What size should a WhatsApp link preview image be?

WhatsApp pulls the Open Graph image from a shared URL and renders it at roughly a 1.91:1 ratio. A 1200×630 px JPG or PNG is the safe, widely supported size. Smaller than about 300×200 px and WhatsApp may show a tiny thumbnail or skip the preview entirely.

What is the WhatsApp channel cover or profile image size?

Profile and channel images display in a circle, so design for a square. A 640×640 px image is plenty; WhatsApp downscales larger uploads. Keep important detail centred because the circular crop hides the corners.

Why does my WhatsApp link preview not show an image?

The most common causes are a missing or oversized Open Graph image tag, an image behind login, or a file too large to fetch quickly. Use a 1200×630 px image under about 600 KB and make sure the og:image URL is publicly reachable.

What format should WhatsApp thumbnails be?

JPG and PNG are the most reliable for previews and covers. JPG is best for photos to keep file size down; PNG suits graphics with text or sharp edges. Avoid WebP for link previews because some link-fetchers handle it inconsistently.

Does WhatsApp compress my images?

Yes. Images sent in chat or status are recompressed for delivery, which can soften fine detail. Start from a clean, correctly sized source and avoid pre-compressing heavily, so the platform's own pass has the best material to work with.

WhatsApp Thumbnail Size Tool

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WhatsApp does not publish a single tidy table of image sizes, so creators end up guessing and shipping thumbnails that get cropped, blurred, or skipped. This tool collects the practical, working dimensions for every WhatsApp surface in one place, with an on-screen ratio preview.

How it works

Each WhatsApp surface renders images at a fixed aspect ratio and downscales anything larger. The tool maps each content type to a recommended export size, its aspect ratio, the safe file formats, and the file-size ceiling beyond which WhatsApp may refuse or heavily compress the asset. The preview box draws the chosen ratio so you can eyeball whether your composition fits before exporting.

Tips and notes

Design link-preview images at 1200×630 px (about 1.91:1) and keep the file under roughly 600 KB so link-fetchers grab it quickly. For circular profile and channel images, work in a square and keep key detail centred — the corners are cropped away. Remember WhatsApp recompresses in-chat and status images on delivery, so always start from a clean, correctly sized source rather than a pre-shrunk file.