Facebook Group cover size
9 minutes read

Last update: 01.03.2024

Having the perfect Facebook group cover photo is pretty important.

It’s the first thing visitors see when they hop on your group page, which is why it should be eye-catching, explanatory of your group’s purpose, and most of all, have the right size.

Facebook keeps throwing us into a whirlwind by changing their Facebook group cover photo size every year, sometimes even twice a year.

Keeping up with the size you need to use on your group cover photo can be difficult – and it’s not the only important thing to keep in mind if you want your Facebook group photo to really stand out. 

In this article, we’re looking at all the specifics about the correct group cover photo size, the perfect placement of text and images, and everything in between. 


1. The Facebook group cover photo size for 2024

2. The best online banner maker for designing a Facebook group cover photo

3. How to create the perfect Facebook group cover photo—step by step

4. Top 3 best practices for attractive Facebook group cover photos 

5. How to avoid your photo getting accidentally cropped—safe zones

6. Amazing free templates to start from

7. 5 great examples of Facebook group cover photos


create a facebook group cover

1. The Facebook Group Cover Photo Size to Use in 2024

The ideal Facebook group cover image size is 1640 pixels wide by 856 pixels tall (or an aspect ratio of 1.91:1). We recommend this size for the best results – especially since you want to avoid the auto-cropping of your Facebook group cover photo.

Facebook Group Cover Photo Size

The Facebook group cover photo size has not always been the same, so if you were familiar with a different Facebook group header size, it’s easy to understand why you might feel confused. 

For example, in 2017, Facebook updated its group cover photo size, but it proved to not work on different devices. These group photos looked great on a desktop, but didn’t quite fit on the screen on mobile views, as the image was cut off. 

Then again, in 2018, Facebook changed the group cover photo size twice, but that, too, was kind of a flop.

Luckily for all Facebook group owners, the issue’s been fixed, and things have been pretty stable since the last Facebook group cover dimensions change. 

Facebook Group Cover Photo Mobile Preview

Please note that, in theory, Facebook will allow you to upload a picture in a different size than the 1640 x 856 recommendation. However, chances are it will look cut off. 

Just take a look at this example:

marvel facebook group cover

Source: MARVEL LEGENDS COLLECTORS

You can see that the characters are cut off, making the image less attractive (and potentially harming a user’s first impression of the group).

2. The Best Online Banner Maker for Designing a Facebook Group Cover Photo

There are many online banner makers on the market – but none is as smart, easy to use, and comprehensive as Creatopy (we might be biased here, though).

For instance, Creatopy comes with Facebook group cover photo templates created especially for this purpose, so you can grab one, customize it, and upload it right away. 

This way, you get a pleasant design experience that is smooth and easy, and you come out with a 100% unique Facebook group cover photo that you won’t find anywhere else.

The online banner maker offered by Creatopy is also free, so you can use it without spending a fortune. 

Signing up is as easy as 1-2-3, and it’s free. So go ahead, sign up today, and see how easy it is to design and create a Facebook cover photo online.

3. How To Make the Perfect Facebook Group Cover Photo

Now it’s time for you to let your inner creator out and access your graphic design skills.

Creatopy makes designing easy, so you don’t need professional design skills to create graphics that look professional.

Here are the steps you need to follow to create a flawless Facebook group cover photo in Creatopy:

Step 1. Sign in to Creatopy

Creating a Creatopy account is effortless and free.

Simply go here to sign in or sign up.

Step 2. Use Facebook’s group cover photo size in custom size

Create Facebook Group Cover creatopy

Select the project you want to work on, then click on + New design on the right side of the screen, select + Create custom size, and add the Facebook group cover photo size, which is 1640 x 856.

One important thing to remember is that regardless of the Facebook group banner size you choose, once you upload your new cover photo to Facebook, it will always zoom in just a bit.

It is best to try to put all of your important text and elements in the “safe zone” or indicated area of the cover photo (center) to avoid having any of your cover photo elements cut off or improperly portrayed.

Step 3. Add a photo from our +2M stock photos, or upload your own

Image Facebook Group Cover

Now is the time to start the creative part of the cover photo-making process. Choose a picture that will reflect your group scope, or upload your own.

I found the perfect stock photo in our gallery and scaled it to stretch across my cover photo to make sure there were no empty spaces.

Now we’re ready to move on to step four.

Step 4. Add some text and elements to your cover photo

Text Facebook Group Cover

Now you need to describe your group in words. Pick a font that will work well with your photo and match the style.

If you want to add multiple matching fonts, choose a text preset in our editor.

We already have a lot of options you can choose from. Just drag and drop the one you like onto your photo, then change the color and begin scaling it to your picture. Also, Creatopy has tons of design elements to choose from to really spice up your cover photo and make it completely original.

If you ever feel like you don’t know what font to use or are bored of using the same old fonts, here are some cool fonts you could use right now.

By the way, want more cool tips and tricks on how to add text to photos, what texts go well on what photos, where to add the text, and more? We have a really cool article on that you can check out.

Step 5. Download your work

Download Facebook Group Cover

Once you are happy with your banner and consider it done, it’s time to download it to your computer.

Click the download icon to save your work to your computer as a JPG or PNG.

We recommend PNG for a higher-quality image (especially as compared to JPG)..

Step 6. Upload your group cover photo to Facebook

Upload Facebook Group Cover

Now it’s time to display your masterpiece and show it to the world and, more specifically, your group.

