Master the image size for linkedin post: A guide to optimal dimensions

If you're a busy professional, you know how important it is to get your visuals right on LinkedIn. The ideal image size for a LinkedIn post really depends on what you're sharing, but a solid starting point is 1200 x 1200 pixels for a square image or 1200 x 627 pixels if you're sharing a link.

Getting these dimensions right from the start means your content will look crisp and professional. It prevents the platform from awkwardly cropping your visuals, ensuring your message lands exactly as you intended. Think of this as your quick reference guide—all the essential numbers, no fluff.

Your LinkedIn Image Size Cheat Sheet

Making a strong impression on LinkedIn often starts with your visuals. But with so many different post types and profile elements, each with its own specific dimensions, it's easy to get lost. This section is designed to be your quick, scannable cheat sheet for the most common image sizes you'll need.

Here’s a quick overview of the essential image specifications you'll need for everything from a standard image post to your company page banner. Sticking to these guidelines helps you avoid pixelation or blurriness, making sure your content looks sharp and professional on any device.

LinkedIn Image Size Cheat Sheet

This table covers the most frequent use cases, giving you a reliable reference to ensure every visual you upload is perfectly optimized for the platform.

Key Post Dimensions at a Glance

To make things even simpler, the visual below breaks down the three most common post formats you'll probably find yourself using day-to-day.

As the infographic shows, a square (1200 x 1200) image is always a safe bet. However, a portrait orientation (1080 x 1350) can be a game-changer, as it takes up more vertical space on mobile feeds and really grabs attention. Link previews, on the other hand, stick to a traditional landscape format (1200 x 627).

If you're prepping a batch of images at once, using a bulk image resizer tool can be a huge time-saver. And for a more exhaustive breakdown of every single spec on the platform, check out our complete guide to https://postiv.ai/blog/linkedin-post-specs.

How to Maximize Impact with Single Image Posts

Sometimes, one powerful image is all you need to stop the scroll and get your point across. When you’re posting a single image on LinkedIn, you really have two main choices, each with its own strategic advantage. Nailing these dimensions from the start means your visual will show up exactly as you planned—no weird cropping or blurry compression artifacts.

If you're looking for a foolproof option that works everywhere, the 1:1 square aspect ratio is your best bet. It’s a classic for a reason. This format looks sharp and clean on both desktop and mobile feeds, which is why so many people default to it.

The Reliable Square Format

For a crisp, consistent look, aim for 1200 x 1200 pixels for your square image posts. This resolution is high enough to look fantastic on modern displays and fits perfectly into the feed without any fuss.

A square image is incredibly versatile. It just works. Think about using it for:

• Professional Headshots: A centered headshot stays perfectly framed without any awkward cuts.
• Company Announcements: Logos, event flyers, and big news fit cleanly inside the square.
• Product Spotlights: It provides a focused, balanced frame to showcase a single product or feature.

Pro Tip: You can get away with uploading smaller square images, like 1080 x 1080, but I always recommend starting with 1200 x 1200 pixels. It gives LinkedIn's compression algorithm more data to play with, which usually means your final image looks sharper.

This format is the safe, dependable choice for delivering your message clearly. But if your goal is to grab as much attention as possible, especially on mobile, you should consider going vertical.

The Attention-Grabbing Portrait Format

To really take up real estate on a mobile screen, the 4:5 portrait aspect ratio is the way to go. Just picture someone scrolling on their phone. An image at 1080 x 1350 pixels fills up so much of the screen it’s hard to ignore. It’s a real thumb-stopper.

This vertical format became a big deal as LinkedIn shifted to a mobile-first experience. Some data even suggests it can pull in way more views than old-school landscape images. You can dig deeper into this on HeyOrca's blog about optimizing visuals.

The taller layout is perfect when you need a bit more room to tell a story or lay out information.

