Discord Image Size Guide 2026

Complete Discord image size specifications for 2026. Get the exact dimensions for server banners, profile banners, avatars, emojis, server icons, stickers, and attachments for optimal quality on Discord.

Quick Reference

Type Dimensions Aspect Ratio Max File Size Format
Server Banner (Boost Level 2+) 960×540 px 16:9 10 MB PNG, JPEG, GIF
Profile Banner (Nitro) 600×240 px 5:2 10 MB PNG, JPEG, GIF
User Avatar 128×128 px (min) 1:1 10 MB PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP
Server Icon 512×512 px 1:1 10 MB PNG, JPEG, GIF
Custom Emoji 128×128 px 1:1 256 KB PNG, JPEG, GIF
Server Invite Splash (Boost Level 1+) 960×540 px 16:9 10 MB PNG, JPEG
Sticker 320×320 px 1:1 512 KB (PNG), 500 KB (Lottie) PNG, APNG, Lottie
Attachment Image (Free) No limit Any 25 MB Any image format
Attachment Image (Nitro) No limit Any 500 MB Any image format

Server Image Specifications

Server Banner

Dimensions: 960×540 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Max File Size: 10 MB
Format: PNG, JPEG, GIF (animated)
Requirement: Boost Level 2+ (7 boosts)
Pro Tip: Server banners appear at the top of your server on desktop and mobile. Use high-contrast visuals and avoid placing text near the edges. Animated GIFs are supported with Nitro boosts.

Server Icon

Recommended Size: 512×512 pixels
Minimum Size: 128×128 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Max File Size: 10 MB
Format: PNG, JPEG, GIF (animated)
Display Shape: Circular crop
Pro Tip: Server icons display as circles. Design with centered content and avoid important details near the edges. Animated GIF icons require Boost Level 2+.

Server Invite Splash

Dimensions: 960×540 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Max File Size: 10 MB
Format: PNG, JPEG
Requirement: Boost Level 1+ (2 boosts)
Note: The invite splash appears when someone clicks an invite link to your server. Use it to make a great first impression. No animated GIFs supported for splash images.

User Profile Specifications

User Avatar

Recommended Size: 256×256 pixels
Minimum Size: 128×128 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Max File Size: 10 MB
Format: PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP
Display Shape: Circular crop
Pro Tip: Avatars display as circles. Animated GIF avatars require Discord Nitro. For best quality, upload at 256×256 px or higher (up to 1024×1024 px).

Profile Banner

Dimensions: 600×240 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 5:2
Max File Size: 10 MB
Format: PNG, JPEG, GIF (animated)
Requirement: Discord Nitro
Pro Tip: Profile banners appear at the top of your user profile. Discord Nitro is required. Animated GIFs are supported. Avoid placing important content in the bottom-left where your avatar overlaps.

Avatar Decoration

Dimensions: 160×160 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Format: PNG with transparency (APNG for animation)
Requirement: Discord Nitro or purchased
Note: Frame overlays avatar (not replacements)
Note: Avatar decorations are frames/effects that overlay your avatar. They require Discord Nitro or can be purchased individually. Transparent PNG required.

Custom Emoji & Sticker Specifications

Custom Emoji

Dimensions: 128×128 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Max File Size: 256 KB
Format: PNG, JPEG, GIF (animated)
Limit (Free Server): 50 emojis
Limit (Boost Level 3): 250 emojis
Pro Tip: Emojis display at 32×32 px in chat. Design with bold, simple shapes. Animated GIFs work but must be under 256 KB. Compress using tools like Ezgif for best results.

Stickers

Dimensions: 320×320 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Max File Size: 512 KB (PNG/APNG), 500 KB (Lottie)
Format: PNG, APNG (animated), Lottie (JSON)
Requirement: Boost Level 1+ or Nitro
Pro Tip: Stickers display larger than emojis in chat. Use transparent backgrounds (PNG). APNG supports animation. Lottie JSON allows vector-based animations for smallest file sizes.

Role Icons

Dimensions: 64×64 pixels
Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (square)
Max File Size: 256 KB
Format: PNG, JPEG
Requirement: Boost Level 2+ (7 boosts)
Note: Role icons appear next to usernames in chat and member lists. Keep designs simple—they display very small (16×16 px). No animated GIFs supported.

Message Attachment Specifications

Image Attachments

Account Type Max File Size Supported Formats Notes
Free Account 25 MB per file PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, SVG Up to 10 files per message
Discord Nitro Classic 50 MB per file PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, SVG Up to 10 files per message
Discord Nitro 500 MB per file PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, SVG Up to 10 files per message

Embed Images (Links & Bots)

Embed Thumbnail

Recommended Size: 80×80 pixels
Max Width: 80 pixels
Max Height: 80 pixels
Position: Top-right of embed

Embed Image

Max Width: 400 pixels (desktop)
Max Height: 300 pixels
Aspect Ratio: Any (Discord auto-scales)
Position: Below embed description
Embed Image Tip: For bot embeds and linked content, Discord auto-scales images to fit. Use Open Graph (og:image) tags on websites to control preview images. Recommended: 1200×630 px for best quality.

