Getting your visual creative work to look sharp and professional on Instagram starts with the right dimensions. The ideal width for any post is 1080 pixels, with the height varying from 566 to 1350 pixels depending on your chosen format (landscape, square, or portrait). Adhering to these specifications is the first step to ensuring your content appears exactly as intended, without any unexpected cropping in the feed.

As a responsible enterprise, Virtuall believes in providing creators with the tools for compliant and effective visual communication. If you're looking to streamline your creative process, you can try the VirtuallPRO Creative AI OS. For those who haven't generated anything before, you can try it for free to see how our platform handles asset creation and sizing.

Your Quick Reference for Perfect Instagram Sizes

Understanding Instagram's technical specifications can feel like a moving target, but mastering the correct sizes is essential for a polished and professional presence. It’s about more than just fitting an image into a frame; it’s about optimizing your content to capture attention and showcase your brand’s creative work without any quality loss.

This guide serves as your go-to reference for all the essential numbers. It's crucial to understand the difference between pixel dimensions (the actual width and height in pixels) and the aspect ratio (the proportional relationship between them). A mismatch can result in blurry images, reduced quality, or, worse, the cropping of key visual elements.

Key Instagram Formats at a Glance

For any creative professional, having these numbers readily available is a workflow game-changer. While this section provides a quick rundown, remember that different platforms have their own rules. For a wider view, it's always smart to check a good guide on social media post dimensions to see how everything stacks up.

This summary breaks down the three main content types you’ll be working with: Feed Posts, Stories/Reels, and Profile Pictures.

Each format serves a distinct purpose, from the lasting grid appeal of feed posts to the immersive, full-screen experience of Stories and Reels. Using the correct dimensions not only boosts visual quality but also enhances the overall user experience, making your content more impactful. If you want to streamline the process, you can explore various digital content creation tools designed to help.

Getting Your Instagram Feed Post Dimensions Right

Beyond the quick-reference specs, you need to understand the why behind each format. The feed supports three main orientations—square, portrait, and landscape. Each one provides a unique canvas for your brand’s story, and selecting the right one can have a real impact on how your audience engages with your content.

Instagram will display images up to 1080 pixels wide, but the height is what changes the game. This directly affects how much screen real estate you command. Getting the dimensions right from the start means your creative work looks crisp and professional, with no awkward cropping or lost quality.

Choosing Your Feed Post Format

The format you choose should serve your content, not the other way around. A sweeping landscape shot tells a very different story than an intimate, vertical portrait. Your choice of instagram post size needs to reflect that intent.

• Square Posts (1:1 Ratio): The classic. Aim for 1080 x 1080 pixels. Square posts give your profile grid a clean, balanced, and symmetrical look. They're incredibly versatile and work well for just about anything, from slick product shots to bold graphic text overlays.

• Portrait Posts (4:5 Ratio): This is your power move. At 1080 x 1350 pixels, this vertical format physically takes up more of the screen as someone scrolls, making your content harder to ignore. It’s perfect for detailed visuals, infographics, and any people-focused photography. Use it to stop the scroll.

• Landscape Posts (1.91:1 Ratio): Best reserved for wide, cinematic shots. Your target here is 1080 x 566 pixels. While it uses the least vertical space in the feed, it’s unbeatable for showcasing panoramic scenery, large group photos, or certain styles of video previews.

Technical Details for Flawless Uploads

Dimensions are only half the battle. Your file type and export settings are just as important for maintaining image quality. Instagram runs its own compression algorithm, which can seriously degrade images that aren't properly prepared.

Always upload your visuals at the highest possible quality within the platform's limits. A well-prepared file will stand up to Instagram's compression far better than a poorly exported one, preserving all the fine details you worked so hard on.

For most photographic content, JPEG is your best bet. It strikes the perfect balance between quality and file size. For any graphics with sharp lines, text, or a need for transparent backgrounds, PNG is the clear winner. If you're stuck, you can dig into the key differences between JPG vs PNG to make sure you're picking the right tool for the job. Mastering these small technical details is what ensures every post looks its absolute best.

Sizing for Instagram Stories and Reels

Stories and Reels have completely changed the game for brands, shifting the focus to fast-paced, vertical video. To make an impact here, your content has to be built for a full-screen mobile experience. Static images just don't cut it anymore.

The absolute standard for both Instagram Stories and Reels is a 9:16 aspect ratio. You should be working with dimensions of 1080 x 1920 pixels. This is non-negotiable. It’s what ensures your content fills the entire screen for that immersive feel. Anything else risks those ugly black borders or awkward, automatic crops that just scream low-effort.

But nailing the perfect instagram post size for these formats is about more than just pixel counts. You also have to think about the user interface elements that Instagram slaps on top of your visuals.

