Instagram Stories are photos and videos that appear at the top of the Instagram app for 24 hours. The Instagram Story size and functionality offers several advantages for engagement and branding through visibility, because Stories are prominent in the app’s design. It also offers space to experiment with interactive features like polls and questions. Plus, links and shoppable stickers can be used to direct viewers to your store or specific products. The ratio format is the universal standard for modern short-form content, making it easy to cross-post to other platforms.
These features matter more to online store owners as social commerce grows. According to Statista, social media platforms are forecast to generate nearly $586 billion in sales in 2026. This consumer shopping evolution makes it key for brands to effectively use platforms like Instagram and tools like Instagram Stories to reach their target audience.
Learn about the proper Instagram Story size and tips for creating compelling content for Stories.
What are the Instagram Story dimensions?
The ideal Instagram Story size is 1080 by 1920 pixels, or a 9:16 aspect ratio, ensuring your content displays correctly on the platform. This vertical format maximizes space with full-screen images and videos.
You’ll have the right dimensions when taking vertical videos and photos on your mobile phone. But if you’re making graphics or taking images and videos on different devices, take note of the aspect ratio and resolution before you post Instagram Stories.
Meta has recommendations for Story ad dimensions, which can be helpful to guide organic content as well, because you can boost eligible Stories and turn them into ads.
| Recommendation | Image | Video |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Video settings | n/a | H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128 kbps+. |
| Maximum video length | n/a | 60 seconds per clip. Instagram automatically splits longer organic videos into back-to-back Story clips. |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 | 9:16 |
| File type | JPG or PNG | MP4, MOV, or GIF |
| Maximum file size | 30 MB | 4 GB |
| Safe zone | Leave roughly 14% of the top and 20% of the bottom of your creative free from text, logos, and other key creative elements. | Leave roughly 14% of the top and 20% of the bottom of your creative free from text, logos, and other key creative elements. |
Ways to create Stories on Instagram
There are several ways of creating and posting Instagram Stories:
Within the Instagram app
One benefit of creating directly within the Instagram app is that you’ll automatically shoot with the correct Instagram Story size.
Here’s how:
1. Open the app and tap “+” in the top-left corner from your home page or profile page.
2. Select “Story.”
3. Tap the camera to open the Stories screen.
4. Tap the white button at the bottom of the screen to capture an image or hold it down to record a video. You can also select "hands-free" from the options on the left-hand side of the screen if you need to step away from your phone.
5. Add creative elements like stickers, location, music, or interactive stickers, or effects from a menu on the right-hand side of the screen.
6. Tap “Your Story” at the bottom. Select “Close Friends” if you only want to share with a select group of people.
With video editing software
If you recorded a video on your phone or created something with video editing software, you may want to upload the Story. Here’s how:
1. Follow the same steps as above to get to the Story screen.
2. Rather than tapping the camera to capture within the app, you will need to allow Instagram access to your camera roll. If your current settings give Instagram no access, tap the option to “Enable photos access.”
3. This will take you to your photo settings for Instagram on your device, where you choose whether to give it access to all your photos or ones you select.
4. Go back to Instagram Stories, where you will now see either all of your photos and videos or the ones you’ve selected for access.
5. Tap the one you want to share to Stories.
6. Add creative elements.
7. Share the Story.
From your desktop
You can post Stories from your desktop on the Meta Business Suite, which requires a professional or business account. Note that the creative options on desktop are limited compared to creating within the Instagram app, so this option is more suitable for edited Stories ready to be uploaded.
Here’s how:
1. Open Meta Business Suite.
2. Click “+” to reveal your create options.
3. Click “Story.”
4. Upload up to 10 images and videos.
5. Click “Edit” if you want to crop, change the aspect ratio, add text or emoji, mention another profile, or add a link.
6. Under Schedule, select “Share Now” or “Schedule.” If scheduling, select the date and time you want to publish.
7. Click “Share” when you’re done.
Tips for making Instagram Stories
- Shoot vertical for full-screen content
- Consider safe zones
- Keep it concise
- Experiment with casual shots and creative elements
- Check the resolution
- Make your Stories shoppable
Instagram Stories have interactive elements to help you engage with your audience. Because they disappear after 24 hours, you might use them to share behind-the-scenes moments, announce events like sales or limited drops, or repost Stories tagging your brand. Their brief nature also helps cultivate a scarcity and urgency mindset or FOMO.
Here are a few best practices for creating Instagram Stories:
Shoot vertical for full-screen content
Stories appear vertically, so create vertical videos and photos if your goal is for them to fill the whole screen. If you upload a horizontal video, there will be space above and below it, making it harder to view than if it were full screen.
