X (formerly Twitter) is the rare social platform that uses 16:9 (1200×675) for share cards rather than 1.91:1 (1200×630). The difference is small but enough that re-using an Open Graph image leaves it letterboxed on X. The dedicated Twitter card image generator on this site produces 1200×675 cards directly.
The profile header (banner) is a wide letterbox at 1500×500. Designed banners or wide landscape photos work; standard photo crops don't.
Cards are declared via meta tags on your linked page: <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> plus a twitter:image URL. Without those tags, X falls back to the Open Graph image — usually at the wrong aspect ratio.
X (Twitter) sizes — quick reference
Every image type X (Twitter) renders in its native UI, with the recommended dimensions, aspect ratio and format.
Posts
summary_large_image card
1200×675 · 16:9 · JPG
- Declare via <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image"> plus twitter:image — without those, X falls back to og:image at 1200×630, which letterboxes.
- Card images are cached aggressively. Force a refresh via the X Card Validator after updating.
In-feed image post
1600×900 · 16:9 · JPG
- In-feed images render at 1200×675; uploading 1600×900 gives X room for high-DPI displays.
- X applies its own compression — quality 85 source is a good starting point.
Profile & branding
Profile header (banner)
1500×500 · 3:1 · JPG
- Wide letterbox — most photographs look cropped. Designed banners or panoramic shots work better.
- The bottom-left ~200×200 overlaps the profile photo on desktop. Leave that area visually quiet.
Profile photo
400×400 · 1:1 · JPG
- Rendered circularly. Upload at 800×800 source for retina crispness.
X (Twitter) — general tips
- X strips EXIF metadata on upload, including GPS. Strip it before uploading anyway if you'd rather not have the data anywhere.
- Card images are aggressively cached — when you update the image on your site, use the X Card Validator to force a re-fetch.
- Animated GIFs are converted to MP4 on upload. Static images are safer for cards and share previews.
Frequently asked questions
- What size is a Twitter / X card?
- 1200×675 (16:9) for summary_large_image. This is slightly different from Open Graph's 1200×630 — re-using an OG image leaves it letterboxed on X.
- Why does my X share card look wrong?
- Most likely the og:image / twitter:image meta tags point to a 1200×630 source. Generate a dedicated 1200×675 image with the Twitter card generator, or use the resize preset linked below.
- What meta tags do I need for a card?
- <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image">, <meta name="twitter:image" content="...">, plus the standard og:title and og:description tags as fallbacks.
- Why is my updated card image still showing the old version?
- X caches card images aggressively. Use the X Card Validator (cards-dev.twitter.com/validator) to force a re-fetch after updating.
- What's the maximum file size?
- 5 MB for in-feed images, 5 MB for cards, 2 MB for animated GIFs. Compressing JPEGs at quality 85 keeps you well under those limits.