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2025 Guide to Social Media Guidelines (Image, Video, & Copy)

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Staying Up to Date on Social Media Parameters Is a Marketing Must

 

Social media — an integral part of today’s society, for better or worse — has risen to become not only a powerful way for people to interact online but also a powerful marketing tool for brands, thanks to its sheer convenience and popularity. In fact, navigating the social media landscape effectively is now a virtual necessity for brand recognition and communication between businesses and their existing and potential customers. It’s also critical in the creation of successful omnichannel strategies which drive the modern marketing world. 

In order to maximize social media platforms, businesses must stay up to date on best practices while being mindful of each platform’s unique audiences and guidelines. From image format and file size to video and caption length, platform optimization, on both desktop and mobile, is key for brands to convey professionalism, enhance engagement, and remain consistent across devices. Likewise, not conforming to specific image dimensions and formats can lead to distorted and pixelated images, unappealing content, and a sense that a brand is out of touch.     

As social media platforms evolve, so do their parameters, such as character increases on LinkedIn (2021) and X (2017 and 2023) posts and the introduction of video features like Instagram Stories (2016) and Facebook Reels (2021). Because platforms frequently adjust their visual and verbal limitations and recommended sizes, and no two platforms have the same ones, it can be challenging for businesses to keep their post content optimized. 

 

To help you get a better handle on your social media content, here’s a quick guide to some of the latest image, video, and copy guidelines for the most popular social media platforms heading into 2025:

NOTE: Maximum image size and quality specifications, as well as maximum copy allowances (which include spaces, hashtags, and emojis), don’t necessarily reflect what’s optimal. For instance, many text character limits are in the thousands and some videos are allowed to run tens of minutes, if not hours long. However, most times, shorter is sweeter when trying to connect with your audience and keep their attention. Meanwhile, high-quality, professionally made images and videos perform better and keep users engaged longer while boosting likes, shares, and comments. 

 

Facebook

  • Profile Picture Recommended Resolution: 
    • Desktop: 170×170 px (1:1 aspect ratio)
    • Mobile: 128×128 px (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • Cover Photo Recommended Resolution: 
    • Desktop: 851×315 px (16:9 aspect ratio)
    • Mobile: 640×360 px (16:9 aspect ratio)
  • Image File Max Size: 
    • Profile Picture: 10 MB
    • Posts/Ads: 30 MB
    • Cover Photo: 100 MB   
    • Recommended Image Size: Up to 1 MB (for quick loading) 
  • Post Image Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1200×630 px (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
    • Square: 1080×1080 px (1:1 aspect ratio)
    • Portrait: 1080×1350 px (4:5 aspect ratio)
  • Image File Formats: 
    • JPG, PNG
  • Video Formats: 
    • MP4, MOV
  • Video Max Size: 
    • 30 GB 
  • Ideal Facebook Stories & Reels Resolution: 
    • 1080×1920 px (9:16 aspect ratio, designed for vertical viewing)
  • Video Max Length: 
    • Posts: 240 minutes (4 hours)
    • Stories: 20 seconds long per slide. (Longer ones automatically split into segments of 20 seconds each.)
    • Reels: 90 seconds long
    • Recommended Video Length: 15–30 seconds
  • Visibility: 
    • Stories: Disappear after 24 hours 
  • Username Text Max Length: 
    • 5–50 characters
  • Description Text Max Length: 
    • 255 characters  
  • Bio Text Max Length: 
    • 101 characters  
  • Post Text Max Length: 
    • 63,206 characters (Recommended: 40–100 characters)
  • Comment Text Max Length: 
    • 8,000 characters

 

Instagram

  • Profile Picture Recommended Resolution: 
    • 320×320 px 
  • Post Image Recommended Resolution: 
    • Square: 1080×1080 px (1:1 aspect ratio)
    • Portrait: 1080×1350 px (4:5 aspect ratio)
    • Landscape: 1080×608 px (16:9 aspect ratio) (Larger images are automatically reduced to fit within its display parameters.)
  • Image File Formats: 
    • JPG, PNG
  • Image Max Size:
    • 30 MB
  • Video Formats: 
    • MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV
  • Video Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1080×1920 px (9:16 aspect ratio)
  • Video Max Length: 
    • Posts: 60 seconds
    • Reels: 90 seconds
    • Stories: 15 seconds per slide 
  • Video Max Size: 
    • 4 GB
  • Post Text Max Length: 
    • 2,200 characters (Recommended: Up to 150 characters)
  • Bio Text Max Length: 
    • 150 characters

 

X (Formerly Twitter)

  • Image File Formats: 
    • GIF, JPG, PNG
  • Profile Picture Recommended Resolution: 
    • 400×400 px (1:1 aspect ratio) 
  • Profile Picture Max Size: 
    • 2MB  
  • Header Photo Recommended Resolution:
    • 1500×1500 px (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • Header Photo File Max Size: 
    • 5 MB
  • Video Formats: 
    • MP4, MOV
  • Video Max Length: 
    • 140 seconds 
  • Video Max Size: 
    • 512 MB
  • Post Photo Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1600×900 px (16:9 aspect ratio)
  • Post Text Max Length: 
    • For X free users: 280 characters (Recommended: 70–100 characters)
    • For X subscribers: 25,000 characters

 

LinkedIn  

  • Image File Formats: 
    • GIF, JPG, PNG
  • Profile Picture Recommended Resolution:
    • 400×400 (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • Image Max Size: 
    • 8 MB
  • Personal Cover Image Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1584×396 px (4:1 aspect ratio)
  • Company Page Cover Image Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1128×191 px (5.91:1 aspect ratio)
  • Post Image Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1200×627 px (1.91:1 aspect ratio)
  • Video Recommended Format: 
    • MP4 
  • Video Recommended Resolution:
    • 1280×720 px (16:9 aspect ratio) 
  • Video Max Length: 
    • 10 minutes  
  • Video Max Size:  
    • 5 GB
  • Post Text Max Length:
    • 3,000 characters (Recommended: 150–300 characters)
  • Headline Text Max Length: 
    • 220 characters

 

TikTok 

  • Profile Picture Recommended Resolution: 
    • 200×200 px (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • Image Formats: 
    • JPG, PNG
  • Video Formats: 
    • MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV
  • Video Max Length: 
    • 10 minutes (Recommended: 15-60 seconds)
  • Video Max Sizes: 
    • Mobile: 287.6 MB 
    • Desktop: 2 GB 
  • Video Recommended Resolution: 
    • Portrait: 1080×1920 px (9:16 aspect ratio)
    • Landscape: 1920×1080 px (16:9 aspect ratio) 
  • Caption Max Length: 
    • 2,200 characters (Recommended: Up to 150 characters)

 

Snapchat

  • Image/Video Recommended Resolution: 
    • 1080×1920 px (9:16 aspect ratio)
  • Video Formats:
    • MP4, MOV
  • Video Max Length: 
    • 60 seconds per snap
  • Video Max Size: 
    • 1 GB
  • Image Max Size: 
    • 32 MB
  • Image Formats: 
    • JPG, PNG, GIF 
  • Caption/Story Text Max Length: 
    • 80 characters for text overlays on images or videos

 

Tailoring your content optimally for each social media platform is essential to putting your brand in the best light and appealing to customers. By adhering to the latest image, video, and copy guidelines, you can ensure that your social media efforts are as effective as possible across major platforms in 2025.

At M:7 Agency, our team of designers, writers, and social media experts keep up to date on the latest social media particulars so you don’t have to. For expert help strategizing, managing, and creating content for social media accounts, reach out to us today!