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Use a 1200 × 630 pixel image (about 1.91:1) as the best general-purpose website featured image when the image must also work as a social-sharing preview. That canvas matches guidance from WordPress.com and Wix for Open Graph/Facebook images and is very close to LinkedIn’s recommended ratio. It is a practical default, not a promise that every website theme or social network will display the entire image uncropped.
Your page template may show the featured image at a completely different on-screen size. Treat the source file, social-preview metadata and theme layout as three related—but separate—decisions.
What size should a website featured image be?
For most blog posts and articles, create the master image at 1200 × 630 pixels. The dimensions produce a 1.9048:1 ratio, normally rounded to 1.91:1. That ratio is designed to reduce unwanted cropping in common link previews while leaving enough resolution for high-density screens.
WordPress.com’s Facebook guidance lists 1200 × 630 pixels for high-resolution displays. Wix gives the same dimensions and ratio for an og:image. LinkedIn specifies a minimum of 1200 × 627 pixels and also recommends 1.91:1. The two-pixel height difference is small, so a 1200 × 630 master is a sensible shared asset; keep important text and faces away from the extreme edges.
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Featured image versus social image
A featured image is the picture a theme places in an article, archive, homepage or related-post card. A social image is the file exposed through metadata such as og:image when someone shares the URL. A content-management system can use the same file for both, but it does not have to.
The cited WordPress.com guidance says the service automatically adds Open Graph tags to posts for Facebook previews. That metadata does not determine the dimensions used by every theme’s on-page image component. Check the template separately, especially if it uses a narrow card, a tall hero crop or a fixed-height background.
Recommended dimensions by publishing context
| Context | Recommended dimensions and ratio | File-size guidance | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| General article image shared to Facebook | 1200 × 630 px; approximately 1.91:1 | Maximum 8 MB in the WordPress.com guidance | Open Graph tags and Facebook’s crop |
| LinkedIn shared content | Minimum 1200 × 627 px; recommended 1.91:1 | Maximum 5 MB | Keep key content inside the safe central area |
Wix page using og:image |
1200 × 630 px; 1.91:1 | 8 MB maximum in Wix guidance | Images below 600 × 315 px may appear as a small preview |
| On-page theme featured image | Theme-dependent; no universal pixel size established | Theme- and host-dependent | Template aspect ratio, responsive crop and loading behavior |
These are platform recommendations captured in the cited WordPress.com, LinkedIn and Wix help materials. A platform can change its card formats, and advertising placements or other specialized cards may use different specifications.
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Why the 1.91:1 ratio matters
Social networks generate their own cards from your page metadata. If the source ratio is substantially taller or wider than the card, the interface may crop the top, bottom or sides. A 1.91:1 canvas is a compromise that fits the recommendations above and limits that risk.
Design a safe area
- Place a headline, logo and person’s face near the center rather than against an edge.
- Leave breathing room around text; a platform crop can remove several pixels from each side.
- Do not rely on a thin border to remain visible.
- Export a version without tiny type. A social card can be displayed much smaller than the original file.
Ratio compliance reduces cropping; it cannot prevent every crop. Interfaces, device widths and card treatments vary, and LinkedIn’s stated minimum is 1200 × 627 rather than exactly 630 pixels.
How to prepare a 1200 × 630 featured image
- Start with the largest clean source. Use an original photograph, illustration or screenshot rather than enlarging a small compressed file.
- Create a 1200 × 630 canvas. In your editor, set width to 1200 px and height to 630 px. If your source has another ratio, crop deliberately or extend the background; avoid non-uniform stretching.
- Compose for the center. Keep essential text and subjects away from the outer edges and test the image at thumbnail size.
- Export an appropriate format. JPEG is efficient for photographs, PNG is useful for sharp interface graphics or transparency, and WebP can reduce bytes where your publishing system and downstream services support it.
- Compress without destroying legibility. Stay below the strictest relevant limit when one file will be shared to multiple services: LinkedIn’s guidance specifies 5 MB, while WordPress.com and Wix cite 8 MB.
- Upload and assign it as the featured image. The exact control differs by CMS. Then confirm that the page’s Open Graph image points to the intended file.
- Validate the published URL. Inspect the page source or metadata preview and share a public URL. A private, blocked or authentication-protected image cannot be fetched by a social crawler.
Retina and responsive displays
Pixel dimensions describe the source file, not its CSS display size. A theme may render a 1200-pixel image at 600 CSS pixels on a desktop, or at a much smaller width on a phone. Responsive images can serve alternate sizes through srcset; that does not change the recommended master canvas for sharing.
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Choosing a different size
When 1200 × 630 is the right default
Use it when one asset must serve an article hero, a Facebook-style link preview and LinkedIn sharing. It is also a practical Open Graph default for sites that do not document a separate template requirement.
When to create additional crops
Create a second file when your theme uses a portrait or square card, when a newsletter requires a different ratio, or when a campaign has a documented ad specification. Do not overwrite the social master merely to satisfy an on-page crop. A dedicated 1200 × 630 social image can coexist with a theme-specific featured image.