Server Boost Perks Summary

Image-Related Boost Perks

Feature Free Server Level 1 (2 Boosts) Level 2 (7 Boosts) Level 3 (14 Boosts)
Custom Emoji Slots 50 100 150 250
Animated Emoji Slots 50 100 150 250
Sticker Slots 0 15 30 60
Upload Limit (All Members) 25 MB 25 MB 50 MB 100 MB
Server Banner ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅
Invite Splash ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Animated Server Icon ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅
Role Icons ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅
Boost Strategy: Level 2 (7 boosts) unlocks the most visual features: server banner, animated icon, and role icons. Level 3 (14 boosts) is ideal for emoji/sticker-heavy communities (250 emoji slots + 60 stickers).

Best Practices by Content Type

Server Branding

  • Consistency: Use matching colors and style across server icon, banner, and invite splash
  • Icon Design: Simple, bold designs work best at small sizes (32×32 px)
  • Banner Text: Keep text large and centered—avoid edges where mobile crops
  • Animated GIFs: Limit to 2-3 seconds loops, optimize file size aggressively

Custom Emojis

  • Size: Design at 128×128 px, use bold shapes (displays at 32×32 px)
  • Format: PNG for static, GIF for animated (compress to stay under 256 KB)
  • Transparency: Use transparent backgrounds for non-rectangular shapes
  • Naming: Use descriptive names with underscores (e.g., :thinking_face:)

Stickers

  • Size: 320×320 px with transparent background
  • Content: Expressive characters or objects (not text-heavy)
  • Animation: Use APNG for frame animation, Lottie for vector animation
  • File Size: Compress PNG/APNG aggressively (512 KB limit)

Message Attachments

  • Memes: 1200×1200 px (1:1) or smaller, PNG for text quality
  • Screenshots: Native resolution, compress if over file limit
  • Artwork: High resolution (1920×1080+ px), JPEG for photos, PNG for digital art
  • Mobile: Vertical images (9:16 or 4:5) display well on mobile chat

Common Discord Image Mistakes

Icon & Avatar Errors

  • Important content near edges: Circular crop cuts off corners—keep centered
  • File too large: Over 10 MB fails to upload (especially for animated GIFs)
  • Low resolution: Upload at least 256×256 px for sharp display
  • Non-square images: Get stretched or cropped awkwardly

Banner Errors

  • Wrong aspect ratio: Using non-16:9 causes stretching/cropping
  • Text on edges: Gets cropped on mobile—keep important content centered
  • Low contrast: Text blends into background, especially on mobile
  • File over 10 MB: Upload fails (compress animated GIFs heavily)

Emoji & Sticker Errors

  • Too detailed: Emojis display at 32×32 px—fine details disappear
  • File over 256 KB: Emoji upload fails (compress GIFs with Ezgif or similar)
  • No transparency: White backgrounds look bad on dark theme
  • Animated GIF not looping: Ensure GIFs loop seamlessly for best effect

Attachment Errors

  • File over limit: 25 MB for free users (upgrade to Nitro for 500 MB)
  • Extremely tall images: Require excessive scrolling—consider splitting or cropping
  • Text too small: Unreadable on mobile—use large fonts
  • Poor compression: High-res images can be compressed significantly without quality loss

Technical Details

Supported Image Formats

  • PNG: Best for transparency, text, and graphics—no quality loss
  • JPEG: Best for photos and complex images—smaller file size with compression
  • GIF: Supports animation (256-color limit)—use for animated emojis/icons
  • WebP: Modern format with better compression—supported for avatars and attachments
  • APNG: Animated PNG with full color support—best for high-quality sticker animations
  • Lottie (JSON): Vector animation format—smallest file size for animated stickers

Image Display Behavior

  • Auto-scaling: Discord auto-scales large images to fit chat window
  • Click to Enlarge: Users can click images to view full resolution
  • Aspect Ratio: Original aspect ratio always preserved (no stretching)
  • Lazy Loading: Images load as user scrolls for better performance

Compression Recommendations

  • PNG: Use TinyPNG or pngquant for lossless compression (50-70% smaller)
  • JPEG: Use 85-90% quality setting for good balance of size/quality
  • GIF: Use Ezgif to reduce colors, resize, and optimize frames
  • Animated GIF: Reduce FPS (10-15 FPS sufficient), limit to 2-3 sec loops

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