If you plan to repurpose assets, frame subjects with the vertical crop in mind. For example, center people in the shot so the edges can be cropped and the image still makes sense at a 9:16 ratio.
Consider safe zones
The safe zone is the central area of your Story that Instagram’s user interface doesn’t cover with elements like your profile name and the reply bar. Place everything viewers need to see—especially text, CTAs, links, and product stickers—within that central area. Leave roughly 14% of the top and 20% of the bottom of your image or video free of important text or visuals.
Keep it concise
People consume Stories much more quickly than content in other formats, according to Meta, so get your message across quickly. With videos, aim to capture someone’s attention with the first second or two.
Experiment with casual shots and creative elements
Stories can be a good place to test mobile-shot content and share relatable moments. According to Meta’s Creative Best Practices, mobile shots perform better for ad recall, but studio shots drive better brand awareness.
Consider adding text, stickers, and effects to your photos or videos to create more engaging Stories. For example, a call to action (CTA) can encourage users to interact with your business by visiting your website or signing up for your newsletter.
Use stickers or interactive features like questions and polls to invite viewers to interact with your brand within the app. That said, avoid adding too much text or irrelevant hashtags, as it adds clutter to your Story.
Check the resolution
The ideal Instagram Story dimensions are 1080 by 1920 pixels, with a 9:16 aspect ratio. If your Story’s resolution is less than that, you may end up with blurry or low-quality images and videos.
Make your Stories shoppable
You can make your Stories shoppable with features like links and product tags. If you have a Shopify store, you can connect Facebook and Instagram for Shopify to set up your shop and tag products in posts and Stories.
Connecting the Meta sales channel with your Shopify plan syncs your ecommerce product catalog, which makes it easy to tag products. Note that product tagging works on image Stories only (not videos), so a shoppable Story should be a 1080 by 1920 image.
How to troubleshoot Instagram Story size issues
In an ideal world, you shoot everything in the correct format. However, that may not always be the case, or you may get incorrectly-sized assets from someone else. Here are some strategies to help you make common adjustments if:
Your Story isn’t 9:16
If your image or video is a different ratio (for example, 4:5 from a feed post or 1:1 from a product photo), Instagram shows it with blank space above and below. To fix this, resize the file to 1080 by 1920 before uploading, or open it in a design tool like Canva and place it on a 1080 x 1920 canvas.
Within the Instagram app, you can also pinch to zoom in on an uploaded photo or explore their creative features like layouts to add several photos on one screen.
Shopify has a free Image Resizer that allows you to drag and drop images that it automatically resizes to the Story format. Check you’re not cutting off important information when you zoom in or edit photos.
You have a horizontal image or video
A 16:9 landscape file has the opposite orientation from a Story, so there’s no way to fill the frame without cropping heavily. Two options can work:
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Crop to the subject. In a photo or video editor, crop to a 9:16 selection around the most important part of the frame.
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Frame it. Place the horizontal file on a 1080 by 1920 canvas and use the remaining space for a headline, a CTA, or a solid brand color. This is often a better fit for product shots where cropping would cut off the item.
An Instagram Story looks blurry
Blurriness usually means the file is smaller than 1080 by 1920 pixels, or it was compressed before upload. Check the file’s dimensions first. If it’s undersized, go back to the original and re-export at full resolution.
If you sent the file to your phone through a messaging app or email, those services often compress it, so transfer it via AirDrop, a cloud drive, or a cable instead. Uploading from a stable Wi-Fi connection can also help.
Instagram Story size FAQ
What is the recommended size for Instagram Stories?
The recommended Story size is 1080 by 1920 pixels, which is a 9:16 aspect ratio.
How do I resize a photo to fit an Instagram Story?
You can resize a photo with Shopify’s free Image Resizer, a design tool like Canva, or directly in the Instagram app. Within the app, you can upload a photo and zoom in to make it fit. In a tool like Canva, make your canvas 1080 by 1920 and resize your photo within that space. Just make sure you aren’t cutting off any important information or text.
How do you make an Instagram Story fit the screen?
Because the Instagram Story format is vertical, shoot vertically. Videos, photos, and graphics with an aspect ratio of 9:16 and a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels will look best on the platform.
What are Instagram Stories’ safe zones?
The safe zones are where you can place elements like GIFs and text without the Instagram app cutting them off. Avoid key creative elements, text, and logos in the top, bottom, and sides of your Story. Leave roughly 14% of the top and 20% of the bottom of your creative free from text, logos, and other key creative elements like CTAs, links, and product stickers.
Does Instagram Story size matter?
When you create Instagram Stories, the size of your content does matter. The correct Instagram Story dimensions (an aspect ratio of 9:16 and a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels) ensure your content isn’t blurry, too zoomed in, or partially cut off.
