There is no single required Squarespace featured-image size. For a typical horizontal blog layout, start with a 1200 × 630 pixel crop, but let your template’s aspect ratio determine the final shape. Keep a larger master image—about 2500 pixels wide—so Squarespace can create sharp responsive versions, then compress the exported file for the web.
The short answer: use the ratio your layout displays
Squarespace featured images are responsive. They scale up or down with the browser and remain the same shape, so a dimension such as 750 × 500 pixels is not a universal requirement. The visible crop is controlled by the collection layout and its selected aspect ratio.
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A 1200 × 630 pixel image is a useful starting canvas for a standard blog post because it is a horizontal, social-friendly proportion. It is a practical default—not a Squarespace mandate. If your blog grid uses square tiles, a portrait card, or a custom ratio, prepare the image to that shape instead.
| Typical use | Working dimensions | What the number means |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal blog card or post | 1200 × 630 px | Practical 1.91:1 starting crop, not a platform requirement |
| Square layout | 1500 × 1500 px | Example only; use the square ratio selected by your template |
| Portrait layout | 1200 × 1500 px | Example only; use the template’s portrait ratio |
| High-resolution master | About 2500 px wide | Gives responsive delivery enough source detail for large screens |
The square and portrait dimensions above are convenient working examples derived from their ratios. Squarespace does not require those exact pixel values.
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Why 1200 × 630 px is a good blog default
Squarespace Tutorials recommends a JPEG at 1200 × 630 pixels for blog-post featured images. That proportion also resembles common social-sharing previews, so it is a sensible choice when your blog design is horizontal and you want one image to work in several contexts.
Do not force every post into 1200 × 630. A template that displays a 3:2 tile will crop a 1.91:1 source; a square tile will remove even more from the sides. Open the page editor, inspect the blog or collection-item image setting, and identify the displayed ratio before exporting your final crop.
How the 3:2 setting changes the result
Squarespace’s aspect-ratio guidance explains that a 3:2 setting crops featured images to 3:2. The ratio—not a universal width and height—stays consistent as the browser changes size. In Squarespace 7.0, blog styles include controls for featured-image tile ratio and, in list layouts, maximum image width. Squarespace 7.1 uses responsive collection-item images and provides resizer presets for common social formats.
Prepare a master, then make a layout-specific crop
- Start with the largest useful source. Keep an original or master around 2500 pixels wide. Squarespace identifies 2500 pixels as ideal for most images, allowing its responsive system to select an appropriate delivered size for each visitor.
- Check the container ratio. Look at the blog grid, list, product, portfolio, or event layout where the image will appear. Record whether it is horizontal, square, portrait, or custom.
- Crop the shorter side. Preserve the longer dimension and trim the shorter side to match the chosen ratio. This avoids stretching and reduces unexpected cropping.
- Protect the focal subject. Keep faces, logos, headlines, and product details away from the edges. If your layout offers a focal-point control, set it on the subject so responsive crops favor that area.
- Export a web version. Use JPEG for ordinary photographs. Use PNG or WebP when transparency, text, or hard graphic edges need cleaner results. Squarespace supports JPG, GIF, PNG, and WebP and converts uploaded images to WebP for delivery.
- Review both breakpoints. Publish or preview the page on a wide desktop window and a narrow phone screen. A crop that looks balanced in a desktop grid can cut off the subject in a mobile card.
File size, quality and format
Squarespace accepts uploads up to 20 MB, but that is a ceiling rather than a target. Its guidance recommends 500 KB or less when possible to help pages load quickly. Export the smallest file that keeps the important detail sharp.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match- Photographs: JPEG at a quality setting that avoids visible blocking or halos.
- Illustrations and screenshots: PNG when crisp edges or transparency matter; WebP can reduce weight when your workflow supports it.
- Animated content: GIF is supported, but check its file weight and appearance on mobile.
- Oversized originals: Keep the 2500-pixel master outside Squarespace, then upload the compressed crop rather than a camera-original file.
Pixel dimensions and file weight solve different problems. A 1200 × 630 image can still be slow if exported at excessive quality, while an aggressively compressed image can look poor even at the correct dimensions.
