Facebook Thumbnail Size and Ratio
Every Facebook thumbnail size in one place, with the shape each one needs.
Works with public Facebook videos and Reels. Private, friends-only and group videos can't be read.
Waiting for Retrieval
CTR Insight
"Most people see your video in a busy mobile feed. A clear face and a few large words are easier to notice than a detailed scene."
Facebook thumbnail sizes at a glance
| Where it shows | Size (pixels) | Shape | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video post thumbnail | 1280 × 720 (1920 × 1080 for extra sharpness) | 16:9 | The standard wide thumbnail for videos in the feed |
| Reel cover | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | Keep text out of the bottom 300 pixels and the right 120 pixels |
| Story | 1080 × 1920 | 9:16 | Keep text in the middle 1080 × 1520 |
| Link preview image | 1200 × 630 | 1.91:1 | Smaller than 200 × 200 is rejected |
| Square feed image | 1080 × 1080 | 1:1 | Safe on every device |
| Tall feed image | 1080 × 1350 | 4:5 | The tallest shape the feed shows without cropping |
| Page cover photo | 851 × 315 | about 2.7:1 | Shown wider on desktop than on phones |
What "ratio" means
Ratio is the shape of the image, written as width to height. 16:9 is wide like a TV. 9:16 is the same shape turned upright, like a phone. 1:1 is a square. Facebook cares about the shape more than the exact pixel count. A 1920 × 1080 image and a 1280 × 720 image are both 16:9 and both fit a video thumbnail.
What happens with the wrong shape
Facebook crops from the middle to make the image fit. A tall image used as a video thumbnail loses its top and bottom. A wide image used as a Reel cover loses its sides. Text near the edges is what gets cut.
Link previews work differently
You don't upload a link preview image with your post. Facebook reads it from the web page you are sharing. If a link shows the wrong picture, the fix is on the website, not in the post.
Check the size of any thumbnail
Paste a Facebook video link into the tool above and download the thumbnail. Open the file's details to see its width and height, then divide one by the other to get the shape. The file is the preview image Facebook publishes for that video, so it can be smaller than the size the creator uploaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Facebook video thumbnail size?
1280 × 720 pixels, which is 16:9. Use 1920 × 1080 if you want it sharper on large screens.
What size is a Facebook Reel cover?
1080 × 1920 pixels, which is 9:16. Keep your title away from the bottom and the right edge, where the buttons and caption sit.
Why is my thumbnail cropped?
The image is a different shape from the space it appears in. Facebook crops from the middle to fit.
Why is the downloaded thumbnail smaller than these sizes?
The tool saves the preview image Facebook publishes for the video. Facebook often stores that at a lower size than the original upload.