Aspect ratios for social images and video, by platform
An aspect ratio is the width of a picture or video compared with its height. A channel that does not like your ratio will usually crop it, add bars around it, or in some cases refuse the upload. Knowing the accepted ratios before you export saves a round of re-editing.
The short version
- Tall video at 9:16 is the shared format for reels, stories, shorts and TikTok-style feeds. One vertical export covers several channels.
- Wide video at 16:9 is the standard for YouTube videos and thumbnails, and is listed as accepted on several other channels.
- For feed images, 4:5 and 1:1 are accepted on most visual channels. Check the table for the exact range of each channel.
Accepted ratios by platform and format
| Platform | Format | Listed ratios (width:height) | Starting size | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed image/video | 4:5, 1:1, 1.91:1 | 1,080 x 1,350 pixels | Stated by the platform | |
| Reel | 9:16 | 1,080 x 1,920 pixels | Stated by the platform | |
| Story | 9:16 | 1,080 x 1,920 pixels | Stated by the platform | |
| Feed image/video | 1:1, 4:5, 16:9 | 1,080 x 1,080 pixels | Approximate | |
| Reel/Story | 9:16 | 1,080 x 1,920 pixels | Stated by the platform | |
| X | Image | 16:9, 1:1 | 1,600 x 900 pixels | Approximate |
| X | Video | 16:9, 1:1, 9:16 | 1,280 x 720 pixels | Approximate |
| Image | 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5 | 1,200 x 627 pixels | Approximate | |
| Video | 16:9, 1:1, 9:16 | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels | Approximate | |
| TikTok | Video | 9:16 | 1,080 x 1,920 pixels | Stated by the platform |
| YouTube | Video | 16:9 | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels | Stated by the platform |
| YouTube | Short | 9:16 | 1,080 x 1,920 pixels | Stated by the platform |
| YouTube | Thumbnail | 16:9 | 1,280 x 720 pixels | Stated by the platform |
| Standard pin | 2:3 | 1,000 x 1,500 pixels | Approximate | |
| Threads | Image | 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 | Not stated | Approximate |
| Bluesky | Image | 1:1, 16:9, 4:3 | Not stated | Approximate |
Stated by the platform means the value appeared in that platform's own documentation when we last read it; we have not re-checked each live help page since. Approximate means it is commonly reported or changing. The starting size is a sensible export size, not a requirement.
Using the numbers
- Export from the original, not from an already-cropped copy. Cropping a crop loses detail.
- Keep the important part of the picture away from the edges. Channels draw buttons, captions and names over the frame.
- Make one master per shape (tall, square, wide) rather than one per channel, then reuse it where the table says the ratio is accepted.
- When a ratio is outside the listed ones, expect the channel to crop it. Look at the preview before you publish.
Sources and how to verify
This article cites no external pages directly. The values come from the reference table used by the Branvoya tools, which records a review date and a confidence level for every row instead of presenting these ratios as permanent. For every channel, open its own help or developer documentation and confirm the current value.