Published by the Zolyp team ·
What are the X image sizes at a glance?
Every figure below comes from X's own help centre. Where X gives a file limit but no recommended pixel size, the table says so rather than guessing:
| Image | Size or limit | File types |
|---|---|---|
| Profile photo | 400 x 400 px recommended, 2MB max | JPEG, GIF, PNG |
| Header image | 1500 x 500 px recommended | Not listed separately |
| Post photo | Up to 5MB each, up to 4 per post | JPEG, PNG, GIF |
| Animated GIF | Up to 5MB on mobile, 15MB on the web | GIF |
| Single photo shape | 2:1 to 3:4 shows in full | Any accepted type |
| Post photo pixel size | No recommended size published by X | n/a |
Sources: X Help Center: Help with uploading a profile photo, checked 14 October 2026; X Help Center: How to post photos or GIFs on X, checked 14 October 2026
What size should an X profile photo be?
X recommends 400 x 400 pixels, in JPEG, GIF or PNG, with a maximum file size of 2MB. You can only upload one from x.com or the official X apps. If an upload fails, X's checklist is: check the file type, check the file is under 2MB, check the dimensions, try a different or updated browser, and make sure you click Apply, because the image doesn't save until you do.
Accounts on X's Premium Business plan get a square avatar, which X uses to set businesses apart from other accounts. Keep your logo centred with some space around it so it reads at small sizes either way.
Sources: X Help Center: Help with uploading a profile photo, checked 14 October 2026; X Help Center: Premium Business, checked 14 October 2026
What size should an X header image be?
X recommends 1500 x 500 pixels. Even at that size, X warns that up to 60 pixels at the top and bottom may be cropped, depending on the screen and browser. So keep text, faces and logos away from the top and bottom edges.
- Design at 1500 x 500 and keep anything important inside the middle 380 pixels of height.
- Check the result on a phone and a computer after uploading, since X says cropping depends on the screen and browser.
- X's business guide suggests using the header like a billboard for what's new or timely, so plan to change it with your offers.
Sources: X Help Center: Help with uploading a profile photo, checked 14 October 2026; X Business: Get your business started with X, checked 14 October 2026
What size should photos in X posts be?
X doesn't publish a recommended pixel size for photos in posts. It publishes the file limits (5MB per photo, JPEG, PNG or GIF) and says photos are scaled automatically for display. The one shape rule it gives is for single photos: a photo with a standard aspect ratio between 2:1 (wide) and 3:4 (tall) displays in full, so what you see in the composer is what people see.
For several photos in one post, X doesn't document how the grid is cropped, so preview the post before you publish and adjust any photo whose key detail sits near an edge.
- Accepted: JPEG, PNG and GIF.
- Not accepted: BMP, TIFF and other formats.
- Up to four media items per post, for example two photos, one GIF and one video.
- Photos and GIFs don't count towards the 280-character limit.
- Polls can't include photos.
Sources: X Help Center: How to post photos or GIFs on X, checked 14 October 2026; X Help Center: How to Post, checked 14 October 2026; X Help Center: About X Polls, checked 14 October 2026
What are the GIF and video limits on X?
Animated GIFs can be up to 5MB when posted from mobile and up to 15MB from the web. For video, X's help centre says that without a subscription you can upload videos up to 140 seconds long with a maximum file size of 512MB on the web.
Subscribers to X Premium, and to the paid plans on The X Subscription, can upload far longer videos. X's video help page and its Premium page currently give different maximum lengths and file sizes, so check the video page for the figure that applies before you upload a long file.
Sources: X Help Center: How to post photos or GIFs on X, checked 14 October 2026; X Help Center: How to share and watch videos on X, checked 14 October 2026; X Help Center: About X Premium, checked 14 October 2026
How do you make images that work on X?
Practical habits that fit X's published rules:
- Export photos as JPEG or PNG and check each one is under 5MB before you upload.
- For a single photo, pick a shape between 2:1 and 3:4 so it shows in full; a 3:4 portrait takes up more of the timeline than a wide image.
- Keep text on images short and large enough to read on a phone.
- Use a GIF only when movement adds something, and keep it under 5MB if you post from your phone.
- Preview the post in the composer and fix anything that crops badly before you select Post.
Where does Zolyp fit? (Disclosure: Zolyp is our product)
Zolyp designs the image for each post as well as writing it, and fits captions and crops per platform rather than copying one version everywhere, so the same idea looks right on X and on Instagram. You see each post as it will appear before you approve it.
Common questions
What is the best image size for an X post?
X doesn't publish a recommended pixel size for post photos. It says single photos with a standard aspect ratio between 2:1 and 3:4 display in full, and each photo can be up to 5MB in JPEG, PNG or GIF.
What size is the X header image?
X recommends 1500 x 500 pixels. It warns that up to 60 pixels at the top and bottom may be cropped on some screens and browsers, so keep important details towards the middle.
Why won't X accept my image?
Check the format and size. X accepts JPEG, PNG and GIF for posts (not BMP or TIFF), photos up to 5MB, and profile photos up to 2MB. Animated GIFs can be up to 5MB on mobile or 15MB on the web.
Can I post a WebP image on X?
X's help centre lists GIF, JPEG and PNG as accepted photo types and doesn't mention WebP, so convert the file to JPEG or PNG if you want to be sure it uploads.