Your Instagram profile has just seconds to capture attention and convince visitors to follow or engage with your content. While most people focus on crafting the perfect profile picture and bio, there’s one element that can instantly elevate your account’s professional appearance: Instagram highlight covers.

These small circular icons might seem like minor details, but they pack a powerful punch when it comes to organizing your content and showcasing your brand. Whether you’re a business owner looking to highlight your products or a content creator wanting to organize your stories, custom highlight covers can transform your profile from amateur to professional in minutes.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about creating stunning Instagram highlights that not only look amazing but also help your followers navigate your content with ease. From design specifications to step-by-step creation tutorials, we’ve got you covered.

Key Takeaways

Instagram highlight covers are circular icons that represent saved story collections on your profile
Optimal dimensions are 1080x1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio for best quality
Use 5-6 highlight covers for a clean, organized look that fits perfectly in one row
Canva offers hundreds of free templates specifically designed for Instagram highlight covers
Consistent color schemes matching your profile create professional visual branding
Highlight covers help showcase products, services, and curated content permanently on your profile

What Are Instagram Highlight Covers?

Instagram highlight covers are the front-facing image icons that represent your saved story collections, known as Instagram highlights. Unlike regular Instagram story content that disappears after 24 hours, these highlights remain permanently on your profile until you choose to remove them.

Think of highlight covers as the book covers for your story collections. They appear as small circles directly beneath your bio and serve as visual navigation tools for your visitors. When someone clicks on a highlight cover, they can view all the stories you’ve saved in that particular category.

The Visual Impact on Your Profile

The circular format of these covers creates an immediate visual impact on your Instagram profile layout. They’re positioned prominently under your username and bio, making them one of the first things people notice when they visit your page.

Professional-looking covers instantly communicate that you take your online presence seriously. This attention to detail builds credibility with potential followers, customers, or collaborators who might be evaluating your account.

Why Businesses and Creators Use Highlight Covers

Content creators and businesses love highlight covers because they provide a way to organize and permanently showcase their best content. Instead of letting valuable stories disappear after 24 hours, you can save them in categorized highlights that visitors can access anytime.

This feature turns your Instagram app into a mini-website where people can easily find specific information about your products, services, or content themes.

Benefits of Custom Highlight Covers

Creating custom highlight covers offers numerous advantages that go far beyond simple aesthetics. Let’s explore how these small design elements can make a big impact on your Instagram presence.

Enhanced Visual Branding

Custom covers allow you to maintain consistent visual branding across your entire profile. When your highlight covers match your profile picture color scheme and overall aesthetic, you create a cohesive look that reinforces your brand identity.

This consistency helps people remember your account and makes your profile appear more professional and trustworthy. It’s especially important for businesses that want to establish credibility with potential customers.

Professional Appearance That Builds Credibility

A well-designed set of highlight covers immediately signals to visitors that you’re serious about your online presence. This professional appearance can be the difference between someone following your account or clicking away to find a competitor.

Studies show that people form judgments about credibility within seconds of viewing a profile. Custom covers contribute to that positive first impression that keeps visitors engaged.

Easy Navigation for Content Discovery

Highlight covers act as a visual menu system for your instagram content. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of posts to find specific information, visitors can quickly click on the relevant highlight to find what they’re looking for.

This improved navigation experience keeps people on your profile longer and increases the likelihood they’ll engage with your content or take desired actions like visiting your website or making a purchase.

Permanent Showcase for Important Content

Unlike regular stories that disappear, highlights with custom covers give you a permanent way to showcase your most important content. You can feature product demonstrations, customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, or frequently asked questions.

This permanence means your best content continues working for you 24/7, attracting and converting visitors long after you originally posted the stories.

Design Requirements and Specifications

Getting the technical details right ensures your Instagram highlight covers look crisp and professional on all devices. Here are the exact specifications you need to know.

Exact Dimensions and Aspect Ratio

The optimal dimensions for highlight covers are 1080 x 1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio. These dimensions match the standard Instagram story size, ensuring your covers display at the highest quality possible.

When you upload covers at these dimensions, Instagram automatically crops them into the circular format you see on profiles. The platform typically displays these circles at approximately 110 x 110 pixels on most devices.

File Format Recommendations

Choose your file format based on your design needs:

PNG format: Best for designs with transparency, sharp lines, or simple graphics with solid colors
JPG format: Better for photographic images or designs where smaller file sizes matter

PNG files maintain higher quality but create larger file sizes, while JPG files compress more efficiently but may lose some detail in the process.

Color Considerations and Profile Matching

Your highlight covers should complement your profile picture and overall feed aesthetic. High-contrast combinations work best for visibility at small sizes. For example, bold icons on light backgrounds or bright graphics on dark backgrounds ensure your covers remain recognizable when displayed as tiny circles.

