GIF size limits by platform

File-size and dimension limits for GIFs, emoji and avatars on the platforms people actually post to. Limits change; these reflect each platform’s help pages as of September 2026.

PlatformUseMax sizeDimensionsNotes
DiscordCustom emoji256 KB128×128 (shown ≤ 48 px in chat)Animated emoji can be uploaded by server managers; using them outside their server needs Nitro. Make one →
DiscordSticker512 KB320×320Server boost level decides how many sticker slots you get.
DiscordAnimated avatar / banner10 MBSquare, ≥ 128×128Nitro only. Shown as a circle, so keep corners empty. Make one →
DiscordChat upload10 MB (free)AnyNitro raises the upload limit. Make one →
SlackCustom emoji128 KB128×128, squareGIF, PNG or JPG. Displayed at about 22 px in messages. Make one →
X / TwitterPost GIF15 MB (web), 5 MB (mobile apps)Up to 1280×1080One GIF per post; X converts it to a looping video. Make one →
InstagramPost / Reel / Story—1080 px wide, 4:5 or 9:16No GIF uploads. Convert to MP4. GIF stickers in Stories come from GIPHY. Make one →
TwitchAnimated emote1 MBSquare, 112×112 or largerGIF only, up to 60 frames. Twitch generates the smaller sizes.
WhatsAppChat GIF16 MB (as video)AnyGIFs are converted to short silent MP4s; sending an MP4 directly is sharper. Make one →
TelegramChat GIF—AnyGIFs become silent looping MP4 “animations”. Video stickers use WebM, 512 px, ≤ 3 s. Make one →
GIPHYUpload100 MBAnyClips up to 15 seconds.
Email (Gmail, Outlook)Inline GIFKeep under ~1 MB≤ 600 px wideOutlook for Windows desktop shows only the first frame, so make frame 1 meaningful. Make one →

Why platforms convert your GIF

X, WhatsApp, Telegram and Reddit quietly convert uploaded GIFs into MP4 video, because H.264 is typically 5–10 times smaller for the same clip. The GIF you upload is only the source; what viewers download is a video. That’s why the upload limit is generous on those platforms but emoji limits — where the GIF is served as-is — are tiny.

Getting under a limit

In the editor’s Size & presets panel, choose the platform or a size target. GifCraft re-encodes in the order that costs the least quality: turn off dithering, reduce colours, shrink the width, and only then drop frames. The GIF compressor shows each pass.

Questions

What size is a Discord emoji?

Upload up to 256 KB. Discord displays emoji at up to 128×128 px, so a 128×128 square is the right canvas.

What is the GIF size limit on X (Twitter)?

15 MB when posting from the web and 5 MB from the mobile apps, one GIF per post.

Can I post a GIF on Instagram?

Not as a GIF. Convert it to MP4 — GifCraft’s GIF to MP4 tool does it in your browser — and upload the video. It will loop in Reels and Stories.

What size should a Slack emoji be?

A square image under 128 KB; Slack scales it to 128×128.