Best Use Cases for Portrait Images:

• Infographics: You can display charts, data, and step-by-step guides without making people squint or zoom in.
• Quote Graphics: With the extra vertical space, you can use larger fonts and get more creative with your layouts.
• Behind-the-Scenes Photos: Taller shots capture more of the environment, giving your story more context and depth.

In the end, choosing between square and portrait comes down to your content and what you want to achieve. The 1:1 ratio offers reliability and balance, while the 4:5 ratio is built for mobile dominance and making a bigger visual splash.

Creating High-Impact Multi-Image and Carousel Posts

While a single, powerful image can stop the scroll, sometimes you need more space to tell a compelling story. This is where multi-image layouts and document carousels really shine. They let you transform a simple update into an immersive, educational experience that pulls your audience in.

Getting the image size for these LinkedIn post formats right is non-negotiable if you want them to look sharp and professional.

These dynamic formats are perfect for breaking down complex ideas, showing off a step-by-step process, or highlighting several product features in one go. Instead of trying to squeeze everything into a single graphic, you can guide your followers through a narrative, one swipe at a time.

Mastering the LinkedIn Document Carousel

The LinkedIn Carousel is, without a doubt, one of the most effective content formats for building authority on the platform. Uploaded as a PDF document, it encourages people to stop scrolling and start swiping, which can dramatically increase the time they spend with your content.

For a carousel to look polished and be easy to follow, every single slide needs to be sized consistently.

• Square Slides (1:1): The go-to dimension here is 1200 x 1200 pixels. This size renders perfectly on both desktop and mobile, ensuring your content looks crisp everywhere. It’s a reliable choice for creating clean, balanced carousels that are easy to swipe through. For more details on social media sizing, a great resource is CodeSM's 2025 guide.

• Portrait Slides (4:5): If you're designing with mobile in mind, 1080 x 1350 pixels is your best bet. This vertical format takes up more of the screen on a phone, making it ideal for infographics or visually-driven content where you need that extra height to make an impact.

Whichever aspect ratio you land on, the key is consistency. Make sure every slide in your PDF has the exact same dimensions to create a smooth, seamless experience for the viewer. If you're looking for a step-by-step walkthrough, our guide on how to post a carousel on LinkedIn covers the whole process.

How to Build a Carousel That Tells a Story

A great carousel is far more than just a collection of images; it’s a structured narrative. You have to think of it like a mini-presentation with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

The most effective carousels start with a powerful title slide to hook the reader, deliver value through the middle slides, and finish with a strong call-to-action (CTA). This structure is what guides a user from initial curiosity all the way to taking action.

Your first slide is your hook. It needs to grab attention with a bold headline or an intriguing question. The middle slides are where you deliver the goods—your core message, broken down with a mix of text, images, and data. Finally, that last slide is your chance to direct your audience. Ask them to drop a comment, visit your website, or follow you for more. By planning out this flow, you turn a simple document upload into a seriously powerful engagement magnet.

Nailing Your Profile and Company Page Visuals

Your LinkedIn profile and company page are, for all intents and purposes, your digital business card and company headquarters. The visuals you pick are the very first thing people see, so they have to make the right impression. Getting these core brand images right is non-negotiable—they set the stage for every connection and every post.

These aren't just pretty pictures; they're your chance to communicate professionalism and define your brand identity from the get-go.

From your personal headshot to the company cover photo, every image has specific dimensions to keep it looking sharp on any device. If you ignore these guidelines, you risk blurry photos or weird cropping that can damage your credibility before anyone reads a single word.

Personal Profile Image Specifications

Think of your personal profile as your professional home base. The two visuals that matter most are your profile photo and your background banner, and each has its own set of rules.

• Profile Photo: The sweet spot is 400 x 400 pixels. This perfect square keeps your headshot crisp and properly centered. If you need a quick, polished photo, a free professional headshot generator can be a great starting point.
• Background Banner: Aim for 1584 x 396 pixels. This wide, panoramic space is your billboard—perfect for adding personality or branding. Just be careful how you design it, as it looks different across devices.