Consider creating a simple color palette of 2-3 colors that you’ll use consistently across all your covers. This creates visual harmony and reinforces your brand identity.

Safe Zone Guidelines

Since Instagram crops your rectangular image into a circle, you need to keep all important design elements within the “safe zone” - roughly the center third of your image. Any text, icons, or important graphics placed too close to the edges will get cut off in the circular crop.

Always preview your covers at small sizes before finalizing them to ensure they remain clear and recognizable when displayed on your profile.

Creating Highlight Covers with Canva

Canva has become the go-to platform for creating Instagram highlight covers, thanks to its user-friendly interface and extensive template library. Here’s how to create professional covers in just a few minutes.

Step 1: Access Canva’s Templates

Open Canva in your browser or download the app
Search for “Instagram Highlight Cover” in the template search bar
Browse through hundreds of pre-designed templates
Choose a template that matches your brand aesthetic

Canva offers both free and premium templates, with free options providing plenty of variety for most users. Join Canva now (please note that this is an affiliate link so if you upgrade to Canva Pro, you will be helping us out)

Step 2: Select and Customize Your Template

Click on your chosen template to open the editor
Customize the background color to match your brand
Change icons to represent your content categories
Adjust text if your template includes any
Modify colors to create a cohesive look across all covers

The drag-and-drop interface makes customization simple, even for design beginners.

Step 3: Create Multiple Covers for Consistency

Click the “Add a new page” button to create additional covers
Duplicate your first design and modify the icon for each category
Keep the same background and color scheme across all covers
Create covers for categories like “Products,” “Services,” “About,” “Reviews,” and “Contact”

Aim for 5-6 covers total to maintain a clean, organized appearance on your profile.

Step 4: Download Your Finished Covers

Click the “Download” button in the top corner
Select PNG format for the highest quality
Choose “All pages” if you created multiple covers
Save the files to your device

Your covers are now ready to upload to your Instagram account.

Alternative Methods for Creating Covers

While Canva is popular, you have several other options for creating custom highlight covers depending on your skill level and available tools.

Using Instagram’s Built-in Story Tools

The Instagram app itself provides basic tools for creating simple covers:

Open Instagram and tap the camera icon
Choose a solid color background or upload an image
Add text, emojis, or stickers to create your design
Use the drawing tool for custom graphics
Save the story to your device before posting

This method works well for minimalist designs or when you need covers quickly.

Advanced Design with Professional Software

For more control over your designs, consider using professional design software:

Adobe Illustrator: Perfect for creating vector-based icons that scale perfectly
Photoshop: Ideal for photo-based covers or complex graphic designs
Sketch or Figma: Great alternatives for digital design work

These tools require more design experience but offer unlimited creative possibilities.

Free Resources for DIY Covers

If you prefer building covers from scratch, use these free resources:

Unsplash or Pexels: High-quality background images
The Noun Project: Simple, recognizable icons
Google Fonts: Typography options for text-based designs

Combine these elements in any photo editing app to create custom covers that perfectly match your vision.

Mobile Apps for On-the-Go Design

Several smartphone apps specialize in Instagram story and highlight cover creation:

Story Maker: Focused specifically on Instagram content
Unfold: Offers templates and layout options
StoryArt: Provides animated options and effects

These apps work well when you need to create or update covers while away from your computer.

How to Add Highlight Covers to Your Profile

Once you’ve created your custom covers, adding them to your Instagram profile takes just a few simple steps.

Creating New Highlights

Open your Instagram profile page
Tap the “+” button or “New” under your bio
Select the saved stories you want to include in this highlight
Choose a title for your highlight (14-character limit works best)
When prompted to edit cover, tap “Edit Cover”
Select “Upload from Camera Roll” or “Upload from Gallery”
Choose your custom cover image
Adjust the positioning if needed and tap “Done”

Your new highlight with custom cover now appears on your profile.

Adding Covers to Existing Highlights

To change the cover on highlights you’ve already created:

Tap and hold the existing highlight you want to edit
Select “Edit Highlight” from the menu
Tap “Edit Cover” under the image at the top
Select a new cover from the stories or upload a new custom cover image
Position the image within the circle preview
Tap “Done” to save your changes

The updated cover will immediately appear on your profile.

Organizing Your Highlights for Maximum Impact

Arrange your highlights in order of importance or logical flow. Instagram displays highlights in the order they were last edited, so you can rearrange them by editing each highlight in your desired sequence.

Consider grouping related highlights together and using clear, descriptive titles that help visitors understand what content they’ll find inside each highlight.

Testing Across Different Devices

Before finalizing your covers, view your profile on different devices to ensure they look good on various screen sizes. Check how they appear on both phones and tablets, and ask friends to view your profile to get feedback on clarity and appeal.

Best Practices for Highlight Cover Design

circles under username on instagram account

Following proven design principles ensures your Instagram highlight covers not only look professional but also function effectively as navigation tools.

