Instagram Post Size and Specs (2026)

Every Instagram limit below comes from the rules PostQuest uses to check posts before they publish. Publishing limits were last verified on September 11, 2026.

Main post size: 320–1,440 px wide · 4:5 to 1.91:1 · Up to 8 MB; Photo Post
Caption limit: 2,200 characters
Video aspect ratio: 9:16 recommended; Reel

Instagram image and video specs

Photo Post1 file

Spec	Image
Dimensions	320–1,440 px wide
Aspect ratio	4:5 to 1.91:1
File size	Up to 8 MB
Formats	JPEG, PNG

Must use the sRGB color space and a public image URL.
Meta documents JPEG only; PNG is converted before it reaches Instagram.

Reel1 file

Spec	Video
Dimensions	Up to 1,920 px wide
Aspect ratio	9:16 recommended
File size	Up to 1 GB
Length	3 s–15 min
Formats	MP4, MOV
Frame rate	23–60 fps
Codecs	H.264, HEVC, AAC

Maximum video bitrate 25 Mbps and audio bitrate 128 kbps.
Uses a public video URL.

Carousel Post2–10 files

Spec	Image	Video
Dimensions	320–1,440 px wide	Checked by the network at publish
Aspect ratio	4:5 to 1.91:1	Not specified
File size	Up to 8 MB	Checked by the network at publish
Length	Not specified	Checked by the network at publish
Formats	JPEG, PNG	MP4, MOV
Codecs	Not specified	H.264, HEVC, AAC

Must use the sRGB color space and a public image URL.
Meta documents JPEG only; PNG is converted before it reaches Instagram.
Carousel child video numeric limits are remote-validated.

Photo Story1 file

Spec	Image
Aspect ratio	9:16 recommended
File size	Up to 8 MB
Formats	JPEG, PNG

Uses a public image URL.

Video Story1 file

Spec	Video
Dimensions	Up to 1,920 px wide
Aspect ratio	9:16 recommended
File size	Up to 1 GB
Length	3 s–15 min
Formats	MP4, MOV
Frame rate	23–60 fps
Codecs	H.264, HEVC, AAC

Maximum video bitrate 25 Mbps and audio bitrate 128 kbps.
Uses a public video URL.

Instagram caption and hashtag limits

Caption limit

2,200 characters

Feed posts and reels share the 2,200 character caption limit.

Hashtags

5 per post / reel

Recommended: 3–5 hashtags

Applies to Feed Posts and Reels.
Stories do not support hashtags in the caption.

Accounts that can publish

Instagram professional Business or Creator accounts only.

Facebook Login also requires a linked Page and Page discovery/access permissions.

Instagram profile and banner sizes

Instagram does not publish official profile or banner dimensions in its help center, so we do not list any. We only show sizes we can verify on an official page.

Instagram specs FAQ

What size should an Instagram post be?

An Instagram photo post must meet these limits: dimensions 320–1,440 px wide, aspect ratio 4:5 to 1.91:1, and file size up to 8 MB. For a reel, 9:16 is the recommended aspect ratio.

What is the Instagram character limit?

Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters long. Feed posts and reels share the 2,200 character caption limit.

How many hashtags can you use on Instagram?

Instagram allows up to 5 hashtags per post / reel. Aim for 3–5. Applies to Feed Posts and Reels. Stories do not support hashtags in the caption.

How long can an Instagram video be?

An Instagram reel can be 3 s–15 min long.

Sources

Publishing limits last verified September 11, 2026 against official API documentation. Profile sizes last verified October 4, 2026.

More platform specs

Compare every network on the social media image sizes overview. Planning when to publish? Read the best time to post on Instagram.

Schedule posts that pass these checks

PostQuest validates every caption and file against these limits before a post is scheduled, so nothing fails at publish time.

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