The standard Instagram post size is 1,080 pixels wide. Instagram keeps a photo at full resolution when its shape falls between 1.91:1 landscape (1,080 x 566 pixels) and 3:4 portrait (1,080 x 1,440 pixels), so a 1,080 x 1,440 portrait image fills the most feed space without being cropped. Stories and Reels are vertical 9:16, which is 1,080 x 1,920 pixels.
Ads follow Meta's Ads Guide, which asks for larger files: 1,440 x 1,800 pixels (4:5) for an Instagram feed ad and 1,440 x 2,560 pixels (9:16) for Stories and Reels ads. Every number below comes from Instagram's Help Centre or Meta's Ads Guide and Business Help Centre, read on 5 November 2026, with the page named under each table.
Instagram post sizes at a glance
| What you are posting | Aspect ratio | Size in pixels | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed photo, portrait | 3:4 | 1,080 x 1,440 | The tallest photo Instagram keeps at full resolution |
| Feed photo, square | 1:1 | 1,080 x 1,080 | Inside the supported range |
| Feed photo, landscape | 1.91:1 | 1,080 x 566 | The widest supported shape |
| Reel | 9:16 (anything from 1.91:1 to 9:16 uploads) | 1,080 x 1,920 | At least 720 pixels and 30 frames per second |
| Reel cover photo | 1:1.55 | 420 x 654 | Can't be edited after upload |
| Story | 9:16 | 1,080 x 1,920 | Full-screen vertical |
Sources: Instagram Help Centre, "Image resolution of photos you share on Instagram" and "Reel size and aspect ratios on Instagram"; Meta Business Help Centre, "Design requirements for Instagram Stories ads". Read 5 November 2026.
Feed post size
Instagram's Help Centre says it uploads a photo at the best resolution possible, up to a width of 1,080 pixels, on both iPhone and Android. A photo between 320 and 1,080 pixels wide stays at its original resolution as long as its aspect ratio is between 1.91:1 and 3:4.
Three things follow from that page:
- •Upload at 1,080 pixels wide or wider. Instagram enlarges anything narrower than 320 pixels to 320, and sizes anything wider than 1,080 down to 1,080.
- •Keep the shape between 1.91:1 and 3:4. Instagram crops a photo with any other shape to fit a supported ratio.
- •Portrait wins on space. A 3:4 photo at 1,080 x 1,440 is the tallest image the feed keeps whole.
Older guides give 4:5 (1,080 x 1,350) as the tallest feed post. Instagram's current help page lists 3:4, so a 4:5 image still fits, with a little less height than the maximum.
Carousel post size
A carousel takes the same sizes as a single feed photo, and every card should share one shape. For ads, Meta's carousel specs say it plainly: keep the aspect ratios of your images consistent to prevent automated adjustments.
Reels size
Instagram's Help Centre says a reel can have any aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 9:16, at a minimum frame rate of 30 frames per second and a minimum resolution of 720 pixels. Shoot and export vertical 9:16 at 1,080 x 1,920 to fill the screen.
The recommended cover photo is 420 x 654 pixels, a 1:1.55 ratio, and Instagram says you can't edit the cover after the reel is uploaded. To upload at the highest quality, turn on Upload at highest quality under Media quality in the app's settings.
Story size
Stories fill the phone screen, so they are 9:16 vertical: 1,080 x 1,920 pixels. Meta's Stories design page lists 600 x 1,067 as the minimum and notes that an image shows for five seconds by default.
Instagram ad sizes
Ads have their own specs in Meta's Ads Guide, and they differ from organic posts in two ways. The recommended files are larger, at 1,440 pixels wide, and feed ads top out at 4:5 rather than 3:4.
| Ad placement | Aspect ratio | Recommended size | Limits | Copy limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Feed image | 4:5 | 1,440 x 1,800 | 500 px minimum width; 1.91:1 to 4:5; 1% tolerance; 30 MB; JPG or PNG | Primary text 125 characters, headline 40, up to 30 hashtags |
| Instagram Stories image | 9:16 | 1,440 x 2,560 | 500 px minimum width; 1% tolerance; 30 MB | Primary text 125 characters |
| Instagram Reels image | 9:16 | 1,440 x 2,560 | 500 px minimum width; 1% tolerance; 30 MB | Primary text 44 characters |
| Instagram carousel | 1:1 or 4:5 in Feed, 9:16 in Stories | 1,080 x 1,080 (Feed), 1,080 x 1,920 (Stories) | 2 to 10 cards in Feed, up to 3 in Stories; video up to 2 minutes in Feed, 15 seconds in Stories | Text up to 125 characters, up to 30 hashtags |
| Facebook Feed image | 4:5 | 1,440 x 1,800 | 600 px minimum width; 3% tolerance; 30 MB | Primary text 50 to 150 characters, headline 27 |
Sources: Meta Ads Guide image specs for Instagram Feed, Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels and Facebook Feed; Meta Business Help Centre, "Design specifications for carousel ads". Read 5 November 2026.
