Recommended Facebook Group cover image size

There are guides for recommended Facebook Page cover images all over the internet but accurate (and up-to-date) recommendations on GROUP image sizes are hard to come by.

The traditional Facebook Page cover images (we call this the “letterbox size”) is 820 x 312 pixels. On these designers need to be careful where text is placed on the image because it will often be cropped on mobile or have Facebook-imposed text sitting on top of it.

Facebook GROUP cover images are different again. Facebook says “Keep in mind that your cover photo must be at least 400 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall” but in our experiments we find that size quite grainy. The letterbox size for Groups is 820 x 250. We actually recommend you create this in 1920 x 585 for optimum display using Retina Screens.

[UPDATE December 2017: Check out the full breakdown of our new recommended cover photo sizes for Groups, Pages and Profiles.]

Optimum dimensions for a Facebook Group cover image

However, our designer reckons that the optimum size for Group cover images is 1920 x 1080 pixels [UPDATED December 2017 – graphics below relate to previous shallow letterbox size and cropping. See our new recommended cover photo sizes for Groups, Pages and Profiles]. This is a deep image which can be moved up and down for desktop browsers. In the centre of that is an area where we recommend you insert any text.

See the Musicademy cover image below. The shaded area at the top is what is visible on both desktop and mobile. If you put text either side of that it will be cropped on mobile. And if you put text below that you will find Facebook copy gets popped on top of it.

Facebook Cover Image Dimension

Here’s how that image looks on desktop:Facebook Cover Image Dimensions Best Practice

And here is how it looks on the browser version of Facebook on mobile (left) and also the mobile app (right):

Mobile variants of Facebook Group Cover Images

So all is well with our design. At least until you look at it on the Groups app and this happens:

Facebook Cover Photo Dimensions Mobile App

You’re probably aware that the Groups app is now obsolete (2017) but we’ve kept the image as an example of a circular crop as you will see it surface like that in other places too.

Back to the drawing board with this as a suggested compromise that will look fine wherever it surfaces has the copy in dead centre:

Facebook Group Image Size optimum

How not to do it

I actually really struggled to find examples of Facebook Group cover pictures that didn’t have some compromise when viewed on mobile. To call out a couple of examples here is Mari Smith and Social Media Masterminds. Both have very nice cover images designed for desktop:

Facebook Group Photo Dimensions on Desktop Facebook Group Cover Image Dimensions on Desktop

But both suffer from text being cropped on mobile with Social Media Masterminds additionally finding copy being covered over by Facebook’s Group name text.

Facebook Group Cover Image size problems on mobile

Enter your email address in the form at the top of this page and we’ll whizz over to you, totally free:

  • Our free Facebook Cover Image Photoshop Template with marked-up layers for Pages, Groups and Profile images
  • The Digiterati Facebook Cover Image Size Guide (November 2017) with recommended sizes and screen grabs for you to use when creating your photo on other software or briefing your designer

Online training with the Digiterati Academy

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There’s even a course on creating, running and marketing an effective Facebook Group (and it covers how to create the perfect Group cover image)
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Marie Page

About Marie Page

Marie Page is one of the UK’s leading Facebook marketing experts. She is a founding partner of digital marketing consultancy The Digiterati and the Digiterati Academy e-learning portal for marketers and entrepreneurs. Her award-winning Master's Dissertation was the culmination of three years' academic research into Facebook that resulted in a book (and companion online course) 'Winning at Facebook Marketing with Zero Budget' that became an Amazon bestseller. Marie's work on the Facebook News Feed algorithm was featured in The Huffington Post. A recognised thought leader on social media, Marie is often approached by journalists for comment in articles such as this Telegraph article. She was also interviewed for ITV's Tonight show on Facebook privacy issues in relation to advertising. Marie is a regular guest on digital marketing blogs and podcasts including Social Media Examiner and Smart Insights. In 2018 she is speaking at Brighton SEO, Europe's biggest search and marketing conference. Marie is also author of two Smart Insights books: 'Smarter Guide to Facebook Marketing', now in its fourth edition, and 'Facebook Ads Guide', both edited by Dr Dave Chaffey. Marie is also a part time yoga teacher.

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