Understanding Social Media Formats

Why Formats Differ Across Platforms

Each social network was built around a different user experience. Instagram favors square and portrait crops for smooth mobile scrolling. YouTube is designed for widescreen 16:9 viewing on large screens. Posting content in the wrong format results in awkward auto-cropping, reduced algorithmic reach, or outright rejection by the platform. Understanding formats means understanding how each network wants your content to be consumed.

Exact Dimensions for Every Social Network

Here are the reference specifications for every platform supported by LinkySend: **Instagram** — Square 1:1 (1080×1080 px), Portrait 4:5 (1080×1350 px), Stories/Reels 9:16 (1080×1920 px). Text limit: 2,200 characters, 30 hashtags maximum. **TikTok** — Vertical 9:16 (1080×1920 px). Text limit: 2,200 characters, 10 hashtags recommended for the algorithm. **Facebook** — Landscape 1.91:1 (1200×630 px), Square 1:1 (1080×1080 px). Text limit: 63,206 characters. **YouTube** — Widescreen 16:9 (1920×1080 px). Description limit: 5,000 characters. **LinkedIn** — Landscape 1.91:1 (1200×627 px), Square 1:1 (1080×1080 px). Text limit: 3,000 characters. **X (Twitter)** — Landscape 16:9 (1200×675 px). Text limit: 280 characters. **Pinterest** — Portrait 2:3 (1000×1500 px). Description limit: 500 characters. **Threads** — Square 1:1 (1080×1080 px). Text limit: 500 characters. **Bluesky** — Landscape 16:9 (1080×608 px). Text limit: 300 characters. **Google Business** — Landscape 1.91:1 (1200×630 px). Text limit: 1,500 characters.

The Live Format Mirror: Real-Time Preview on Every Platform

LinkySend features an exclusive capability called Live Format Mirror. As soon as you compose your post and select target platforms, a faithful real-time preview appears for each network. You see exactly how your image will be cropped, how many characters remain, and whether any hashtags exceed the allowed limit — before you publish. The Live Format Mirror simulates the native display of each app, as if you were looking at your phone with Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn side by side.

1. 1Compose your post in the LinkySend editor.
2. 2Select two or more platforms in the left panel.
3. 3Live Format Mirror previews appear automatically in the right column.
4. 4A red badge alerts you if a limit is exceeded (text too long, unsupported format).

Adapted Versions: Customize Content Per Platform

LinkySend's automatic adaptation covers most cases. But sometimes you want to fine-tune the message for each audience — a more professional tone on LinkedIn, a shorter punchier text on X, different hashtags on Instagram. That is what Adapted Versions are for. Simply toggle the "Specific Version" switch on any platform in the composer, and you get an independent text field for that platform without affecting the others. Your media stays globally synchronized; only the text diverges. This feature is ideal for creators who speak to different communities across networks.

1. 1In the composer, click on a specific platform tab.
2. 2Toggle the "Specific Version" switch at the top of the panel.
3. 3Write customized text for that platform only.
4. 4Repeat for each network you want to personalize.
5. 5Publish — each network receives its tailored version.

LinkySend Handles What You Should Never Have to Remember

Before LinkySend, publishing across 5 networks meant juggling specification spreadsheets, external cropping tools, and repetitive copy-pasting. LinkySend centralizes everything: the smart content adapter checks in real time that every media file meets the technical requirements of the target platform, resizes when needed, and only alerts you when a human decision is truly required. You go from creation to publication without ever opening a format guide. That is the promise of LinkySend: publish everywhere, without the complexity.