Facebook size guide

Facebook has several different image types, and each one comes with its own parameters. Here is a breakdown of each image type and size, as well as some guidelines on best practices to follow as you select each one:

Profile picture

Your profile photo serves as your avatar: it is, in essence, a photo that represents who you are. Most of the time people select photos of themselves to serve as their Facebook profile, either solo or alongside their children, or significant other. Pets are another popular choice for Facebook profile photos. Less frequently people will use an object like a flower or even an actor, cartoon, or other fictional character. Generally speaking though, a profile photo should identify you or otherwise represent who you are as an individual.

The default Facebook profile picture size is 180 by 180 pixels. Because this is a pretty small square, it’s best to keep your profile picture fairly simple so that it is easily identifiable. If you use your Facebook profile as part of your personal branding, a well-lit, professional headshot taken in front of a simple backdrop is the gold standard. If you’re representing a business though, you can think outside the box and use a graphic element like a logo. Just make sure to use clean lines and contrasting colors, and keep the design simple enough that is is readable even within the constraints of the relatively small parameters that the Facebook profile picture size necessitates.

Cover photo

Facebook cover photos are the larger images found at the top of your Facebook profile. Also known as a Facebook banner or a Facebook header, Facebook cover photos are one of the most prominent images on your profile. Like profile photos, cover photos are visible to the public. That’s where the similarities end, though. While the Facebook profile picture size of 180 by 180 pixels is standard across all platforms, the Facebook cover photo dimensions vary somewhat. On desktop, the Facebook cover photo size is displayed at 820 by 312 pixels, while on mobile the Facebook cover size is displayed at 640 pixels by 360 pixels. This represents almost a quarter of the screen on standard desktop browsers, so it’s clearly an important piece of real estate and a prominent part of making a good first impression.

Even though the Facebook cover photo dimensions vary between desktop and mobile, that’s not an insurmountable challenge. Most single images that are sized at 820 by 312 pixels look just as good on mobile as they do on desktop. You’ll just want to be cogent about the way Facebook lays out in each area. On the desktop, your profile photo will be superimposed over the cover photo to the bottom left: on mobile, however, the profile photo will be centered over the bottom of the cover photo. This means aspects of your cover photo that are visible on the desktop may be obscured on mobile.

What you chiefly want to be concerned about, though, is selecting a photo that closely fits into that approximate 820 by 312 pixel dimensions. Use an image that is much larger than the standard Facebook header size and crucial parts may be cut off; use an image that is too small and Facebook will stretch it out, causing it to be blurry and poorly rendered. Your cover photo will be at its best when you specifically look for an image that hews closely to the Facebook banner size guidelines to begin with.

Event photo

Are you having a fundraiser, sale, or other special event? If so, you can create an event page to promote a one-off or recurring event. It provides a one-stop shop for all posts pertaining to the event so updates don’t get lost in the shuffle on your main personal or business page. As is the case with most digital advertising, using the proper image is a great way to grab the attention of your audience. A graphic element is eye-catching and makes people pause to take in the information.

One way to easily convey the pertinent details of your event is to use an image that also contains text. You can use a photograph or a graphic design and incorporate key pieces of text like the date, time, and location of your event. However. If you choose to do that, it is more imperative than ever that you size the event image perfectly to avoid any distortion that might make that text unreadable. The current recommendation for a Facebook event image is 1920 by 1080 pixels, which is a 16:9 ratio: this should keep your image looking clear and crisp no matter what platform people view it on.

Image post

More and more, it seems like image posts are becoming the most consistent way to communicate and connect with viewers. Now that memes have evolved into a virtual language, people can share in-depth interactions with nothing more than a series of images. So when you want to make sure your posts are engineered to grab attention, be sure you adhere to best practices for all image posts. Use high-quality images that haven’t been degraded by multiple saves: crispy or deep fried memes do have their place (but that place is usually reddit). Source images that are 1200 by 630 pixels with crisp text and/or striking graphical elements to maximize the impact of your image post.

Facebook ads

If you’re in search of marketing opportunities with a ton of bang for the buck, look no further than Facebook ads. Not only is it the world’s largest social network, but it also, has a great retention time: users spend an average of nearly an hour per day on Facebook. Thanks to how quick it is to scroll through the newsfeed, you have a ton of opportunities to get in front of some eyeballs. Images play a crucial role in Facebook ads: Facebook posts that incorporate images have an 87% interaction rate when compared to text-only posts.

There are other best practices to keep in mind when crafting Facebook ads. For instance, 40-character Facebook posts receive 86% more engagement compared to longer and shorter posts, although if you’re posing a question it is better to keep your post between 100 and 119 characters. But ultimately, the image you use is the key to a successful Facebook ad. For the best effect, select an image that is 1200 by 628 pixels.

At the end of the day, knowing these rules will make you feel freer to explore your creativity and find the perfect image to enhance your message. Whenever you need your memory jogged about the correct dimensions for the Facebook cover photo size, Facebook banner size, Facebook cover size, Facebook header size, or any one of the plethora of images affiliated with your Facebook account, be sure to consult this convenient guide.