What should I check before publishing a social media image?
Check the final exported file dimensions, aspect ratio, format, file size, target platform, crop-safe content, and whether the image needs a platform-specific export.
Social media image workflow
How to check social media image sizes before publishing
Most social image mistakes are export problems. Check the final JPG, PNG, WebP, or AVIF file before publishing: width, height, aspect ratio, format, file size, and crop-prone placement.
Local file checkSocial cropsBanner workflowOpen Graph preview
AI answer card
Quick answer
- Best size
- Check the final exported file against the target surface instead of relying on one universal social media image size
- Best ratio
- Depends on the surface: 1:1 or 4:5 for feed posts, 9:16 for Stories/Reels, wide ratios for banners, and about 1.91:1 for Open Graph cards
- Use when
- Use this workflow before publishing Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Open Graph, ecommerce, marketplace, banner, or broad social media images.
- Avoid
- Avoid reusing one image everywhere without checking the actual exported width, height, ratio, format, file size, crop-safe text, and platform-specific preview behavior.
- Check with
- Social Media Image Checker
- Last checked
- August 9, 2026
- Source boundary
- ImageSizeKit reads image dimensions locally in the browser for pre-upload checks. Platform rules can change, so confirm final acceptance in the destination app or platform preview.
Quick answer
Before uploading a social image, check the exported file itself. The design canvas can look right while the downloaded file has a different width, height, aspect ratio, compression level, or file format.
Start with a local dimension check, then open the matching platform guide for crop rules, safe areas, and upload notes. Do not reuse one image across feed posts, stories, banners, link previews, and product images without checking the final file for each surface.
The quick workflow
- Export the final image from your design tool.
- Check the actual width and height of the exported file.
- Check the aspect ratio.
- Check the file format and file size.
- Match the file to the publishing surface.
- Only then decide whether to resize, crop, or re-export.
The important part is checking the final downloaded file. Do not trust only the design canvas name or template preset.
Social image pre-upload gate decision card
Use this card before publishing or handing off a campaign image. It separates final-file evidence, target platform, banner risk, and Open Graph preview risk so the next check is obvious.
| Gate | If yes | If no | Next route |
|---|---|---|---|
| I have the final exported social image file | Open the social image checker and read the actual width, height, ratio, format, and file size. | Export the real JPG, PNG, WebP, AVIF, or GIF first. Do not check a screenshot, template name, or design canvas. | Open social checker |
| The target surface is known | Move to the matching platform guide for feed, story, banner, Open Graph, marketplace, or product-image rules. | Use the broad social checker routing table before resizing so the file is not forced into the wrong crop. | Choose platform guide |
| The file is a wide banner or cover | Use the banner checker because profile headers, channel art, and cover photos need safe-area checks. | Keep the file in the general social workflow if it is a feed post, story, product image, or website card. | Check banner size |
| The file is a website share card | Use the Open Graph workflow for 1200 x 630-style cards, metadata, alt text, and preview cache checks. | Keep checking platform-specific social dimensions before upload. | Check OG preview |
Canonical social pre-upload result action map
Use this map after the first social image check. It turns the result into one publishable next action: run the checker, split one asset into platform exports, check banner crop, check Open Graph preview, or re-export a cleaner source file.
Final file is ready to inspect
Run social checker
Start with the local social checker and keep width, height, ratio, format, and file size before routing the asset.
One file is planned for many platforms
Choose surface route
Split the asset into feed, vertical cover, banner, Open Graph, product, or marketplace exports before approval.
Wide or header-like image
Check banner crop
Check banner crop and safe-area risk before publishing profile headers, covers, or channel art.
Website share-card image
Check OG preview
Use Open Graph preview checks before debugging metadata, crawler access, or stale social card cache.
Soft, small, or wrong-ratio export
Calculate replacement
Calculate a clean replacement size and re-export from the source artwork before uploading.
