How To Pick Banner Dimensions For Every Platform
Picking banner dimensions sounds simple until the creative has to ship across Google Display, Meta placements, LinkedIn, X, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, Reddit, and a handful of publisher buys. Crops appear. Text shrinks. Logos slide under UI. Uploads fail. Performance drops without a clear reason.
A reliable workflow starts by dropping the idea of one perfect size. The durable approach uses a small, intentional set of aspect ratios that map cleanly to modern placements. From there, platform-specific sizes become exports, not redesigns.
Today, we prepared a practical, platform-by-platform guide with recommended dimensions, minimums, and a clear order of operations so banners stay sharp, readable, and compatible. Let’s get started.
The Problem With One Banner Size
Many banner design failures are rooted in how layouts respond to resizing, not the original dimensions themselves.
Most performance issues blamed on wrong sizes have little to do with pixels alone. Problems show up when a design behaves poorly after resizing, cropping, or previewing in different contexts.
Common failure points include:
- CTAs cut off by unexpected crops
- Headlines that look fine on desktop yet collapse on mobile
- Logos drifting into overlays like Reels controls or TikTok captions
- Desktop-only builds sent into mobile-heavy inventory
- Fixed-size exports forced into flexible, responsive placements
The industry direction points toward cross-screen, lightweight, flexible units. That push sits behind the IAB Tech Lab’s New Ad Portfolio and LEAN-oriented guidance, which favors adaptable behavior over rigid canvases.
The Five Aspect Ratios That Cover Almost Everything
A sane workflow standardizes on a small set of ratios, then exports platform sizes from masters. Keep returning to the same foundations.
- 1:1 Square – Universal coverage. A dependable default for feeds and flexible placements.
- 4:5 Portrait Feed – Strong for Meta and Instagram feeds where vertical space earns attention.
- 9:16 Full-Screen Vertical – Stories, Reels, TikTok, Snapchat, and vertical-first placements.
- 1.91:1 Wide Landscape – Common across Google assets, LinkedIn, and X website cards.
- 16:9 Landscape Video – Video-first placements and TV-friendly framing.
Google’s own asset guidance mirrors that reality by explicitly calling out 1.91:1, 1:1, and 4:5 image formats with recommended minimums.
The Smallest Useful Set When Speed Matters
When time is tight, and web inventory is the priority, a minimal trio covers a large share of standard placements:
- 300×250 Medium Rectangle
- 728×90 Leaderboard
- 320×100 Large Mobile Banner
That combination appears repeatedly in 2025–2026 sizing guides because it spans desktop and mobile efficiently.
Two Worlds To Keep Separate
Before choosing sizes, it helps to recognize that banner design lives in two distinct production realities, each with its own rules, expectations, and failure points.
Classic Display Inventory With Fixed Sizes
Publisher layouts still rely on known slots:
- 300×250
- 728×90
- 160×600
- 300×600
- 970×250
- 320×50, 320×100
Stability keeps those placements alive.
Feed And Vertical-First Inventory Built On Ratios
Modern platforms prefer ratio-based assets:
- Build square, portrait, and vertical versions
- Let placements adapt automatically
The IAB’s newer portfolio guidance reinforces flexible behavior across screens rather than rigid units.
Standard Web Banner Sizes You Will Still Need
For Google Display-style image banners and publisher buys, teams continue to produce the following because support and traffic remain strong.
| Category | Size (px) | Notes |
| Medium Rectangle | 300×250 | Most universal web unit |
| Large Rectangle | 336×280 | More room than 300×250 |
| Leaderboard | 728×90 | Desktop top or bottom |
| Wide Skyscraper | 160×600 | Sidebar desktop |
| Half Page | 300×600 | High-visibility sidebar |
| Billboard | 970×250 | Premium desktop |
| Mobile Banner | 320×50 | Small mobile slot |
| Large Mobile Banner | 320×100 | Better visibility |
A practical note helps here. Many campaigns perform well with 5 to 8 sizes as long as heavy hitters like 300×250 and 728×90 are present.
Google Ads And Google Display Network
Google matters because it supports both classic fixed-size banners and asset-based formats.
Responsive Display Ads
Asset-based formats come with clear ratios and minimums.
| Asset Type | Ratio | Recommended | Minimum |
| Landscape | 1.91:1 | 1200×628 | 600×314 |
| Square | 1:1 | 1200×1200 | 300×300 |
| Portrait | 4:5 | 960×1200 | 480×600 |
File size limits apply, with examples up to 5120 KB for images.
Build first for Google assets:
- 1200×628
- 1200×1200
- 960×1200
Coverage expands across placements without exporting dozens of fixed sizes.
Uploaded Image Banners
Classic display units still appear in workflows.
Rules for reliability:
- Export crisp, lightweight files
- Avoid micro text and thin strokes
- Expect mobile compression to reduce clarity
Some uploads carry strict limits, with examples like 150 KB and standard JPG, PNG, or GIF formats.
Meta Banners And Placements
Meta operates on ratios rather than rectangles.
| Placement Style | Aspect Ratio | Working Size |
| Feed Square | 1:1 | 1080×1080 |
| Feed Portrait | 4:5 | 1080×1350 |
| Stories and Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 |
Instagram feed placements accept multiple ratios, though tall media may crop depending on context. A clean 4:5 feed version remains a safe portrait choice.
