# Social Media Format

> Fit a video or image to the frame size of Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, X, Facebook or LinkedIn, and keep the post caption within the platform's limit.

Source: https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/social-media-format

The **Social Media Format** node prepares a video or an image for one social media platform. You choose the platform and the format, such as an Instagram Reel or a YouTube Short, and the node resizes the media to that exact frame. The node also holds the post caption, with a counter for the platform's character limit and a live preview of the post.

- Found in: Video › Format & Export
- Output: video
- API type: `social-media-format`

## When to use it
- You publish the same video to several platforms and each needs its own frame size.
- You want to see how a post will look on the platform before you publish it.
- You want the caption checked against the platform's limit before a publishing node posts it.

## Quick start
### Add the node

Press Tab on the canvas and choose **Video › Format & Export › Social Media Format**.

### Connect the media

Drag from the output of a video or image node to the **Media** input.

### Choose the platform and the format

Open the settings panel. Choose a **Platform**, then a **Content Type**. The panel shows the frame size, the aspect ratio, the maximum duration and the text limit of that format.

### Write the caption

Type the post text under **Caption / Post Text**, or connect a text node to the **Caption** input.

### Run it

Click **Run** on the node. Connect the **Media** and **Caption** outputs to a publishing node, such as [Instagram Post](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/publish/instagram-post).

Workflow: A generated video and a caption are formatted for an Instagram Reel, then posted.

- Generate Video → Social Media Format (media)
- Text → Social Media Format (caption)
- Social Media Format → Instagram Post

## Inputs
| Input | Accepts | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Media** | Video and image nodes | The video or image to format. Required. |
| **Caption** | Text nodes | The post text. It fills **Caption / Post Text**. Optional. |

The node has two outputs. **Media** is the formatted video or image. **Caption** is the post text.

## Settings
| Setting | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Platform** | The platform to format for. A new node starts on **Instagram**. |
| **Content Type** | The format on that platform, with its frame size, for example **Story / Reel (1080×1920)**. |
| **Resize Method** | How the media fills the frame: **Crop (fill, cut edges)**, **Pad (fit, add bars)** or **Stretch (distort)**. The default is **Pad**. |
| **Pad Color** | The color of the bars that **Pad** adds. The default is black (`#000000`). Shown only with **Pad**. |
| **Caption / Post Text** | The post text. The counter above the field shows the text length against the platform's limit. |

![The Social Media Format settings panel with Instagram Story / Reel selected, its size, duration and text limit, and a phone preview of the post.](https://nodaro.ai/docs-media/screens/en/nodes/social-media-format/settings.light.webp)

## Platform formats

| Platform | Content Type | Frame | Max duration | Text limit |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Instagram | Feed Square | 1080×1080 | 60 s | 2,200 characters |
| Instagram | Feed Portrait | 1080×1350 | 60 s | 2,200 characters |
| Instagram | Feed Landscape | 1080×566 | 60 s | 2,200 characters |
| Instagram | Story / Reel | 1080×1920 | 180 s | 2,200 characters |
| TikTok | Video | 1080×1920 | 600 s | 4,000 characters |
| X (Twitter) | Image Landscape | 1200×675 | Image | 280 characters |
| X (Twitter) | Image Square | 1080×1080 | Image | 280 characters |
| X (Twitter) | Video | 1920×1080 | 140 s | 280 characters |
| YouTube | Short | 1080×1920 | 180 s | 5,000 characters |
| Facebook | Feed Portrait | 1080×1350 | Image | 63,206 characters |
| Facebook | Reel | 1080×1920 | 90 s | 63,206 characters |
| LinkedIn | Image Landscape | 1200×627 | Image | 3,000 characters |
| LinkedIn | Image Square | 1080×1080 | Image | 3,000 characters |
| LinkedIn | Video | 1920×1080 | 600 s | 3,000 characters |

## Credits
Social Media Format costs 20 credits per run.

## Tips
- **Choose the platform first.** The size, duration and text limit in the panel update as soon as you change **Platform** or **Content Type**.
- **Crop for a full frame.** **Pad** keeps the whole picture but adds bars. **Crop** fills the frame and usually looks cleaner on a phone.
- **Check the length.** Keep a video within the **Max Duration** the panel shows. Use [Trim Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/trim-video) to shorten it.
- **Only need a new shape?** [Resize Video](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/video/resize-video) changes the aspect ratio without the platform presets and the caption.
- **Publish automatically.** Connect the outputs to [TikTok Post](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/publish/tiktok-post), [YouTube Upload](https://nodaro.ai/docs/nodes/publish/youtube-upload) or another publishing node. See [Publishing to social media](https://nodaro.ai/docs/guides/publishing-to-social).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which frame size does Social Media Format use for Reels, TikTok and Shorts?

Instagram Story / Reel, TikTok Video, YouTube Short and Facebook Reel all use 1080×1920, a vertical 9:16 frame.

### What happens when my caption is longer than the platform allows?

The character counter above the Caption / Post Text field turns red, and the panel says how many characters are over the platform's limit. Shorten the text before you publish.

### Can Social Media Format prepare images as well as videos?

Yes. The Media input accepts a video or an image, and some formats are image formats, such as X Image Landscape and LinkedIn Image Square.

### How many credits does Social Media Format cost?

Social Media Format costs 20 credits per run. It does not use an AI model.

### What is the difference between Social Media Format and Resize Video?

Resize Video only changes the aspect ratio. Social Media Format applies a platform's exact frame size, shows a preview of the post, and carries the post text to the next node.