--- title: "Adding and Adjusting Media | Maeve Social" description: "Attach media, select files for each channel, and adjust crops, covers, and alt text." url: "https://maevesocial.com/guides/creating-posts/adding-and-adjusting-media" --- On this page 1. [Home](https://maevesocial.com/) 2. [Guides](https://maevesocial.com/guides) 3. [Creating Posts](https://maevesocial.com/guides/creating-posts) 4. Adding and Adjusting Media # Adding and Adjusting Media Updated September 12, 2026 Attach files to the draft, then select which files each channel should use. For example, select several images for an Instagram carousel and one image for LinkedIn. ![The Maeve composer with three images attached, the per-channel media selector below the caption, and a carousel preview showing image one of three](https://maevesocial.com/marketing/screenshots/app/creating-posts/media-carousel.webp) Select media for each channel and check the carousel order in the preview. One pool, every channel Attached media **3 attachments** · 2 images · 1 video · 14.2 MB · 3 of 20 slots Shopfront Back room Closing up Add media Drag tiles to reorder. The order sets how carousel platforms show the post. UploadMedia RoomGoogle DriveCanva The attachments a draft is carrying, which every channel then picks from. The summary counts them by kind and by size, and the last figure is the draft's own cap of twenty. ## Adding Media Choose a source to add media to the draft: * **Upload**, or drag and drop onto the empty drop area before anything is attached * **The Media Room**, to reuse something already in the library * **Google Drive** * **Canva**, which imports the design as an image The counter above the attachment row shows the number of files in the draft. ## Selecting Media for Each Channel Open a channel's media row and select the files to include. Use **Select all** or **Clear** to update the selection. Maeve selects compatible media by default. Check the selection for each channel and change it if needed. Instagram Facebook YouTube X Media for Instagram 3 of 10 selected21Select allClear 1CoverShopfront 2Back room 3Closing up Select up to 10 items. Drag to reorder. Order applies to all platforms. #1 is the carousel cover. The same three attachments under four channels. Nobody picked these: Maeve ticks what each network accepts, in the order the files sit in, and locks the rest. The line underneath is the rule that network is working to. | Network | Items per post | | ----------------------- | --------------------- | | Threads | 20 | | TikTok | 35 images, or 1 video | | Instagram | 10 | | Facebook | 10 images, or 1 video | | LinkedIn | 10 images, or 1 video | | X | 4 | | YouTube | 1 video | | Pinterest | 1 image, or 1 video | | Google Business Profile | 1 image | Order matters on a carousel. Drag the attachments into the order you want and that is the order they publish in. ## Cropping Open the crop control for the channel's media. Choose a preset, adjust the framing, and check the result in the preview. Instagram TikTok YouTube Pinterest Transform For instagram Post Story Aspect Ratio Portrait (4:5) Square (1:1) Landscape (1.91:1) Drag corners to resize.\ Drag inside to move. Apply CropClose 4:5 The cropper offers each network its own shapes, under that network's own names. Instagram and Facebook swap the list by post type, so a Story is offered the 9:16 shape and nothing else, and a Post is not offered it at all. | Network | Presets | | --------- | -------------------------------------- | | Instagram | 4:5, 1:1, 1.91:1, and 9:16 for stories | | Facebook | 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16 for stories | | LinkedIn | 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5 | | X | 16:9, 1:1 | | Threads | 1:1, 4:5, 1.91:1 | | TikTok | 9:16, 3:4, 1:1, 16:9 | | YouTube | 16:9, 1:1, and 9:16 for Shorts | | Pinterest | 2:3, 1:1, 9:16 | For Instagram and Facebook, crop presets depend on the selected post type. Stories use 9:16. Switch to Post for feed presets. Cropping for one network does not change the file anywhere else. The original stays in the Media Room untouched. ## Covers Open the channel's cover settings and choose a source: Four networks take a cover * InstagramCover ImageOptional A frame from the videoJPEG only * TikTokVideo Cover, or Photo Cover on a photo postOptional A frame from the videoOn a photo post, which photo leads * YouTubeCustom ThumbnailRequired No frame from the videoJPEG or PNG, max 2 MB * PinterestCover ImageRequired No frame from the videoAn image you supply Where each cover can come from. Instagram and TikTok will lift a frame out of the video, so the cover is optional. YouTube and Pinterest will not, so a long-form video and a video Pin both need a file prepared in advance. * **Instagram.** A frame from the video, or an image you upload * **TikTok.** A frame from the video, or on a photo post, which of the photos leads * **YouTube.** An uploaded image, and it is required on anything that is not a Short. JPEG or PNG, up to 2MB * **Pinterest.** An uploaded image, and it is required on every video Pin Prepare a separate image for YouTube regular videos and Pinterest video Pins. The free [social image resizer](https://maevesocial.com/tools/social-image-resizer) crops an image to YouTube thumbnail or Pinterest Pin proportions, and the [image compressor](https://maevesocial.com/tools/image-compressor) can bring a thumbnail under YouTube's 2MB limit. For Instagram and TikTok videos, you can choose a frame from the video. ## Alt Text Alt text describes the image for anyone who cannot see it, and it is capped at 500 characters. Alt Text Is Shared Across Posts Alt text saves to the asset in your Media Room rather than to this post, so changing it updates every post using that file, including ones already scheduled. If this post needs a different description, use a copy of the image. Instagram Stories do not publish alt text. Saving it while preparing a Story still updates the asset in the Media Room. ## What Will Stop a Post Check each channel's media selection before scheduling: * **Photos and video together.** Instagram, X and Threads allow it. Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok refuse it * **More than one video.** Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest and YouTube all take one per post. Only Instagram, X and Threads take more * **A file type the network does not take.** Facebook is MP4 only where Instagram also takes MOV * **A missing cover** on a YouTube long-form video or a Pinterest video Pin Media for Facebook Media for Facebook 2 of 10 selected Shopfront Back room Closing up Select up to 10 photos OR up to 1 video. Drag to reorder. Order applies to all platforms. #1 is the carousel cover. Facebook takes photos or a video, never both. Clicking the video with photos already selected does not warn you or refuse: it drops the photos and keeps the video. LinkedIn and TikTok do the same. The per-network detail lives in each channel's own guide under [channel management](https://maevesocial.com/guides/channel-management). ## Questions ### How many files can one post hold? Each selected channel has its own media limit. Check the attachment counter and the channel's selection. For example, Instagram accepts 10 items and X accepts four. ### Can one channel carry different images from another? Yes. Select the files separately in each channel's media row. ### Does cropping for one network change the image everywhere? No. The crop applies to that platform's version. The original file in the Media Room remains unchanged. ### Why did my alt text change on another post? Alt text is saved to the media asset and used by other posts that reference it. Use a separate copy of the image when you need different alt text. ### Which networks need a cover image? YouTube regular videos and Pinterest video Pins require custom cover images. Instagram and TikTok videos can use a frame from the video. ### Can I reorder the images in a carousel? Yes. Drag the attachments into the order you want, then check the carousel preview. In Maeve Social * [Content Editor](https://maevesocial.com/features/composer)