Featured image versus social-sharing image
The image displayed with a post on your site is not always the image used when its URL is shared. Squarespace allows an alternate social-sharing image, and that image may replace the featured image in a network preview. If the social preview matters, set the alternate image in the post or page’s social-sharing controls and inspect the current preview after publishing.
Facebook-shared images must be at least 200 × 200 pixels, but Facebook’s preferred presentation can change. Treat that minimum as a floor, not as a recommended working size. A 1200 × 630 social crop is a more useful starting point for a horizontal preview, provided it also suits the composition.
Where the same rule applies beyond blog posts
Featured images can represent products, portfolio sub-pages, events and other collection items. Each area may use a different container ratio, so there is no safe single dimension for all Squarespace content.
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| Collection type | First thing to check | Crop decision |
|---|---|---|
| Blog | Grid, list or single-post image ratio | Use 1200 × 630 only when the placement is horizontal |
| Product | Product-card and product-page media ratio | Keep the item centered and leave room for responsive crops |
| Portfolio | Project-index tile shape | Match the index tiles, then check the project detail page separately |
| Event | Event-list and event-detail image containers | Protect the subject because list cards are often tighter than detail pages |
Why Squarespace is cropping your image
The source ratio differs from the container
A wide source placed in a square or 3:2 container must lose pixels on one axis. Re-export the image to the container ratio instead of uploading a still-wider original.
The focal point is centered incorrectly
Automatic centering can remove a face or logo near an edge. Use the image’s focal-point control, if available, and preview the mobile crop.
The image is being used in more than one layout
A single file may appear in a grid, a detail page and a social card, each with a different ratio. Create a safe composition with extra space around the subject, or assign an alternate social image.
A 7.0 style setting is overriding expectations
Squarespace 7.0 blog-style controls can impose a tile ratio or maximum image width. Check those style settings before changing the source file.
A repeatable export checklist
- Identify the exact collection and image container.
- Match the crop ratio before choosing pixel dimensions.
- Keep a master close to 2500 pixels wide.
- Place the subject inside a safe central area.
- Export JPEG, PNG or WebP according to the image content.
- Stay under 20 MB; aim toward 500 KB or less when quality permits.
- Set an alternate social image when the shared preview needs a different crop.
- Check the live result at desktop and mobile widths.
Preview the published page without manual browser setup
A screenshot can reveal whether the featured image is cropped correctly in the real responsive layout. You can use a browser manually, or request a rendered image from ScreenshotNeo, a website screenshot API and MCP server.
Or skip the browser setup
With one GET request, ScreenshotNeo can capture the published page as PNG, JPEG or WebP. Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups and chat widgets are removed before the shot. Bot checks, blank pages and failed loads are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server lets Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients take screenshots, inspect pages and capture PDFs.
See the complete parameter reference in the ScreenshotNeo documentation.
cURL
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}`);The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
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Responsive delivery means you usually should not upload a separate pixel-perfect file for every device. A well-cropped master plus sensible compression gives Squarespace room to serve an appropriate size. For important launches, verify the page after publishing rather than trusting the editor thumbnail; lazy-loaded images, mobile containers and social crawlers can each produce a different view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1200 × 630 mandatory for Squarespace blog posts?
No. It is a practical horizontal starting crop recommended for blog posts, while the template’s aspect ratio determines the displayed shape.
Can I upload a 2500-pixel-wide image directly?
Yes, provided it is under the 20 MB upload limit, but compressing an exported crop toward 500 KB or less usually improves loading.
Why does my image look different on Facebook?
Squarespace may use the post’s alternate social-sharing image rather than the featured image, and Facebook’s presentation rules can change. Set and preview the social image separately.
Should I use PNG or JPEG?
Use JPEG for most photographs. Choose PNG or WebP when transparency, text or sharp graphic edges require it.
The Bottom Line
Choose the Squarespace container ratio first, use 1200 × 630 pixels only as a horizontal blog default, keep a roughly 2500-pixel master, and compress the final upload for fast delivery.
Quick Recap
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