The picture-perfect Facebook cover photo size

Remember that old phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover?”

Well, that doesn’t apply in the social media world.

Even though you always help customers better understand your brand through content and storytelling, the first impression they get of your company will always be visual. Between logos, website layouts or your Facebook cover photo, it’s the images that lay the foundation for your online reputation.

That’s why having the right Facebook cover photo size lets you demonstrate your personality, brand story and even purpose as a company.

The good news? With the guidelines below, it’s easy to optimize your Facebook header with the correct cover size dimensions.

Looking for Cover Photos that are already perfectly sized? Download some of our free Facebook Cover Photos!

Choosing the Right Facebook Cover Photo Size

The Facebook cover photo size is 820 pixels wide by 312 pixels tall on desktop. However, mobile users will see 640 pixels wide by 360 pixels tall. The correct Facebook cover photo size is the first step to portraying the right image on social media.

Too big, and important parts of your content will get cropped out. Too small, and your image will look stretched and pixelated. You need an image with Goldilocks potential, something that’s just right. Here’s some more notes on having the best Facebook cover photo:

• You must have a minimum size of 400 x 150 pixels.
• There’s no display available on feature phones.
• For the best results, upload an sRGB JPG file less than 100 KB.
• For images with a logo or text, it might be best as a PNG file.
• Facebook Business Page dimensions are exactly the same as personal accounts.

Keep in mind that a huge portion of today’s Facebook audience is mobile, so ensure that none of your important content will be cropped out on a different device.

Remember, your Facebook cover photo doesn’t necessarily need to be static anymore. You can now use a simple video instead of a static cover photo, which is a great way to share more information about how your business works. Your video should be the same size as a standard desktop cover photo.

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Ideally, you’ll want something that’s only up to a minute long. After all, if your customers focus on your cover photo for too long, they might not have time to check out the rest of your page.

Fortunately, Sprout Social is making it easier to update a photo that’s perfect for your Facebook cover. Just use our free tool Landscape to get the perfect Facebook cover photo size.

Learn more about Facebook image sizes

If you’re updating your brand’s look across Facebook, check out these guides to make sure your images meet platform guidelines:

• Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Image Sizes
• Always up-to-date list of Facebook ad sizes & specs
• Facebook Event Photo Size & Dimensions Guide

Choosing a Fantastic Facebook Cover Photo

The strict rules for Facebook cover photo dimensions and profile pictures mean you’re limited on how much information you can convey on your page. While videos help you to go the extra mile in telling your company narrative, you’ll still need to be smart when choosing what to showcase.

The following tips will help you to select an image that not only abides by the Facebook cover photo size rules but also your own brand guidelines too:

Follow the Rules Provided by Facebook

While this might seem like an obvious step, you’d be surprised how many people overlook social media rules and do their own thing. While you’re checking out the specs for Facebook cover photos, make sure you check out other branded profile guidelines too. Remember:

• Covers need to be authentic: In other words, they can’t be deceptive, misleading or malicious in any way.
• Covers are public: You must choose something that’s going to appeal to a wide audience of potential followers and existing fans.
• Covers are yours alone: Brands can’t ask advocates to load their Facebook cover photo onto their timelines as an advertising technique.

To keep the rest of your Facebook presence looking just as professional as your up to date cover photo, check out the Facebook ad sizes guide and the social media image sizes guide for more help!

Keep It Clear & Simple

Once you’ve learned the rules and you’re ready to start searching for the perfect image, make sure that you choose a design that’s spot on. While it might be tempting to pack your above-the-fold content full of keywords and information, your visitors look for a clean introduction to your company.

Some of the best images use the Facebook page cover to reinforce their brand’s feel and identity without detracting from calls to action like the buttons below the image or the top posts in the Page’s feed.

Here, Evernote uses an illustration with simple brand elements that sets the tone without completely distracting you from the rest of the flow of the page. The colors and familiar icons help reinforce the brand’s identity without the need for a single text element that could distract from on-page actions and content.

Show Off Your Brand’s Personality

Images are more powerful than the average business thinks. In fact, we process images up to 60,000 times faster than text. With the right Facebook photo cover, you can engage your audience and earn their attention long before they read your social media posts.

With that in mind, it’s important to ensure that your cover photo represents what your brand does. This not only helps your customer to know that they’re on the right page, but it also ensures that you present a more consistent image for your company online.

Slack’s Facebook page cover teases their product’s function in an understated way that ultimately draws the audience in further to the page. The idea of Slack as a tool for collaboration that gets things running in the right channels is reflected in an intriguingly sparse photo with pops of brand-themed colors. The image isn’t excessively polished or overwhelmingly promotional, which ties in perfectly with Slack’s informal brand voice.

Show off Brand Highlights and News

A Facebook cover photo acts a lot like a storefront. It demonstrates what you’re selling to interested customers and entices them to come and learn more. Your Facebook header is the perfect place to highlight what’s new with your brand and promote the latest events and products. As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, just be sure you’re leading with an image that is an compelling visual first rather than bombarding your audience with information in the cover space.

A few ways to do this are by:

• Highlighting the latest products and events: Like in the example above, where HBO highlights their most recent premiere with eye-catching key art.
• Showing off your team or your office: Give your fans an insight into the humans behind your organization and show off the professional side of your company.
• Showing your product in context: Demonstrate what your customers can get out of your offering with a picture that shows a client or employee using it.

Draw Attention to the Right Places

There are a few different schools of thought in the social media world–particularly when it comes to Facebook cover photo size. Some people think that it’s best to combine their profile picture and cover photo into a single cohesive image. Other experts prefer to spread their imagery out so that it pulls focus to the right spaces on the page.

Of course, there’s nothing to say that you can’t do both things simultaneously–so long as it looks good. This Facebook cover from Oreo uses a beautiful graphic image on the right-hand side of their cover photo to draw the eye to the “Send Message” button.

At the same time, the profile picture blends almost seamlessly with the cover photo because it uses the same design elements and the same colors. The overall experience is a highly cohesive page that pulls focus to the right elements on the page.

Importantly, when you’re looking for ways to direct audience attention, make sure that you avoid using directional cues like arrows. Not only do these typically look a bit too aggressive, but your buttons and CTAs will also show up differently on mobile devices compared with desktops. This means you could end up with an arrow that points nowhere on mobile.

Key Characteristics of a Successful Facebook Cover Photo

By now you know the golden rules that should lead your Facebook cover photo size decisions. All you need to do is pick an image that resonates with the right target audience and pushes them to click on that “follow” or “send message” button.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for the perfect cover photo, some of the most shareable images will include:

• Text: Be cautious here, a small amount of text like a brief slogan can help to describe your brand, but too much could overwhelm your photo.
• Emotion: Happy customers or smiling staff can capture audience interest and make them excited about your organization, product or service.
• Relevance: The image you choose should fit with both the nature of your company and your audience’s interests.

Creating the Perfect Cover Photo

Choosing the right pictures, style, and size for your Facebook cover photo isn’t always easy. After all, this is your first chance to make the right impression on billions of potential customers. Fortunately, if you follow the guidelines above, and stick to the rules provided by this gigantic social media channel, you should have everything you need to engage and delight your customers.