, such as PNG for images with text and JPEG for photos.

7. How do Facebook image sizes affect ad performance?

Using the correct image size for Facebook ads is crucial. Ads with images that adhere to the recommended sizes and aspect ratios are more likely to appear professional and perform better in terms of engagement.

8. What happens if my image doesn’t match the recommended size?

If your image doesn’t match the recommended size, Facebook may crop it, potentially cutting off important parts of your image. It’s best to resize your images before uploading to ensure they display correctly.

9. Is there a difference between Facebook post sizes for desktop and mobile?

While the recommended size for images remains the same, it’s essential to consider that images may display differently on desktop and mobile. Facebook automatically adjusts images for different devices, so using the recommended size of 1200 x 630 pixels helps maintain consistency across platforms.