10 Best Practices for Facebook Cover Photo Size and Layout [Templates] (2023)

Where do you think people will look first when they land on your Facebook page? It takes up almost a quarter of the screen on most desktop browsers. That's right, it's yoursfacebook profile picture.

The cover image for yourfacebook business pagesets the tone for visitors. In this post, you'll learn about the best practices for Facebook cover photos with real-world examples of each tip we recommend.

First, let's dive into Facebook cover photo dimensions.

The right image can indicate that your site is a welcoming community and not just a boring series of updates. Knowing how to create your Facebook cover photo is critical to the success of your Page.

Sometimes called your Facebook banner, this graphic is one of the most prominent parts of your page. You want a sharp image that accurately reflects your business goals. The right dimensions make all the difference.

Facebook sets specific dimensions for cover photos to ensure a consistent appearance across all pages, no matter what device they're viewed on. They follow the best practices for Facebook cover photos and optimize them to the correct dimensions.

Given the dimensions of the Facebook cover photo above, it can be difficult to balance creativity with the needs of the platform. Different requirements apply to mobile and desktop screens. These devices display the same cover image differently.

Here's what to keep in mind when optimizing your cover photo for mobile and desktop.

How to display Facebook cover photos on mobile and desktop monitors?

A smaller version of the cover photo is displayed on mobile than on a desktop screen. As you can see, there is a lot of space around the image that can be cropped when a visitor views your image on a mobile screen.

You want to make sure that the most important part of your photos doesn't get cropped on mobile. Keep this in mind when creating your design.

Therefore, it is better to put the important parts of your content in green. This ensures that everyone can see your cover photo correctly, no matter what device they're using.

Here's an example of HubSpot's Facebook cover photo. This is what our cover photo looks like on desktop:

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And this is what the cover photo looks like on mobile:

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Note that the orientation and viewport are different, but all content appears in both.

Need help getting started? Below are Facebook cover photo templates and best practices to help you design your brand cover photos.

1. Follow the Facebook Cover Photo Guidelines.

It seems like it goes without saying, but you follow it.Facebook Cover Photo GuidelinesIt is the first step to keep your page visible on the platform. I suggest reading everythingsite policies, but here are some key things to keep in mind about your Facebook cover photo:

• Your cover photo is public.
• Cover photos must not be misleading or misleading, or infringe the copyrights of others.
• You may not encourage others to upload your cover photo to their personal timelines.

If Facebook is found to be in violation of the above terms, the company may take action against your page. Your social presence is important. You are interested in preventing cover photo violations.

Pro Tip: Use photos you took of your products, select all text, or use stock photos you licensed to avoid copyright infringement.

2. Make sure your Facebook cover photo is the correct size.

As I mentioned earlier, the Facebook cover photo size is 851px wide x 315px tall for desktop screens and 640px wide x 360px tall for mobile screens.

If you upload an image smaller than these dimensions, Facebook will stretch it to fit the space. If the image is larger, Facebook will have to shrink it, and it may only show a third of the image you designed.

Designing the perfect cover photo takes time. The last thing you want is for your hard work to go to waste or neglect.

If you want an easy way to make sure your cover photos are the right size, download oursPremade Template for Facebook Cover Photos.

Download Facebook Cover Templates

3. Don't worry about the "20% text" rule.

back in 2013Facebook removed all references to the 20% text rule in cover photos, but that doesn't mean you have to use a lot of text in your design.

The previous rule was that only 20% of a cover photo could contain text. While this rule may seem restrictive, it's valid: you want your visitors to interact with images, not a wall of text.

When using text in your cover photo, keep it short and let the images do the talking. You can see how we achieved this balance on the HubSpot Facebook page below.

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Find more cover photo inspiration hereour facebook page.

4. Give your cover photo a focal point.

Think of your cover photo as the part of your page above the fold. If it's distracting or confusing, people are more likely to leave your site.

Many of the best Facebook cover photos contain a focal point and color scheme that is consistent with the rest of the brand. Remember that your social media accounts are an extension of your business and need to make a good first impression on visitors.