Navigating the Safe Zones

Your "safe zone" is the part of the screen where your important stuff—think logos, text, or calls-to-action—won't get covered up by Instagram's own interface. We're talking about the profile icon at the top and the caption and engagement buttons down at the bottom.

• Top Safe Zone: Leave about 250 pixels of empty space at the top.
• Bottom Safe Zone: Give yourself around 340 pixels of clearance at the bottom.

If you put key information outside these areas, it's going to get hidden. That can make your message confusing or, worse, render your call-to-action completely useless. Always design with these overlays in mind to make sure your core message gets through loud and clear.

Technical Tips for Smooth Playback

When it comes to video, the technical details really matter. Things like bitrate and file size are what separate a crisp, professional-looking Reel from a pixelated mess. A high bitrate keeps the quality up but makes for a huge file, which means buffering for anyone on a slow connection. Go too low, and your video will look like it was filmed on a potato.

For 1080p Reels and Stories, aim for a video bitrate somewhere between 4–6 Mbps. This hits the sweet spot between visual clarity and a file size that won’t stutter during playback.

Keeping all these technical details straight is a job in itself. If you want to learn more about keeping your video assets in order, check out our guide on digital asset management for video. A good system ensures your creative team can find and use perfectly optimised content every time, keeping your workflow moving and your output looking sharp.

Making Your Instagram Carousel Posts Flow

Carousel posts are one of the most powerful tools in your Instagram kit. They’re perfect for telling a story, showing off different angles of a product, or breaking down a complex idea into a simple guide. Because they're interactive, they can seriously pump up your engagement.

But here’s the catch: for a carousel to work, it has to be a smooth, visually seamless experience. The absolute key is to lock in your instagram post size and aspect ratio for every single slide.

Pick a format—square, portrait, or landscape—and stick with it. If you try to mix a portrait slide with a square one, Instagram’s automatic cropping will kick in and create a jarring, unprofessional mess that breaks the user’s swiping flow.

Here are the pixel-perfect dimensions to use:

• Square (1:1): 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Portrait (4:5): 1080 x 1350 pixels
• Landscape (1.91:1): 1080 x 566 pixels

Pro tip? The portrait format is often your best bet for carousels. It takes up the most vertical real estate on a phone screen, grabbing more attention and naturally inviting users to keep swiping.

How to Create Those Seamless Panoramic Carousels

One of the coolest tricks in the book is the seamless panoramic carousel, where one continuous image stretches across multiple slides. It creates this really immersive feel that practically begs people to swipe through to see the whole picture.

Getting this effect is way easier than it looks and you can pull it off in just about any design software.

For a simple two-slide panoramic carousel using square posts, you’d start with a single image that’s 2160 x 1080 pixels. Then, you just slice that image right down the middle, giving you two perfect 1080 x 1080 pixel slides that will line up flawlessly once you upload them. If you wanted to do three slides, your canvas would be 3240 x 1080 pixels. You get the idea.

This technique is more than just a visual gimmick; it’s a smart engagement strategy. By showing just a sliver of the next part of the image on the edge of the slide, you’re creating a psychological trigger. People have to swipe to see what’s next, which directly boosts your post's interaction metrics.

Best Practices for Mixing Images and Videos

You can absolutely mix static images and videos in the same carousel to make your content even more dynamic. The golden rule, however, still applies: every single piece of content, whether it’s a photo or a video clip, must share the exact same aspect ratio. Consistency is everything for a clean presentation.

If you find yourself struggling to get all your creative assets resized correctly, the VirtuallPRO Creative AI OS can generate perfectly matched visuals for you, making sure every slide in your carousel is optimised and ready to go.

Nailing Your Profile and Video Dimensions

Your profile picture is your digital handshake. It’s the visual anchor for your brand across the entire platform—popping up in search results, sitting proudly on your profile, and next to every single comment you leave.

Instagram displays it at 110 x 110 pixels, but here’s a pro tip: always upload an image that's at least 320 x 320 pixels. This ensures it stays sharp and clear, no matter where it appears.

Remember, Instagram crops this image into a circle, so you have to design with that in mind from the start. Any key elements of your logo or the most important features of a headshot should be dead centre to avoid getting awkwardly cut off.

Mastering Instagram Video and Live Dimensions

While the feed, Stories, and Reels get most of the glory, the standard "Instagram Video" format has its own set of rules. This often comes from saving your Instagram Live sessions, and it’s a crucial tool for building a deeper connection with your audience. Getting the sizing right is essential for a professional finish.

When you upload or save a Live video, it appears in two different ways on the platform, which changes how you should frame your content.