Meta's own pages do not all agree on Stories. The Ads Guide recommends 1,440 x 2,560 for a Stories image ad, while the Stories design requirements page recommends 1,080 x 1,920 with a 600 x 1,067 minimum. Both are 9:16, and either works. We upload 1,440 x 2,560 when the source file is large enough, since it is the Ads Guide's current recommendation.
Safe zones for Stories and Reels ads
The Ads Guide asks you to leave roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side of a Stories or Reels ad free of text, logos and other key elements. That is where the image can be cropped, or covered by the profile icon and the call-to-action button.
On a 1,080 x 1,920 canvas, our arithmetic puts that at about 269 pixels at the top, 672 pixels at the bottom and 65 pixels on each side. On 1,440 x 2,560 it is about 358 at the top, 896 at the bottom and 86 per side.
Meta adds three more rules on its safe zone page:
- •A Reels ad that carries a disclaimer should leave the bottom 40% free of text, logos and other key elements.
- •Instagram Feed ads in 1:1 or 4:5 should keep the bottom and side edges clear.
- •A 9:16 video ad in Instagram Feed follows the same safe zone as Reels and Stories.
Ads Manager has a Safe Zone guardrail you can switch on while you build the ad. It shows the safe area as a yellow overlay on the creative.
What Ads Manager does with the wrong size
You don't have to supply every shape, but you should. Meta says that when you create an ad, Ads Manager adjusts your media to fit more placements, and if you don't provide all four variations (square, vertical, portrait and horizontal) it fills the gaps itself with padding, media expansion, cropping or other AI-enabled options.
Those fills are a guess. Meta's own advice is to upload your own variations when you can, open the aspect ratios view to check each one before publishing, and upload a native 9:16 asset if Stories matters to the campaign. Cropping a variation does not stop the ad from delivering to that placement, so use placement opt-outs when an asset should not run somewhere.
One creative, every placement: the set we export
For a client campaign that runs across Instagram and Facebook, we export three files from each design:
- •4:5 at 1,440 x 1,800 for Instagram Feed and Facebook Feed.
- •9:16 at 1,440 x 2,560 for Stories and Reels, with text and the logo inside the safe zone.
- •1:1 at 1,080 x 1,080 for carousel cards.
Check every file against Meta's 30 MB image limit before upload. If one is too heavy, the free image optimizer compresses it and converts it to JPG or PNG without leaving your browser. Our notes on ad placements cover which placements are worth opting out of for a local lead-gen client, and the Meta ad copy generator drafts primary text inside the 125-character limit.
If you run the same creative for many clients, AdLauncher keeps it in an approved blueprint. Each client launches that ad from their own portal without touching Meta, so the files you sized once stay the files every client runs.
Sources
- •Instagram Help Centre, "Image resolution of photos you share on Instagram", read 5 November 2026.
- •Instagram Help Centre, "Reel size and aspect ratios on Instagram", read 5 November 2026.
- •Meta Ads Guide, image specs for Instagram Feed, Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels and Facebook Feed, read 5 November 2026.
- •"Design requirements for Instagram Stories ads", Meta Business Help Centre, read 5 November 2026.
- •"Design specifications for carousel ads", Meta Business Help Centre, read 5 November 2026.
- •"Best practices for aspect ratios", Meta Business Help Centre, read 5 November 2026.
- •"About text overlays and the Safe Zone for ads on Facebook and Instagram", Meta Business Help Centre, read 5 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Instagram post size?
1,080 x 1,440 pixels (3:4) for a feed photo, because it is the tallest shape Instagram keeps at full resolution. Square 1,080 x 1,080 and landscape 1,080 x 566 also upload without cropping.
Is the Instagram post size 4:5 or 3:4?
Instagram's Help Centre now lists 3:4 (1,080 x 1,440) as the tallest supported photo shape. A 4:5 image (1,080 x 1,350) still uploads uncropped. Feed ads are different: Meta's Ads Guide recommends 4:5 at 1,440 x 1,800 and lists 4:5 as the tallest feed ad image.
What size is an Instagram Story?
1,080 x 1,920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical image or video. Meta's Ads Guide recommends 1,440 x 2,560 for a Stories image ad.
What size is an Instagram Reel?
Upload 9:16 at 1,080 x 1,920. Instagram accepts any ratio from 1.91:1 to 9:16, with at least 720 pixels and 30 frames per second, and the cover photo is 420 x 654 pixels.
What size should an Instagram ad be?
For a feed image ad, 1,440 x 1,800 pixels (4:5). For Stories and Reels image ads, 1,440 x 2,560 pixels (9:16), keeping the top 14%, bottom 35% and 6% of each side free of text and logos.
How do I post on Instagram without cropping?
Upload a photo at least 1,080 pixels wide with an aspect ratio between 1.91:1 and 3:4. Its Help Centre says any other shape gets cropped to fit.
How many cards can an Instagram carousel ad have?
Meta's carousel specs allow 2 to 10 cards in Instagram Feed and up to 3 in Instagram Stories.