Pro Tip: Your background banner has what’s known as a 'safe zone.' Your profile picture will always block the lower-left corner, and other interface elements can obscure the edges on mobile. Keep all your important text, logos, or contact info near the center to make sure it’s always visible.

Company Page Visual Essentials

For any business, a sharp-looking company page is vital for attracting talent, leads, and customers. The logo and cover image are the two pillars of your page's visual identity. Nailing these is step one, and if you need a walkthrough of the whole process, our guide on how to make a LinkedIn business page has you covered.

For the main visuals, stick to these dimensions:

• Company Logo: This needs to be 300 x 300 pixels. It's the small square that shows up next to every post and comment, so it's a critical, high-visibility piece of your brand.
• Cover Image: The recommended size is 1128 x 191 pixels. This banner is a lot thinner and wider than the personal one, so your design needs to be clean, simple, and immediately communicate what your company is all about.

Optimizing Images for Shared Link Previews

We've all seen it: a shared link with a bizarrely cropped, low-quality, or completely irrelevant image. It immediately cheapens the post and can kill any interest in clicking. That little thumbnail is often the first thing people see, so getting it right is a non-negotiable part of sharing content professionally on LinkedIn.

When you paste a link, LinkedIn doesn't just grab a random picture from the page. It actively looks for specific instructions in the webpage's code to find the designated preview image. Your job is to make sure those instructions point to a perfect, high-quality graphic.

How LinkedIn Finds Your Link Image: Open Graph Tags

The magic behind this process is a bit of code called Open Graph (OG) tags. These are snippets embedded in a website's HTML that tell social platforms like LinkedIn exactly what title, description, and image to show when someone shares a link.

For a sharp, professional-looking preview, the image specified in the og:image tag should be 1200 x 627 pixels. This translates to a 1.91:1 aspect ratio.

If that og:image tag is missing, or if it points to an image that’s too small or the wrong shape, LinkedIn is forced to guess. The result is usually a horribly cropped logo or a stretched-out background photo—neither of which helps you make a good impression.

By defining a crisp, 1200 x 627 pixel image in your website’s og:image tag, you gain full control over how your content appears. It’s the difference between a sloppy, accidental preview and a compelling visual that encourages people to click.

Troubleshooting with the Post Inspector

So, what do you do when LinkedIn stubbornly shows an old, outdated image for a link, even after you've updated it? This is a classic caching issue. LinkedIn is holding onto an old version of your page's data, and you need to tell it to look again.

This is exactly what the LinkedIn Post Inspector was built for. It’s an essential tool for any content creator.

Here's how to force a refresh:

1. Navigate to the Post Inspector tool.
2. Paste the URL of the page you're sharing.
3. Click the "Inspect" button.

This simple action prompts LinkedIn to re-scrape your webpage, find the latest OG tags, and update its cache with the correct preview image. Now, when you go back to create your post, the link should pull in the fresh, accurate thumbnail you intended.

Common LinkedIn Image Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Even if you get the dimensions perfect, a few small mistakes can really tank the quality of your visuals. We've all seen them: the blurry photo, the awkwardly cropped banner. Getting a handle on these common slip-ups is the first step to making sure your content always looks sharp and professional.

Most of these issues boil down to three things: resolution, aspect ratio, or how you saved the file. A fuzzy graphic or a photo with someone's head cut off can instantly make your brand look amateur. Let's walk through the most frequent problems so you can steer clear of them.

Low Resolution and Pixelation

This is probably the most common mistake out there: uploading an image that's just too small. When LinkedIn has to stretch a low-res image to fill the space, you get that dreaded blurry, pixelated look. The fix is simple: always start with a file that’s at least the recommended size, or even a little bigger.

For example, if you upload a 600 x 600 pixel image for a square post, it's going to look soft. The platform has to blow it up to fit the feed, and the quality suffers.