Go to your Facebook Group and hit the Edit button, then click “Upload photo” to upload the cover photo you built in Creatopy. 

Find the image on your computer, upload it, and hit Save.

new Facebook Group Cover

4. Top 3 Best Practices for Attractive Facebook Group Covers 

Every good Facebook group cover stands out in a unique way, relevant to the brand or community it represents. However, generally, there are some common characteristics to most of the successful cover photos. Here are three of the top best practices to keep in mind when creating a Facebook group photo:

Go for bold color designs

One of the best ways to make your group cover stand out is by using bold colors that contrast well with each other and draw attention from users. Keep in mind your Facebook group cover photo should be fully aligned with your brand, too, so don’t stray away from it too much.

Furthermore, remember that you can also incorporate an attractive, engaging, and vibrant photo, particularly if it’s something you want people to associate with your brand. For example, it could be your team or something representative of the business you run.

Use simple text and design elements

Simple fonts, texts, and shapes will give a modern and fresh look to your Facebook group cover design. Make sure they are visible and that the text is legible, so choose your fonts wisely. Some of the fonts that work best for this are sans serif, modern, and minimalist typefaces.

Moreover, make sure your text is concise and to the point. That way, people can quickly understand what kind of group it is and why they should join it. Additionally, don’t forget to include your brand name or logo if you have one!

Avoid overcrowding your design

It’s important to keep your cover photo clean and simple, without too much clutter or text. This will make it easier for readers to notice the most relevant information quickly. For instance, some of the key elements to include in your Facebook photo cover include:

  • Group name
  • Logo or brand name
  • One or two lines of text (optimal)
  • Simple design elements like shapes or icons

By avoiding overcrowding your cover design, you’ll make it easier for people to focus on the most important aspects of it and take in the necessary information at a glance.

5. How to Avoid Your Photo Getting Accidentally Cropped—Safe Zones

When creating a new cover, the perfect Facebook group cover photo size is 1640 x 856 px. Still, even if your image is that size, when you upload it to your group, on desktop, Facebook may crop it just a bit.

To avoid losing vital information from your visual, look again at the image from the beginning of the article. You’ll see that there is a dark blue area in the center and a blue area around the corners.

The dark blue area in the middle is what we call the safe zone for your group cover photo. It is roughly around 1640 pixels x 662 pixels.

This is the place where, if you add text and elements, there is no way for them to be cut off when you upload your cover photo—if you use these exact dimensions, that is.

The other area is the blue area. This is what we will call the non-visible areas.

Through trial and error, we realized that Facebook will sometimes (but not always) cut off either the top of your photo or the bottom of your photo.

To avoid any unwanted crop, it’s best not to put essential elements of your photo in this area.

If you follow these simple rules, you’ll have the perfect group cover photo.

6. 10 Free Templates for Your Facebook Group Cover Photo

We’re feeling generous here at Creatopy, and we want you to have to best experience while creating your Facebook group cover photo.

Because of this, we put together 10 free beautiful templates for you to use. Take a look at them and find the one that describes your group best.

Click on the one you like to open it in your Creatopy account. Once you’re there, you can begin editing things like text, colors, elements, images, and more.

7. 5 Great Examples of Facebook Group Cover Photos

Need even more inspiration? I’ve got you covered. Here are 10 Facebook group cover photos that I found and are worth sharing with you.

women in content marketing facebook group

Source: Women in Content Marketing

facebook group photo example

Source: Clubul Bookuria

goal digger facebook group cover

Source: Goal Digger Podcast Insiders

silly linguistics facebook group photo

Source: Silly Linguistics

photoshop facebook group cover example

Source: Lightroom and Photoshop Tutorials

Conclusion

The right Facebook group cover photo can make or break your relationship with potential members – so make sure you stick to the recommended cover photo size for Facebook and follow our best practices too. In the end, this is all about building a community, and the cover photo, trivial as it may seem, is one of the mirrors you use to show new members what you’re all about. 

Pay attention to details, ensure your Facebook group banner makes your brand shine, and have fun with it!

create a facebook group cover

Octavia Drexler
Octavia is a content marketer who lives and breathes digital creativity. She reads, writes, tries stuff, and drinks coffee -- and she'll probably love a good chat about pretty much anything under the Sun.

    3 Comments

    1. Hi there. Our group would like to put a GIF banner up on our Group (Royal Canadian Corps of Signals). It is a rotating globe with a background. I have cropped it to less than the dimensions suggested above (using standard Flag ratio/sizes as it background is our Corps Flag). So that was my constraint.

      The GIF comprises 200 photo’s for 1 complete rotation, file size is about 12.5Mb.

      Is there a way to “enable” GIF motion on FaceBook, or are we stuck with static images?

      Kind Regards,

      “Alter Funkier” – FB.

    2. I am sick and tired of groups like yours spamming the top levles of my searches for cover dimensions and templates. I don’t want to use your product, free or otherwise I need a template I can use in my own art programs.

      I hasten to add that, traditionally, desktop crops the image one direction and mobile crops it the other so I suspect the “safe zone” you mention isn’t safe for one of these two formats.

    3. I need some assistance
      The white rectangle with my groups name and member pictures is so big it is covering the cover image. It appears this way on any group I pull up to look at. This only changed in the last month or so.
      I mist have done something but have no idea how to fix Can you help me

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