Image and Video Specifications
What file sizes and formats apply to social media posts?
#operations #socialmedia
Overview
To ensure your content is displayed correctly and published successfully across all platforms, please follow the technical requirements for images, videos, and documents. Specifications vary by platform.
Platform-Specific File Size Limits
Images
Platform | Max. File Size |
10 MB | |
8 MB | |
5 MB |
Videos
Platform | Max. File Size |
2 GB | |
Instagram Reels | 300 MB |
Instagram Stories | 100 MB |
500 MB |
Documents (LinkedIn only) PDF, PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX – max. 100 MB
Recommended Image Formats 2026
Instagram officially changed its grid format to 3:4 in late 2025. Square posts are still supported but will appear letterboxed in the grid. For best results, we recommend using the 4:5 format.
Format | Dimensions | Use Case |
Portrait (4:5) | 1080 × 1350 px | Instagram Feed (recommended) |
Grid (3:4) | 1080 × 1440 px | Instagram Grid (new from 2025) |
Square (1:1) | 1080 × 1080 px | Feed all platforms |
Story / Reel (9:16) | 1080 × 1920 px | Instagram Stories & Reels |
LinkedIn Feed | 1200 × 1200 px |
Important note: Unlike the Instagram app, contentbird does not automatically adjust image formats. Please upload images in the correct format to avoid publishing errors. You can also use the image editor in contentbird to adjust the format directly.
Images – General Specifications
Supported formats: JPEG, PNG
Maximum file size: see platform-specific table above
Videos – Technical Requirements
Container: MOV or MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14), no edit lists, „moov atom" at the beginning of the file
Video codec: HEVC (H.265) or H.264, progressive scan, closed GoP, color subsampling 4:2:0
Audio codec: AAC, max. 48 kHz, mono or stereo
Resolution: Maximum width 1920 pixels, aspect ratio min. 4:5, max. 16:9
Frame rate: 23–60 FPS
Video bitrate: max. 5 Mbit/s (VBR)
Audio bitrate: 128 Kbit/s
Duration: min. 3 seconds, max. 60 seconds
Best Practices
Use H.264 for maximum compatibility. Always upload images in the platform-recommended format – especially on Instagram, the 4:5 format (1080 × 1350 px) has been the standard since 2025. Keep videos as small as possible for faster processing and use high-quality but compressed files for optimal performance.