Great Facebook cover photos also provide plenty of negative space for unique Facebook theme, text, and elements (likes).Button call to action [CTA] on FacebookCompany Pages) stand out even more.

Here's an example of good use of negative space.New York Times:

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And here is another example of a social media management platform.social needle.

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5. Make sure your profile photo matches your cover photo.

For businesses, profile photos are completely separate from the cover photo. These two images will not overlap.

Keep this in mind when creating your design. These images must feature similar color schemes or contrasting patterns while also adhering to brand guidelines.

Check out Anthropology's Facebook page below. The yellow in the profile photo contrasts with the cover photo and complements the overall color scheme.

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6. Draw attention to the action buttons at the bottom right.

In some of the cover photo examples above, you may have noticed that the main CTA buttons were different. HubSpot's CTA button says "send message," while Sprout Social says "log in."

Depending on your business, you can launch a Facebook page with a unique CTA button at the bottom right of your cover photo. When designing your cover photo, consider the placement of this button.

LinkedIn LearningDo it subtly next by placing a graphic of a person on a laptop above the Login button, drawing their attention to the blue CTA.

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Use:While it might seem like a good idea to add directional cues like an arrow to get people to click on your CTA buttons, keep in mind that those CTA buttons don't point to them the way they're displayed on the mobile app. Instead, choose more subtle ways to make this button stand out, like the previous page.

7. Right align the objects in your cover photo.

Since your profile photo is on the left, you'll want to add some balance to your Facebook cover photo design by focusing the photo on the right side.

Check out these cover photos. Which looks more aesthetically pleasing?

correct focus.

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Focus aligned to the left.

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Doesn't the right justified cover photo look much better? Samsung's new front page evenly distributes the larger design elements (the profile picture, the text, and the two phones).

Samsung's old cover photo immediately draws your attention to the left side of the Facebook page, with no product name on the top right.

The balance of a design is a crucial element of the design. This technique can make your cover photos more visually stunning on mobile devices.

8. Think mobile users.

That reports Statista98.5% of the Facebook user baseAccess the social network through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. This is exactly why it is so important to grab the attention of mobile users when designing your Facebook cover photo.

A much smaller portion of the cover photo is visible on mobile. The right side is usually completely cut off.

Let's see whatCisco's Facebook pageit looks like it does it on a desktop browser compared to the mobile Facebook app.

Desk:

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Mobile:

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It is important to note that the Cisco cover photo text does not appear on the mobile version. While right-aligned graphics look great, be careful not to place important content too far to the right so it's cut off when viewed on mobile.

9. Include a shortened link in your cover photo description that matches your Page's CTA.

If you want to use your cover photo to support a Page CTA, make sure your cover photo description includes a text CTA and links to the same offer. That way, people viewing your cover photo of themselves can still access the link.

Here is this practice in action.Adobe Creative Cloud Facebook page.

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Pro Tip:Shorten your links andAdd UTM codesto track visitors who click the link in the description. The crop and trace functions are available inHubSpots Marketing Huband with tools likeFew.

(If you want to learn more about how to write an effective call to action for your cover photo description, download ourFree e-book on how to create compelling CTAs.)

10. Pin a related post just below your Facebook cover photo.

Pinning a post allows you to highlight a typical Facebook post at the top of your timeline. This is indicated by a PINned POST title at the top right of the post, as inbehaviors pagelow.

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You've already spent time customizing your Facebook Page CTA, cover photo layout, and cover photo description. Also, be sure to post more or less the same thing on your timeline and pin this post to reinforce the message.

That way, your visitors get a very clear call-to-action when they land on your page (albeit in several different places), giving them more opportunities to convert.

To pin a Facebook post:

• Post the post on Facebook.
• Click the three dots in the top right corner of the post.
• Select "Pin to top of page."

Facebook cover photos that match your business

While creating a cover photo may seem easy, the image you choose provides a complete picture of the prospects who visit your page. You want to look your best on Facebook, and your cover photo is the first thing visitors see.

A poorly tailored cover photo or video can appear unprofessional and give the wrong impression of the quality of your offering.

With the tips in this article, you'll have the information you need to create a Facebook cover photo that represents your brand and engages users on the platform.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in July 2020 and has been updated for completeness.