Social Media Specs

Threads Specs

Threads is the newest surface in this reference and the one changing fastest, so I have kept it to the values that have held stable and flagged the rest. The short version is that it accepts Instagram sized assets, rewards conversation over links, and punishes the copy and paste cross post more than any other platform I work on.

Post and profile fields
FieldLimitNotes
Post text500 charactersChain posts to continue past the limit
Media per postUp to 10 images or videosShown as a swipeable carousel
Bio150 charactersMirrors the Instagram bio length
Links in postSupportedOne link renders a preview card
Media specs
MediaAspect ratioRecommended pixelsNotes
Image, portrait4:51080 x 1350Best use of feed height
Image, square1:11080 x 1080Safe default
Image, landscape1.91:11080 x 566Smallest footprint
Video9:16 or 1:11080 x 1920Short form performs best
Profile photo1:1320 x 320Displayed as a circle

Notes

Threads rewards replies far more than any other Meta surface. A post that generates a thread of responses keeps resurfacing, and replying to your own post to add context is normal behaviour rather than a growth hack. Budget time to sit in the replies for an hour after posting, or do not post.

The account is tied to Instagram, which means your Threads follower graph is seeded from an audience that opted in to a different content format. What worked as an Instagram caption usually reads as marketing on Threads. Rewrite rather than syndicate.

Link posts are visibly deprioritised relative to text and image posts, which is consistent with how Meta treats outbound links elsewhere. If a link is the point, put the argument in the post and the link in a reply, then check whether reach actually improves for your account rather than trusting the general claim.

Threads is still adding and moving features, and character limits and media handling have changed since launch. Verify against the official Threads help documentation before you commit a template or a scheduling tool to an exact spec.

Frequently asked questions

Should I cross post Threads content from Instagram?

Only the media, never the caption. Threads reads as conversational and short, and an Instagram caption pasted across lands as an ad. The extra ten minutes of rewriting is the whole difference in performance.

How long can a Threads post be?

500 characters per post. Chaining posts is normal and supported, so a longer argument works fine as a short sequence rather than one block.

Official sources

Platforms change specifications without notice. Check the primary documentation before a launch that depends on an exact value.

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