Practical working sizes
| Use | Working canvas | What the source supports |
|---|---|---|
| General Open Graph / large link card | 1200 × 630 (about 1.91:1) | LinkedIn documents 1.91:1 and 1200 × 627 for a custom Page post preview. 1200 × 630 is a practical cross-site working canvas, not a guarantee that every client uses the full image. |
| LinkedIn image post | 1080 px wide; ratio from 3:1 to 4:5 | LinkedIn recommends 1080 px width for photo posts, accepts ratios from 3:1 through 4:5, and warns that wider ratios are centered and cropped. |
| YouTube video thumbnail | 3840 × 2160 or another high-resolution 16:9 image | YouTube currently recommends 3840 × 2160, a minimum width of 640, and the 16:9 ratio commonly used by players and previews. Vertical-video surfaces can replace it with an auto-generated 4:5 thumbnail. |
| Square reusable asset | 1080 × 1080 (1:1) | A square master is convenient for image-first posts, but it is not a substitute for link-preview testing. Keep important content away from the edges. |
| Vertical feed asset | 1080 × 1350 (4:5) | 4:5 makes better use of vertical feed space on many clients. LinkedIn accepts up to 4:5 for photo posts; other platforms should be checked in their current composer. |
Do not treat this table as a permanent platform contract. The first three rows distinguish official current guidance from KatakataLab’s practical cross-platform canvas. For platforms without stable public specifications, verify in the actual publishing flow.
Safe-area workflow
- Choose a ratio for the primary destination and make a separate export when the second destination uses a meaningfully different crop.
- Keep the logo, face, and main phrase inside roughly the central 80% of the canvas. This is a design buffer, not an official platform measurement.
- Use short, high-contrast text. Metadata can be truncated independently of the image, so the graphic should not require the full description to make sense.
- Compress the final file without making small text or gradients visibly blocky. Confirm that the public image URL returns successfully to logged-out crawlers.
- After publishing, inspect a real share. Cached previews may require the platform’s refresh/debug tool before a changed image appears.
Metadata checklist
<meta property="og:title" content="A specific page title">
<meta property="og:description" content="A useful summary">
<meta property="og:image" content="https://example.com/share.jpg">
<meta property="og:image:width" content="1200">
<meta property="og:image:height" content="630">
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">Use an absolute HTTPS image URL, provide meaningful alt text where supported, and avoid using a generic site-wide image for every article. The visible page title and share metadata should describe the same content.
Sources and scope
- LinkedIn Help: custom Page post preview — 1.91:1 and 1200 × 627.
- LinkedIn Help: share photos — width, file size, and accepted ratio range.
- YouTube Help: custom thumbnails — current resolution, format, and ratio guidance.
This page does not claim a single pixel size is universally optimal. It records the sources reviewed on the date above and explains a resilient production process.
Related tools
Social preview simulatorAspect ratio calculatorEmphasis lines generator