Build first for Meta:
- 1080×1080
- 1080×1350
- 1080×1920
If only one asset ships, 1080×1080 with centered elements holds up best.
LinkedIn Banner Dimensions
LinkedIn stays conservative. Ratios used for Google assets work well here.
Single Image Ads specs include:
- Landscape 1.91:1 at 1200×628
- Square 1:1 at 1200×1200
Minimums exist, such as 640×360 for horizontal and 360×360 for square, depending on format.
Build first for LinkedIn:
- 1200×628
- 1200×1200
Text-heavy creatives struggle in a busy feed. Bold, minimal typography reads better.
X Banner And Ad Dimensions
Common recommendations for image ads with cards include:
- 1.91:1 at 800×418
- 1:1 at 800×800
Square assets can crop to 1.91:1 in mobile contexts for some formats.
Build first for X:
- 800×418
- 800×800
Designing at 1200×628 and downscaling also works, provided mobile crops get previewed.
TikTok Dimensions
TikTok defaults to vertical.
Minimums and recommendations include:
- Vertical 9:16 at or above 720×1280
- Square 1:1 at or above 640×640
- Horizontal 16:9 at or above 1280×720
File sizes can reach up to 100 MB depending on ad type.
Many teams standardize on 1080×1920 for vertical delivery.
Build first for TikTok:
- 1080×1920
Key text and logos belong away from edges because UI overlays consume space.
Snapchat Banner And Ad Dimensions
Snapchat uses full-screen vertical formats.
Specs highlight:
- Aspect ratio 9:16
- Resolution around 720×1280 as a baseline
Many teams ship 1080×1920 for sharper results.
Build first for Snapchat:
- 1080×1920 with center-safe layout
Pinterest Dimensions
Pinterest offers clear guidance.
Best practices recommend:
- 2:3 aspect ratio
- 1000×1500 px standard image ad size
Larger ratios risk cropping in feeds.
Build first for Pinterest:
- 1000×1500
Clean imagery, readable overlays, and a catalog-style layout perform well.
Reddit Banner Dimensions
Reddit creative tolerates variety, though poor ratios still hurt performance.
Common recommendations focus on:
- Square 1:1
- Landscape around 4:3
High-resolution exports around 1200 px wide scale safely.
Build first for Reddit:
- 1200×1200
- 1200×900
Native-looking, straightforward designs feel more at home than over-polished banners.
YouTube Banners And Overlay Formats
The word banner can mean several things on YouTube.
Channel Art
Often referenced at 2560×1440, with device-specific safe areas.
In-Video Overlay Ads
Some guides reference overlays around 480×70, often with tight file size limits like 150 KB.
Video Framing For Ads
Most campaigns rely on video framing rather than static banners.
Build first for YouTube-related creative:
- 1920×1080 for 16:9 video
- 1080×1920 for Shorts-style placements when needed
TV and CTV viewing makes clean 16:9 framing especially important.
A Repeatable Export Plan
A simple production plan maps cleanly to almost every platform.
Step 1: Design Three Masters
- Square master: 1080×1080
- Feed portrait master: 1080×1350
- Full-screen vertical master: 1080×1920
Step 2: Add One Wide Master
- Wide landscape master: 1200×628
That single canvas covers Google, LinkedIn, and many X formats.
Step 3: Export Fixed Web Sizes Only When Required
For classic banners:
- 300×250
- 728×90
- 160×600
- 300×600
- 320×50 or 320×100
Real-World Examples
Real-world examples show how choosing the right banner dimensions depends on what you are promoting, where the ads run, and how people actually see them on screen.
Local Service Business
Best set:
- 1200×628
- 1080×1080
- 1080×1920
Intent-heavy Google inventory and high-volume Meta awareness both get coverage.
E-commerce Promotion
Best set:
- 1080×1350
- 1000×1500
- 1080×1920
Taller formats leave room for product, price, and CTA.
B2B Webinar Or SaaS Demo
Best set:
- 1200×628
- 1200×1200
- 1080×1080
Ratios align with professional feeds and remarketing placements.
What To Build First
| Platform | Build First | Ratio |
| Google Ads Assets | 1200×628, 1200×1200 | 1.91:1, 1:1 |
| Meta | 1080×1080, 1080×1350, 1080×1920 | 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 |
| 1200×628, 1200×1200 | 1.91:1, 1:1 | |
| X | 800×418, 800×800 | 1.91:1, 1:1 |
| TikTok | 1080×1920 | 9:16 |
| Snapchat | 1080×1920 or 720×1280 minimum | 9:16 |
| 1000×1500 | 2:3 | |
| 1200×1200, 1200×900 | 1:1, 4:3 | |
| Web Banners | 300×250, 728×90, 160×600, 300×600 | Fixed |
Six Rules That Prevent Cropping And Rejections
- Design for crop tolerance: Center key messages and avoid edge-dependent layouts.
- Use fewer words than expected: Smaller placements punish dense copy.
- Keep CTAs out of the bottom 15% on 9:16: UI overlays claim that space.
- Export high resolution, then compress carefully: Some placements enforce strict limits that destroy fine detail.
- Use thicker line weights: Thin strokes vanish on mobile screens.
- Preview on a phone before shipping: Desktop-only review hides most problems.
Summary
Picking banner dimensions becomes manageable once the work centers on ratios rather than chasing every possible size.
A small, deliberate set of masters covers nearly all platforms, reduces rework, and keeps creative readable where it actually runs.
