X (Twitter) has the most aggressive auto-cropping of any social platform. Upload a tall image, X will probably show only the centre square in the feed. Upload a wide image, X may crop the top and bottom. Designing around this is its own skill, and it changes more often than the platform admits to.
Quick reference
- Single image post: 1600 by 900 pixels (16:9) for best results. Max ratio 2:1.
- Multi-image post (2 images): 700 by 800 each, displayed side by side
- Multi-image post (3 or 4 images): 1200 by 686 each, displayed in a grid
- Profile photo: 400 by 400 pixels, square, displayed as a circle
- Profile banner: 1500 by 500 pixels (3:1)
- Open Graph share card: 1200 by 675 pixels (16:9)
The cropping problem
X used to show the top portion of any uploaded image in the feed crop preview. Then it changed to a centre crop. Then it added algorithmic salience cropping (focused on faces and high-contrast regions). All of these can happen now, sometimes inconsistently.
The pragmatic rule: design important content into the centre of the image. Logos, faces and text should sit between roughly 25 per cent and 75 per cent of both the width and the height. If your subject is at the edge, expect it to be cropped out of the feed preview.
For single-image posts, 1600 by 900 (16:9) is the safest aspect. X shows it without cropping in most contexts and the resolution is plenty.
Single image posts
16:9 (1600 by 900 or 1200 by 675) gives the best result. X displays the full image without cropping in the feed for most ratios up to 2:1. Going beyond 2:1 (so taller than 16:9) triggers a crop.
Vertical images get cropped harshly in the feed. The full image is visible if the user taps in, but the feed preview shows a centred square. Many users will not tap. If you need to post a tall image, consider posting it as a multi-image grid alongside a 16:9 hero, or letterbox the tall content onto a 16:9 background.
Multi-image posts
Two images: shown side by side at roughly 7:8 aspect each. Use square or near-square uploads (700 by 800).
Three images: one large image on the left at roughly 16:9 with two small images stacked on the right.
Four images: a 2 by 2 grid. Each image is roughly 16:9.
Multi-image posts have noticeably higher engagement than single images on X in 2026. Use them when content allows.
Profile photo and banner
Profile photo at 400 by 400, displayed as a circle. Standard rules: avoid hard corners, face or logo centred.
Banner at 1500 by 500 (3:1). On mobile, the bottom of the banner is partially covered by the profile photo and the start of your bio. Critical content should sit in the top half and avoid the bottom-left third where the profile photo overlaps.
X displays the banner at very different aspect ratios on mobile vs desktop. The 1500 by 500 upload renders correctly on desktop but may be cropped to a wider strip on mobile. Treat the centre 1200 by 400 as the safe zone.
Open Graph share cards
When someone shares a link to your site on X, X pulls the Open Graph image (or the Twitter-specific og:image:src). Display aspect is roughly 1.91:1.
Design your og:image at 1200 by 630 (or 1200 by 675 for a slightly more X-native feel). X caches share images aggressively. If you update one, use the X Card Validator to force a refresh.
File size and format
X accepts JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF. Maximum file size is 5MB for static images and 15MB for GIFs.
X re-encodes uploads to JPG in most contexts. The re-encoding is less aggressive than Instagram or TikTok, but still happens. Pre-compress at quality 85 to 90 sRGB JPG for the most predictable result.
Common mistakes
- Posting tall portrait images. The feed crops them to a centred square and most users never see the full image.
- Putting important content (logos, key text) at the edges of an image. Algorithmic cropping eats them.
- Treating the banner as a single canvas without accounting for the profile-photo overlap. Test on mobile.
- Letting X auto-pick share-card crops on link shares. Set og:image deliberately on every URL that might be shared.
Tools
Use our social media cropper with the X Post Card and Profile Banner presets. The Post Card preset crops to 1200 by 675 with the salience zone centred, the format X auto-cropping is least likely to mangle. For Open Graph share cards on your own site, the cropper's Universal Share Card preset is the right starting point for any URL that will be shared on X.