Formats
JPG, PNG
Instagram carousel size
As of July 27, 2026, the Instagram carousel is 1080 by 1350 pixels (4:5). Below is the full spec, then a resizer already set to that size so you can export a perfectly fitted image.
InstagramCarouselConvention, not published by InstagramLast verified July 27, 2026
Recommended size1080x1350 px
Aspect ratio4:5
Tallest (3:4)1080 x 1440Square1080 x 1080Landscape1080 x 566
Resize to 1080x1350 now
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About the Instagram carousel size
Instagram carousels use the same sizes as a single post: 1080 by 1350 portrait, 1080 by 1440 if you want the taller 3:4 that Instagram added for photos and carousels in May 2025, 1080 by 1080 square, or 1080 by 566 landscape. The important rule is consistency. Whatever ratio your first card uses, every following card is shown at that same ratio, so mixing a portrait cover with square cards leaves ugly crops. Pick one ratio, usually 4:5 portrait, and export every card at exactly that size so swipes stay seamless.
Where a 1080x1350 carousel gets cropped
The size you upload is not always the size people see. Each surface below re-frames the same file, so the safest layout is the one that survives every row.
| Where it appears | Shape | What happens to your image |
|---|---|---|
| Feed carousel | Set by card one | Whatever ratio the first card uses is applied to every following card. A square card in a 4:5 carousel is padded or centre-cropped to match. |
| Profile grid tile | 3:4 | Only the first card appears on your profile, re-cropped to a 3:4 tile. From a 4:5 cover that trims roughly 34px off each side; a 3:4 cover is already the tile's shape and loses nothing. |
File size and format limits: Instagram carousel
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Cards per carousel | Up to 20 |
| Recommended card size | 1080 by 1350 px (4:5), applied to every card |
| Tallest card size | 1080 by 1440 px (3:4), supported for carousels since May 2025 |
| Ratio rule | The first card sets the ratio for the whole set |
| Formats | JPG and PNG; images and video can be mixed in one carousel |
Why do my carousel cards look cropped after the first one?
Instagram locks a carousel to a single ratio, and it takes that ratio from card one. If your cover is 4:5 and card three is a 1:1 square, card three is not shown as a square. It is fitted into the 4:5 frame, which means either padding or a centre crop depending on how the set was built.
The cure is boring but reliable: export every card at exactly 1080 by 1350 before you upload. Build the layouts on that canvas rather than resizing squares afterwards, so you decide where the margins fall instead of Instagram.
It also matters for a seamless carousel, the kind where one wide image is sliced across several cards. Each slice has to be a full 1080 by 1350 tile, because Instagram will not stitch differently shaped cards together.
Quick tips
- 01Export every card at the same ratio; the first card locks it for the rest.
- 024:5 portrait (1080 by 1350) gives each card plenty of feed space; 3:4 (1080 by 1440) is taller still and is supported for carousels as well as single photos.
- 03Build the cover at 3:4 if the cover art runs to the edges, because only 3:4 survives the profile grid tile uncropped.
- 04You can post up to 20 cards; number them if the order matters.
Frequently asked questions
What size should Instagram carousel images be?
1080 by 1350 pixels (4:5) for every card, or 1080 by 1440 (3:4) if you want the extra height. Instagram applies the first card's ratio to the whole set, so keeping every card identical avoids unwanted crops.
Can I mix portrait and square cards in one carousel?
You can upload them, but they will not display as mixed shapes. Card one sets the ratio and every other card is fitted to it.
What aspect ratio is the Instagram carousel?
The Instagram carousel uses a 4:5 aspect ratio at 1080 by 1350 pixels.
Looking up the number rather than the platform? What 1080x1350 is, and everything else that uses it.
4:5 is a shape, not just this size. See every image size that uses the 4:5 aspect ratio, where it comes from, and how to crop into it.
Related sizes
Instagram post (portrait)1080x1350Instagram story1080x1920Instagram reel1080x1920Instagram profile picture640x640Instagram portrait post1080x1350Instagram feed ad image1440x1800
How this spec was checked
Platform sizes change without notice, so this entry records what it was verified against rather than stating a number and hoping it holds. Last checked July 27, 2026.
ConventionInstagram does not publish a size for this surface. The number below is the one the industry has standardised on, which is a useful answer but not a claim about Instagram.
Instagram publishes the ratio rules and the 20-card ceiling, not a pixel table. The 3:4 support is documented by Adam Mosseri's 29 May 2025 announcement, which named single photos and carousels specifically.
What changed on this spec
- : Corrected the Instagram feed ceiling in nine places. 4:5 has not been the tallest single feed image since 29 May 2025, when Adam Mosseri announced native 3:4 support for single photos and carousels. 1080 by 1440 is now the tallest, and because profile tiles are also 3:4 it is the only feed ratio the grid crops by nothing.
- : Deepened the Instagram cluster with crop tables, upload limits and per-surface behaviour.
Every spec on this site carries one of those two labels. See the cheat sheet for the full split, and the changelog for every correction with the date it happened.
See all Instagram sizes, the full cheat sheet, or grab this spec from the JSON API.