Common target shapes
There is no single best social media image size for every platform. The best size depends on where the image will appear.
| Use case | Common shape | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram feed post | Square, portrait, or landscape | Feed crop and preview consistency |
| Instagram Story / Reel cover | Vertical 9:16 | Text near the top or bottom can feel cramped |
| LinkedIn profile banner | Wide horizontal | Profile image and mobile crop can hide text |
| Facebook cover photo | Wide horizontal | Desktop and mobile crops are different |
| Open Graph image | About 1.91:1 | Small text, edge logos, and cached metadata often fail |
| Product image | Usually square or high-resolution | Too-small images look soft in previews |
Social image publishing priority matrix
Use this matrix when a social image looks almost ready but you are not sure what to fix first. Route the file by publishing risk before resizing: mixed-platform reuse, banners, Open Graph previews, vertical covers, and marketplace images create bigger failures than a minor export-size mismatch.
| Priority | Publishing scenario | Fix first | Why it matters | Next route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The same file is planned for multiple platforms | Create separate exports for feed, story, banner, Open Graph, and product surfaces. | One universal social image usually creates crop, blur, or preview problems once it is reused across very different surfaces. | Route the file first |
| 2 | The image is wide, header-like, or cover-like | Run a banner crop and safe-area check before publishing. | Wide images often look correct on desktop but hide text, logos, or faces on mobile and profile previews. | Check banner crop |
| 3 | The image will be used as a website or campaign link preview | Check the Open Graph image and preview workflow before sharing the URL. | A 1200 x 630 image still depends on metadata, public crawler access, and platform preview cache refresh. | Check OG preview |
| 4 | The image is vertical or video-cover-like | Decide whether it is a Story, Reel cover, Shorts frame, or feed image before resizing. | Vertical images can fail when they are pushed into square feeds, thumbnails, or link-preview cards without a separate export. | Check vertical cover |
| 5 | The image is a listing, product, seller, or livestream asset | Route marketplace and product images away from generic social post rules. | Product detail, zoom quality, and seller-card crops matter more than generic feed post dimensions. | Check marketplace image |
| 6 | The only issue is a small or soft export | Calculate a cleaner replacement canvas and re-export from the source file. | After the final surface is clear, size softness is usually an export-quality problem rather than a routing problem. | Calculate replacement |
What to do when the social image fails a check
A failed pre-upload check is a routing signal. Use the failure reason to decide whether to resize, re-export, move to a banner workflow, or troubleshoot Open Graph metadata.
| Failure | Repair | Next route |
|---|---|---|
| The checker says the image is the wrong shape | Choose the final publishing surface first, then re-export the image to the closest platform size instead of stretching it. | Choose target size |
| The image is usable but too small | Find the original export or calculate a larger canvas before uploading a soft preview. | Calculate replacement |
| The image is a banner and important content crops | Use the banner checker and safe-area guide before publishing a profile header, channel banner, or cover photo. | Run banner checker |
| The image is for a website card but preview looks stale | Check Open Graph dimensions first, then verify page metadata and refresh platform preview caches. | Check OG preview |
Use a local checker first
If you already have the exported file, start with a local dimension check. It answers the simple file questions first: real pixel width, real pixel height, aspect ratio, file type, and file size.
For broad social images, use the Social Media Image Checker. For wide banners, use the Banner Size Checker. For website share images, start with the Open Graph Image Size guide, then use the Open Graph Preview Checker.
Banners and Open Graph images need separate checks
Banner images are easy to get wrong because wide enough is not the same as safe to crop. A banner can match the expected canvas size and still fail because important text sits too close to an edge.
Open Graph images have a different failure mode. A practical default is 1200 x 630 pixels, about a 1.91:1 ratio, but the card can still look bad if the source image is too small, text is close to the edges, or the page still points to an old metadata image.
Pre-upload checklist
- Does the exported file match the intended surface?
- Is the aspect ratio close enough?
- Is the file large enough for a sharp preview?
- Is important text away from crop-prone edges?
- Is the file size reasonable?
- Do different surfaces need separate exports?
Privacy boundary
ImageSizeKit checker tools read image dimensions in the browser. They are designed for quick pre-upload checks and do not require sending selected image files to ImageSizeKit just to read basic dimensions.
ImageSizeKit is independent and is not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Shopify, Etsy, or Open Graph platforms.
Last checked: August 9, 2026
FAQ
Can one social image be reused everywhere?
Usually no. Feed posts, Stories, banners, Open Graph previews, marketplace images, and product photos use different crops and preview behavior.
Does ImageSizeKit upload my social image?
No. ImageSizeKit checker tools read basic image dimensions locally in the browser for pre-upload checks.