What Size Should a Squarespace Featured Image Be?

Short answer: Squarespace does not require one universal featured-image size. For a typical blog post, start with a 1200×630 px crop when your layout is horizontal and you want a social-friendly shape. Then match the aspect ratio selected by your site’s blog or collection layout. Keep a larger master image around 2500 px wide, protect the subject from edge crops, and compress the uploaded file to about 500 KB or less when quality allows. Squarespace accepts files up to 20 MB and delivers responsive versions, commonly as WebP.

The ratio matters more than a fixed pixel number. A site using a square, portrait, or custom collection-card ratio may crop a 1200×630 image substantially.

Choose dimensions from the layout first

Squarespace images scale with the browser width while preserving the layout’s selected shape. Exact dimensions such as 750×500 px are therefore not universal requirements. Find the featured-image or collection-item aspect-ratio setting in your template, then create a crop with that same ratio.

Placement	Starting canvas	When to use it
Typical horizontal blog card	1200×630 (1.90:1)	Good practical default for blog grids, lists, and social-friendly sharing.
3:2 blog style	1500×1000 or another 3:2 export	Use when the template explicitly crops featured images to 3:2.
Square card	1500×1500	Use for square collection tiles or a design that centers images in equal boxes.
Portrait card	1200×1500 (4:5)	Use when the template reserves a tall card or portrait crop.
Custom ratio	Calculate width ÷ height from the setting	Follow the site’s actual collection or portfolio ratio.

These pixel values are examples derived from each ratio, not Squarespace mandates. Squarespace’s Help Center recommends a width of about 2500 pixels for most source images so responsive layouts have enough detail.

Prepare the source and crop

Keep the original or master image at roughly 2500 px wide.
Measure the visible container ratio in your blog, portfolio, product, or event layout.
Crop a working copy to that ratio. For a horizontal blog default, use 1200×630 px.
Place faces, logos, product edges, and other important details away from the crop boundaries.
Use a focal-point control when your template provides one. Set it on the subject rather than leaving the crop centered by chance.
Export a web-appropriate file and check the result on both desktop and mobile.

Which file format should you use?

JPEG: the usual choice for photographs and gradients.
PNG: useful for transparency, screenshots, or sharp graphic edges, but often larger.
WebP: useful when your workflow supports it; Squarespace supports WebP and converts uploaded images for delivery.
GIF: supported for suitable animated or limited-color assets, but avoid it when a compressed JPEG or WebP is clearer and smaller.

Stay below the 20 MB upload limit. Treat 500 KB or less as a performance target, not a requirement that overrides visible quality.

1200×630: when it works and when it does not

1200×630 is a useful starting crop because it fits many horizontal blog designs and common social-share proportions. It is not a platform-wide featured-image specification. If your template uses a 3:2, square, portrait, or custom ratio, export to that ratio instead.

Keep a flexible master so you can make several crops without enlarging a small file. A 1200×630 source may look soft if Squarespace displays it in a wide desktop banner or if you later reuse it in a taller placement.

The featured image represents the post inside your site. When someone shares the URL, Squarespace may use an alternate social-sharing image instead. Set a separate social image when the shared preview is important, and inspect the current social preview after publishing because network recommendations can change.

For Facebook previews, Squarespace notes that the image must be at least 200×200 px, but that minimum does not guarantee a good preview. A larger image with a clear subject and safe margins is more reliable.

How to check the crop before publishing

Upload the prepared image to the post’s featured-image field.
Open the blog index, category pages, related-post modules, and the article page.
Resize the browser to a narrow mobile width and a wide desktop width.
Check that the subject, face, or product remains visible in every card.
Open the social-sharing settings and preview the URL using the current network tools.
If the crop cuts the subject, change the source crop or focal point instead of merely increasing resolution.

For repeatable QA, you can capture the live page at several viewport sizes and compare the cards side by side.

Common problems and fixes

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Squarespace crops off a face or logo	The source ratio does not match the container, or the focal point is centered incorrectly.	Crop to the container ratio and move the focal point toward the subject.
The image looks blurry	The uploaded file is too narrow for the largest placement or was enlarged repeatedly.	Start from a master near 2500 px wide and export a fresh crop.
The page loads slowly	The upload is unnecessarily large or lightly compressed.	Resize to the largest needed display width and compress toward 500 KB.
The image is sharp but the social preview is wrong	The platform is using an alternate social image.	Set and preview the social-sharing image separately.
Mobile and desktop show different subjects	Responsive containers expose different portions of the same crop.	Use a safer composition with more margin, or choose a ratio that matches both placements.
Upload is rejected	The file exceeds Squarespace’s 20 MB limit or uses an unsupported format.	Export JPEG, PNG, WebP, or GIF below 20 MB.

Performance and reliability checklist

Keep a high-resolution master, but upload only the dimensions the layout needs.
Compress photographs before upload and inspect text or fine edges at 100%.
Do not put essential text at the extreme top, bottom, or sides of the image.
Review every template location where the image appears; a blog card and post header may use different crops.
After changing a featured image, refresh the live page and social preview because cached previews can persist.

Or skip the browser setup

If you need screenshots of your published Squarespace page at known viewport sizes, ScreenshotNeo can capture the URL through one API request. It accepts options for full-page or element capture, viewport and device settings, retina scale, custom CSS, delays or selector waits, and image formats.

Before the capture, ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all options.

cURL

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com/blog/post -o shot.webp

Python

import requests

r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com/blog/post"}, timeout=90)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com/blog/post' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
const fs = await import('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));

ScreenshotNeo has a free tier of 1,000 shots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots, and every feature is included on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to capture your Squarespace layouts.

FAQ

Is 1200×630 the required Squarespace size?

No. It is a practical horizontal blog starting point. Your template’s aspect ratio controls the visible crop.

Should I upload exactly 2500×1312?

No. About 2500 px wide is a useful master size. Export the final upload to the ratio and display size your layout needs.

Why does my image look different in the post and on the blog page?

Those placements can use different responsive containers and crop rules. Test each placement at desktop and mobile widths.

Yes. Squarespace may use an alternate social-sharing image when a URL is shared.

What should I do if the image is technically sharp but still feels wrong?

Rework the composition and focal point. More pixels cannot correct a crop that removes the subject or leaves unsafe text near an edge.