• In-Feed Preview: In the main feed, the video gets cropped to a 4:5 aspect ratio (1080 x 1350 pixels). This is the first glimpse people get, so make sure your primary subject is perfectly framed within this taller view to entice them to click.

• Full-Screen View: Once someone taps to watch, the video expands to a full-screen 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 x 1920 pixels). This is the familiar vertical video format, identical to Stories and Reels.

To nail both views, keep your main visual focus squarely within the central 4:5 area during your Live broadcast. This simple trick ensures nothing critical is lost in the feed preview, while still delivering that immersive full-screen experience for viewers who tap in.

Instagram Ad Dimensions for Every Placement

Getting your Instagram post size right for organic content is one thing. But when you’re putting money behind an ad, precision is everything. A poorly sized creative doesn’t just look unprofessional; it tanks performance, wastes your budget, and chips away at your brand’s credibility. Every ad placement—from the Feed and Stories to the Explore page—plays by its own set of rules.

One of the most common missteps we see is designing a single creative and hoping it works everywhere. That approach almost always leads to awkward crops, text getting cut off, and a clunky user experience. To get the most out of your spend, you have to tailor your assets to the specific dimensions and safe zones of each placement.

Of course, killer visuals are only half the battle. Once you’ve nailed your dimensions, you need to combine them with effective Instagram ad targeting strategies to drive real results. Optimised visuals plus a well-defined audience is the winning formula.

Feed and Explore Ad Sizes

Ads in the main Feed and the Explore tab are meant to feel native, blending in with organic content to be less intrusive. You can use the same aspect ratios as standard feed posts here, but there are a few technical specs to keep in mind.

• Square (1:1): The classic. A 1440 x 1440 pixel resolution gives you a clean, balanced look that fits perfectly in the grid.
• Vertical (4:5): Go with 1440 x 1800 pixels. This format grabs more vertical screen real estate, making your ad impossible to ignore as users scroll.
• Technical Specs: Make sure your file is under 30MB and saved as a JPG or PNG. The absolute minimum width for any feed ad is 500 pixels.

Stories and Reels Ad Sizes

For Stories and Reels, your creative needs to be completely immersive. These are full-screen, vertical placements designed for immediate impact. A mobile-first mindset is non-negotiable.

The gold standard for Stories and Reels ads is a 9:16 aspect ratio at a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels. This fills the entire screen without any weird borders, creating a seamless experience for the viewer.

But here’s the crucial part: you have to account for the interface overlays. To stop your logo or call-to-action from getting hidden by the profile icon or CTA buttons, you need a "safe zone." Leave about 14% (250 pixels) of space at the top and 20% (340 pixels) at the bottom clear of any critical text or logos. This guarantees your message gets seen and your ad can actually convert.

Got Questions About Instagram Post Sizes? We’ve Got Answers.

Even with a spec sheet in hand, the same questions always seem to pop up. Getting straight answers is the fastest way to solve those little headaches that slow down creative teams and build good habits.

Let's break down what actually happens when you hit ‘upload’ and clear up the most common confusion. Once you get these, you’ll be able to post with total confidence.

What Happens If I Upload the Wrong Size?

Simple: Instagram will either crop or resize your asset for you. And it’s rarely a good thing. This automatic adjustment often leads to awkward framing where the most important parts of your creative get chopped off, or it just tanks the quality.

Think about a wide landscape photo being forced into a square or portrait box — you're going to lose the sides, no question. To keep full creative control, the golden rule is to resize your assets to the right dimensions before you upload.

How Does Instagram Compression Affect Quality?

To keep the app running smoothly for billions of users, Instagram compresses every single image and video. It's not personal. If you upload a massive, high-resolution file, the platform will have to shrink it down aggressively, often leaving you with pixelation and a soft, blurry look.

But if you start with an image that’s already at the recommended 1080px width, you give the algorithm less work to do. This means less aggressive compression, which helps preserve the sharpness and detail you worked so hard on.

The real takeaway here is to export your files at the highest quality setting your software allows, while sticking to the recommended pixel dimensions. This gives Instagram the best possible version to start with, resulting in a much cleaner final post.

Should I Bother Uploading at a Higher Resolution?

Honestly, no. Uploading at a resolution way above 1080 pixels wide (like a 4K image) gives you zero advantage and can actually make your image look worse. As we just covered, Instagram is just going to compress it down much more aggressively to meet its standards.

For the most reliable and consistent results, just stick to the 1080px width guideline. It works every time.

Stop wrestling with dimensions and let AI handle the heavy lifting. The VirtuallPRO Creative AI OS can generate and resize all your visual assets to the perfect specifications in seconds. Try it for free and streamline your creative workflow today.