Maintaining Consistency Across All Covers

Consistency is the most important principle for effective highlight cover design. Use the same:

Background color or style
Icon size and positioning
Color palette throughout all covers
Border style or effects

This consistency creates a unified look that immediately communicates professionalism and attention to detail.

Optimal Number of Highlights

Keep your highlights to 5-6 covers maximum for the best visual impact. This number fits perfectly in one row on most devices without creating visual clutter or forcing users to scroll horizontally.

Having too many highlights can overwhelm visitors and make your profile look disorganized. Focus on your most important content categories instead of trying to create a highlight for every possible topic.

Choosing Clear, Representative Icons

Select icons that immediately communicate what content visitors will find in each highlight. Use universally recognized symbols when possible:

Shopping bag for products
Heart for testimonials or favorites
Question mark for FAQs
Camera for behind-the-scenes content
Location pin for events or locations

Avoid overly detailed or complex icons that become unrecognizable when displayed as small circles.

Regular Updates and Refreshes

Plan to refresh your highlight covers periodically to keep your profile looking current. This might mean:

Updating covers for seasonal campaigns
Changing colors to match new branding
Adding new highlights for product launches
Removing outdated categories

Regular updates show that you actively manage your account and keep your content fresh.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Learning from common mistakes can save you time and help you create more effective instagram highlight covers from the start.

Low-Resolution Images

Using images that are too small or low-quality results in blurry, pixelated covers that look unprofessional. Always start with high-resolution images and use the recommended 1080 x 1920 pixel dimensions for the best results.

If you’re pulling icons from free resources, make sure they’re large enough to maintain clarity when resized for your covers.

Inconsistent Design Elements

Mixing different design styles across your covers creates a chaotic, unprofessional appearance. Avoid:

Using different background colors randomly
Mixing photography with illustrated icons
Varying icon sizes significantly
Combining different design themes

Stick to one cohesive design approach across all your covers.

Overcrowding Your Profile

Adding too many highlights clutters your profile and reduces the impact of each individual cover. More isn’t always better when it comes to highlight organization.

Focus on quality over quantity. It’s better to have 5 well-organized, useful highlights than 15 scattered categories that confuse visitors.

Ignoring the Circular Crop

Many people design covers without considering how they’ll look when cropped into circles. This often results in:

Important text getting cut off
Icons positioned too close to edges
Unbalanced compositions in the final circular format

Always preview your covers in circular format before finalizing your designs.

Using Overly Complex Designs

Detailed graphics that look great at full size often become unreadable when displayed as small circular thumbnails. Keep your designs simple and bold for maximum impact at small sizes.

Remember that people will primarily see your covers as tiny circles, so every design element needs to be large and clear enough to remain visible and recognizable.

FAQ

What are the exact dimensions for Instagram highlight covers?

The recommended dimensions are 1080 x 1920 pixels with a 9:16 aspect ratio. This matches Instagram story dimensions and ensures the highest quality display. When posted, Instagram crops these into circular thumbnails of approximately 110 x 110 pixels.

Can I change highlight covers after creating them?

Yes, you can change highlight covers anytime. Simply tap and hold the highlight you want to edit, select “Edit Highlight,” then tap “Edit Cover” to upload a new image. Your updated cover will immediately replace the old one on your profile.

How many highlight covers should I use on my profile?

The optimal number is 5-6 highlight covers maximum. This fits perfectly in one row on most devices and creates a clean, organized appearance. More than six highlights can make your profile look cluttered and overwhelming to visitors.

Do highlight covers affect my Instagram reach or engagement?

Highlight covers don’t directly impact Instagram’s algorithm or your reach. However, they can indirectly increase engagement by improving your profile’s organization and encouraging visitors to explore your content more thoroughly, potentially leading to more follows and interactions.

Can I use the same highlight cover for multiple categories?

While technically possible, using the same cover for different categories reduces clarity and defeats the purpose of visual organization. Each highlight should have a unique cover that clearly represents its specific content category.

What’s the difference between PNG and JPG for highlight covers?

PNG format is best for simple designs with sharp lines, solid colors, or transparency needs. JPG format works better for photographic images or when you need smaller file sizes. PNG generally provides higher quality but larger files.

How do I make sure my highlight covers look good on all devices?

Keep all important design elements centered within the safe zone (roughly the center third of your image). Preview your covers at small sizes before uploading, and test how they appear on different devices. Avoid placing crucial elements near the edges where they might get cropped.

Can I create highlight covers without using Canva?

Absolutely. You can use Instagram’s built-in story tools, professional software like Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, free online design tools, or even smartphone apps specifically designed for Instagram content creation. Canva is just one popular option among many.

Instagram Highlight Covers: Complete Guide to Creating Eye-Catching Story Highlights