When a smaller file is acceptable
A small thumbnail can load quickly in an archive, but it is a poor source for social sharing. Wix notes that images below 600 × 315 may appear as a small preview. Keep a higher-resolution original available even if the page template generates smaller derivatives.
File format, quality and accessibility checklist
- Dimensions: 1200 × 630 px for the shared default.
- Ratio: approximately 1.91:1.
- Size: under 5 MB if LinkedIn sharing matters; never exceed the 8 MB limits cited by WordPress.com and Wix.
- Color: convert to a standard web color profile when your editor offers that option.
- Filename: use a descriptive, stable name such as
website-featured-image-sizes.webp. - Alt text: describe the image’s purpose for visitors who cannot see it; do not paste a keyword list.
- Text contrast: check the image against both light and dark interface backgrounds.
- Privacy and rights: confirm that you have permission to publish photographs, logos and screenshots.
How to diagnose the wrong preview
The old image still appears
Social platforms cache fetched metadata. WordPress.com specifically notes that Facebook may retain an old thumbnail. Confirm that the page now returns the new og:image, then use the platform’s available refresh or debug workflow to request a recrawl. Changing the filename can help distinguish a new asset, but it does not replace a metadata refresh.
The preview is cropped
Check the source ratio first. If it is close to 1.91:1, inspect the composition: text at the edges is most likely to disappear. Test the URL on the target platform, because a feed card, message card and mobile layout can crop differently.
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Verify that the image URL is publicly reachable over HTTPS, returns an image content type and does not require a login. Replace very small derivatives with the 1200 × 630 master. Wix’s guidance warns that under 600 × 315 may be rendered as a small preview.
The page image looks wrong even though the social card is correct
This is usually a theme issue rather than an Open Graph issue. Inspect the component’s CSS, aspect-ratio rule and object-fit behavior. The social metadata can be correct while the template crops the on-page image to a different shape.
Performance and maintenance considerations
A 1200 × 630 file is a source dimension, not a requirement to send that many pixels to every visitor. Configure responsive derivatives and lazy loading for below-the-fold images, while retaining the full-size file for crawlers and high-resolution displays. Avoid aggressive compression that makes text unreadable; compare the exported file at the size used in a real card.
Keep the image URL stable after publication when possible. If you must replace it, update the featured-image field and Open Graph metadata together, purge your site cache, and then request a social recrawl. Record the intended ratio in your editorial checklist so future contributors do not upload a portrait image by accident.
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If you need a screenshot of a page as the featured image rather than a manually designed graphic, ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF from one request. It accepts consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers.
Use the API documentation at https://screenshotneo.com/docs/ for all options. A basic cURL request is:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);For a 1200 × 630 result, set the service’s viewport and image-resizing options as described in the documentation, then inspect the output before assigning it as a featured image. Other useful controls include full-page capture with lazy images loaded, a CSS-selector element capture, dark mode, device presets, retina scale, custom CSS and JavaScript, waits for a selector, delay or network idle, blocked requests, custom headers and cookies, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, caching with a chosen TTL, signed links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work.
ScreenshotNeo also provides an MCP server with take_screenshot, get_page_info and capture_pdf for Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to begin.
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Screenshot sizing troubleshooting
The captured page is not 1200 × 630
A browser viewport and an output image’s pixel dimensions are different settings. Set the viewport to the layout you need, then use the API’s resizing controls or crop the result to 1200 × 630. Check whether a full-page capture naturally produces a taller image; a full-page screenshot is not automatically a social-card canvas.
Consent UI remains in the capture
Confirm that consent handling and popup removal are enabled in your request. ScreenshotNeo lets each cleanup step be turned off, so an earlier configuration may have disabled it.
A capture fails
Inspect the HTTP status and the X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. A bot check, blank page, timeout or failed load is identified and is not billed under ScreenshotNeo’s stated billing behavior. Retry transient failures with a sensible timeout and verify that the target URL is publicly accessible.
Final publishing checklist
- Master file is 1200 × 630 px and approximately 1.91:1.
- Important content is inside a centered safe area.
- File is below the relevant 5 MB or 8 MB limit.
- Featured-image field and
og:imagereference the intended public file. - Theme crop has been checked separately from the social preview.
- Alt text, rights and contrast have been reviewed.
- After replacement, caches and social previews have been refreshed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1200 × 630 mandatory for every website?
No. It is a practical social-preview default. Your theme may require another on-page ratio, and a platform may publish different specifications for ads or specialized cards.
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Can I use 1200 × 627 instead?
Yes, that meets LinkedIn’s stated minimum and remains close to the 1.91:1 recommendation. A 1200 × 630 master is usually simpler when one file must serve several platforms.
Should I upload a PNG or JPEG?
Use JPEG for photographic images, PNG for graphics that need crisp edges or transparency, and WebP when your publishing and sharing workflow supports it. Keep the exported file within the applicable size limit.
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