• Before: An image uploaded below the recommended size (e.g., 600px wide).
• After: The same image uploaded at the recommended 1200 x 1200 pixels, looking crisp and clear.

Think of it this way: smaller files have less visual information. When you enlarge them, the platform has to guess what the missing pixels should be, and it rarely guesses well.

Unexpected Cropping and Aspect Ratios

Ever post a great photo only to find a crucial part of it got chopped off? That’s an aspect ratio mismatch. LinkedIn has specific shapes it prefers for different placements, and if your image doesn’t fit the mold, its automated system will crop it for you.

You can't, for example, force a wide panoramic photo (16:9) into a vertical post slot that needs a 4:5 ratio. If you try, the platform will just slice off the sides to make it fit.

The only way to prevent this is to create your visuals with the final destination in mind. Don't try to cram a landscape image into a portrait's spot. Instead, take a moment to re-crop or create a new version of the graphic that’s designed for the correct image size for LinkedIn post you're targeting.

Poor Export Settings and Compression

Here's something to remember: LinkedIn compresses every image you upload. It has to, to keep the site loading quickly. If your original file is already poorly optimized, LinkedIn’s compression algorithm can make it look even worse, resulting in muddy colors or blocky artifacts.

You can get ahead of this by exporting your files correctly from your design software.

1. Use High-Quality Settings: When exporting a JPEG, don't just go with the default. Choose a high-quality setting, usually around 80-90%. This gives you a good balance between file size and clarity.
2. Choose the Right Format: For any graphic with crisp text, logos, or solid lines, a PNG-24 is almost always your best bet. It handles sharp details much better than a JPEG.
3. Optimize for Web: Most design tools like Adobe Photoshop have a "Save for Web" or "Export As" feature. Use it. It’s built specifically to strip out unnecessary data while preserving visual quality for online use.

Your Top LinkedIn Image Questions Answered

Even when you think you have all the LinkedIn image sizes down, some tricky situations inevitably pop up. Here are some quick answers to the questions I hear most often from professionals trying to get their visuals just right.

Think of this as your go-to troubleshooting guide for making sure every image you post looks exactly how you intended.

Why Does My LinkedIn Photo Look Blurry?

This is a classic problem, and it almost always comes down to one of two things: you've uploaded an image that's too small, or LinkedIn's own compression is wreaking havoc on your file.

To avoid this, always start with a high-resolution image. For a standard square post, for example, your source file should be at least 1200 x 1200 pixels. Then, when you export, save it as a high-quality JPEG or PNG. This gives LinkedIn’s compression algorithm a better starting point, which means your final image will look much sharper.

Can I Change the Thumbnail for a Link I'm Sharing?

Unfortunately, no. You can't edit or upload a new thumbnail image directly on LinkedIn when you paste in a link. LinkedIn automatically grabs the preview image specified in the webpage's code, specifically from something called the Open Graph (og:image) meta tag.

If you need to change that image, you have to do it at the source—on the webpage itself. Once you've updated the og:image tag, head over to LinkedIn's Post Inspector tool. Pasting your URL there forces LinkedIn to clear its cache and fetch the new, updated preview image. It’s a must-use tool if you're serious about how your links appear.

The Post Inspector is a content creator's best friend. It essentially tells LinkedIn to re-scrape your link, ensuring the latest title, description, and image are pulled through correctly before you hit publish.

What's the Best Size for Carousel Post Images?

For carousels (which you upload as a PDF document), you've got two great options that work beautifully: 1080 x 1080 pixels (a 1:1 square ratio) or 1080 x 1350 pixels (a 4:5 portrait ratio).

The square format is the safe, traditional choice and always looks clean. However, the taller portrait format is fantastic for grabbing more screen real estate, especially on mobile, which can really help boost engagement. The key to a professional-looking carousel? Make sure every single slide uses the exact same dimensions. Consistency is everything here.

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