The featured image is the first visual impression your blog post makes — it appears at the top of your article, in archive pages, social media shares, and Google search snippets. Getting the dimensions right means your images always look sharp, never cropped awkwardly, and load quickly enough to keep your PageSpeed score healthy.
Recommended WordPress Featured Image Size
WordPress doesn't enforce a strict size, but the most widely recommended dimension is 1200×628 pixels — the same ratio used by Facebook and Twitter for link previews, which means your featured image will also look perfect when your post is shared on social media. For high-DPI (Retina) screens, 1200×628px is sufficient; you don't need to go larger.
| Use Case | Recommended Size |
|---|---|
| Featured image (blog post) | 1200 × 628 px |
| Facebook / Twitter share | 1200 × 630 px |
| Homepage banner | 1920 × 600 px |
| Thumbnail (archive page) | 300 × 157 px (auto-generated) |
How to Resize an Image for WordPress
- Open the Image Resizer at imgresizr.com.
- Upload your original photo or graphic.
- Set the width to 1200 and the height to 628.
- Use the crop tool if your image doesn't have a 16:9-ish ratio.
- Download the resized image — then compress it to under 200 KB for best site speed.
- Upload it in WordPress via the Featured Image box in the post editor.
Best Practices for WordPress Featured Images
Compress Before Uploading
A 1200×628px image can easily be 500 KB or more. Compress it to under 150 KB using the Image Compressor before uploading. Slow-loading images directly hurt your Google Core Web Vitals score and search rankings.
Use JPG for Photos, PNG for Graphics
Photographs compress much better as JPG. Use PNG only for images with text, logos, or transparent areas. For the best of both worlds, consider converting your featured images to WebP — it's 30% smaller than JPG at the same quality.
Resize Your WordPress Featured Image
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