Facebook Story Size & Preview

Facebook Story Image Size Requirements

Stories are a fullscreen, mobile-first format. The dimensions in the specs card above are the single source of truth — match those numbers exactly for the sharpest result. Unlike feed posts or cover photos, there is no desktop crop to worry about; the entire vertical frame is displayed, but UI elements overlay the top and bottom of the screen.

Minimum width: 600 pixels. Anything smaller will look noticeably blurry. Anything non-vertical will be letterboxed or aggressively cropped.

Upload in JPG or PNG format. Verify your dimensions with the image size checker, or crop to the required ratio using the image crop tool.

How to Preview Your Facebook Story

1. Upload your image — select your story image to instantly analyze its dimensions, file size, and aspect ratio.
2. Preview the story view — see your image inside a phone-shaped frame at full-screen aspect ratio, exactly as it would appear on a real device.
3. Check the safe zones — switch to the "Safe Zones" tab to see which areas of your image are covered by the status bar at the top and the reply bar or CTA at the bottom (percentages in the specs card above).
4. Fix issues if needed — if your image is too small, the wrong orientation, or has important content in unsafe areas, use the free editor to resize or reposition and re-check.

Facebook Story Safe Zones

Even though your story image fills the entire screen, Facebook overlays interface elements on the top and bottom. The coverage percentages are in the specs card above. Here's what each zone is for:

• Top band — covered by the device status bar, time, battery indicator, and your profile picture with username. Text or important visuals placed here will be partially or fully hidden.
• Bottom band — covered by the reply input bar, "Send message" prompt, or swipe-up / CTA link. Any text or call-to-action you place here will be unreadable or untappable.
• Safe zone (middle) — the only area guaranteed to be fully visible and unobstructed. Keep all important text, logos, faces, and interactive elements inside this region.

Use the "Safe Zones" tab in the preview above to see exactly which parts of your image fall inside and outside the safe zone. For a multi-placement analysis, try the safe zone visualizer which covers posts, covers, ads, and more.

Why Story Size Matters

Facebook Stories reach over 500 million daily users and are a fullscreen, immersive experience. Getting the size wrong can cost you views and engagement:

• Fullscreen format: Stories fill the entire phone screen, so any sizing issue is immediately obvious — there is no feed layout to hide imperfections
• Blurry means skip: Users tap through stories quickly. A blurry or pixelated story gets skipped in under a second, wasting your content effort
• 500M daily viewers: With half a billion people watching stories every day, a poorly sized image means a poor first impression at massive scale
• Brand perception: Crisp, properly sized stories signal professionalism and attention to detail, especially for businesses and creators

Common Facebook Story Issues

Tips for Better Facebook Stories

• Design vertical first — always start with a canvas matching the size specs above
• Keep all important text within the safe zone (see specs card)
• Use high contrast text with backgrounds or shadows so it remains readable over any image
• Avoid placing logos or CTAs inside the top or bottom UI coverage bands
• Use PNG for graphics with text, JPG at high quality for photographs
• Test your story with this tool before uploading to catch sizing and safe zone issues
• Keep text large and bold — stories are viewed quickly and on small screens
• Use the free editor to resize, crop, or add text to your story image