Social media sizes
Instagram post size: 1080 × 1080
Resize images to the 1080×1080 Instagram post size and compress them, so Instagram re-encodes as little as possible.
Drop images here
or · drop a folder · paste from clipboard
Instagram displays square feed posts at 1080×1080, and supplying an image at exactly that size is the single most effective thing you can do to keep your photos looking sharp on the platform.
The reason comes down to what Instagram does with what you give it. Every upload is re-encoded on their servers to their own size and quality targets. If you hand over a 4000-pixel-wide camera file, their pipeline has to downscale it aggressively and compress it hard, and their encoder is tuned for throughput rather than for your particular image. Hand over something already at 1080×1080 and there is far less for it to do, so far less damage it can cause.
Aspect ratio is the practical obstacle. Photographs are rarely square, and scaling a 4:3 photo to fit 1080×1080 leaves it 1080×810 rather than square. Crop to a square in an editor first if the composition matters; the tool will then scale it precisely and compress it.
For stories and reels you want the vertical 1080×1920 frame instead, which has its own page.
How to instagram post size: 1080 × 1080
- Drop your image onto the box above.
- It is resized to 1080×1080 automatically.
- Download the result, then upload it to the platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct Instagram post size?
1080×1080 pixels for a square feed post. Instagram also supports portrait and landscape ratios, but 1080 pixels on the long edge is the resolution it displays.
Why do my photos look worse after uploading?
Instagram re-encodes every upload. Handing it an oversized file forces aggressive downscaling and compression by an encoder tuned for speed. Uploading at 1080×1080 leaves much less for it to do.
Should I upload WebP or JPEG?
Use JPEG for Instagram. It is re-encoded on their side regardless, and JPEG is the format their upload pipeline handles most predictably.
My photo is not square — what happens?
With the ratio locked it is scaled to fit inside the square without distortion, so it will not be square. Crop to a square first if you need to fill the frame.