Instagram sizes 2026: posts, Reels, Stories and carousels

Instagram sizes for 2026: the table to keep

The real question is not how to memorize a list of pixels. It is which file to create for a specific use, followed by a check of how Instagram displays it.

Supported aspect ratios and recommended production templates, verified on August 15, 2026.

Use	Aspect ratio	Production template	Practical decision
Landscape feed photo	1.91:1	1080 × 566 px	Reserve it for genuinely horizontal compositions.
Square post	1:1	1080 × 1080 px	Useful for an asset reused across several channels.
Portrait post or carousel	4:5	1080 × 1350 px	The simplest operational template for editorial content.
Taller portrait photo	3:4	1080 × 1440 px	Now supported for feed photos; check the preview in your publishing tool.
Story	9:16	1080 × 1920 px	The standard full-screen mobile format.
Full-screen Reel	9:16	1080 × 1920 px	The preferred starting point for native vertical design.

Meta’s official documentation says a feed photo can retain a resolution of up to 1080 px wide when its aspect ratio falls between 1.91:1 and 3:4. Instagram may crop a photo outside this range. The range and official width are documented in the Instagram Help Center.

The dimensions in the table are therefore consistent production templates calculated from those ratios. They do not replace a preview in the app, especially when the team publishes through a third-party tool.

Three master templates are enough for most teams

The problem is not a shortage of formats. It is the proliferation of near-identical files, changed at the last minute by several people.

A simple system can use:

1. One 4:5 feed master at 1080 × 1350 px. It covers educational posts, carousels, announcements and most editorial visuals.
2. One 9:16 vertical master at 1080 × 1920 px. It serves Stories and Reels, with the composition designed around interface elements that overlay the image.
3. One 1:1 square master at 1080 × 1080 px. It remains useful when the same asset must work across platforms or in square placements.

Add 3:4 only when the photography or composition genuinely benefits from the extra height. Creating four versions of every post increases workload without guaranteeing a better result.

Which format should you choose for each content objective?

A decision matrix, not an algorithmic ranking.

Objective	Starting format	Why	Check
Explain a method	4:5 carousel	The height creates room for a readable editorial hierarchy.	One idea per slide and a hook that works without the caption.
Show a product, place or portrait	4:5 or 3:4	The choice depends on the source composition, not a universal rule.	The subject, logo and copy remain visible in previews.
Create immersive video	9:16 Reel	The creative fills the mobile screen.	The main message remains legible around interface elements.
Publish temporary information	9:16 Story	The format matches the native vertical journey.	Links, stickers and calls to action do not cover the copy.
Reuse a visual elsewhere	1:1 square	A square simplifies some cross-channel adaptations.	The compromise does not reduce readability on Instagram.

A format that occupies more screen space does not make the content more relevant. Reach and conversion also depend on the topic, hook, retention, proof, offer and distribution. Presenting 4:5 or 9:16 as a guarantee of engagement would be misleading.

Reel sizes: what Meta actually documents

Instagram accepts Reels with aspect ratios between 1.91:1 and 9:16. According to the official Reel size & aspect ratios page, the file must have at least 720 px resolution and 30 frames per second.

For mobile-first production, 1080 × 1920 px remains the clearest template: it is a 9:16 canvas with a comfortable working width. This does not mean Meta requires that exact resolution for every organic Reel.

Before export:

• keep the title, face, product and CTA inside a generous central area;
• place no essential information against an edge;
• check the Reel preview, cover and feed display;
• enable high-quality uploads when the account offers the option.

Stories and safe zones: avoid false universal measurements

For a full-screen display, we recommend designing a Story in 9:16, generally 1080 × 1920 px. Meta also uses 9:16 as the reference ratio in its troubleshooting guidance for boosted Stories. But a “safe zone” expressed as one fixed pixel margin ages quickly: buttons, stickers, captions and interfaces can vary by device, app version and post type.

Use a composition rule instead:

• reserve the center for the message that must be seen;
• leave breathing room at the top and bottom;
• add stickers in the app before approving the layout;
• for a Reels ad, check the creative with the safe-zone tool referenced by Meta for Business.

This method is less dramatic than a diagram full of numbers. It is more robust for a team publishing every week.

Carousels: lock the aspect ratio from the first slide

In a carousel, the selected orientation applies to every item. The Instagram Help Center page for posts with multiple photos or videos states that each item in the same post cannot have a different orientation.

The operational consequence is simple: choose the ratio before writing or designing the slides. For an educational carousel, 4:5 at 1080 × 1350 px provides a stable frame. Each slide should then use the same grid, margins and hierarchy.

Do not focus only on the first slide. The second should confirm the promise, the following slides should advance the reasoning, and the final one should offer a coherent action: save, comment, read a resource or explore an offer.

The Seven Gold workflow for producing without cropping

1. Choose the objective. Awareness, education, proof, traffic or conversion: the format comes second.
2. Select a master template. 4:5 for feed, 9:16 for full screen and 1:1 for reuse.
3. Define the critical content area. The title, subject, logo and CTA must survive the previews.
4. Build a mobile hierarchy. Use a short hook, sufficient contrast and few competing elements.
5. Export from the source file. Avoid screenshots and repeated re-exports that degrade the asset.
6. Preview in the actual publishing channel. Use the native app or the scheduling tool used by the team.
7. Check after publishing. Review the feed, profile grid, Reel or Story on at least one phone.

Document file names, the template version and the approver as well. The gain is not only visual: you reduce revisions, errors and time lost recreating the same content.

Pre-publish checklist

• The aspect ratio matches the selected placement.
• The file is 1080 px wide when it is a feed image prepared for Instagram.
• The copy remains legible on a mobile screen without zooming.
• No essential element touches an edge or interface zone.
• Every carousel slide uses the same orientation.
• The Reel cover also works in its previews.
• The final preview was checked in the tool that will actually publish it.

Dimensions do not replace a social media system

A good template prevents a cropping error. It does not choose the right topic, proof or call to action.

If your team adapts every asset manually, Seven Gold can structure a coherent social production system: editorial direction, templates, approval workflow and measurement. Explore our social media management support.

To work on substance before form, read our guide to social media strategy and our guide to content marketing.

Verified sources

• Meta / Instagram: photo resolution and aspect ratios, verified August 15, 2026.
• Meta / Instagram: Reel sizes and aspect ratios, verified August 15, 2026.
• Meta / Instagram: posts with multiple photos or videos, verified August 15, 2026.
• Meta / Instagram: aspect ratios for boosted Stories, verified August 15, 2026.
• Meta for Business: Reels creative and safe zones, verified August 15, 2026.