Short answer: 16:9 for YouTube, docs and websites; 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts; 1:1 or 4:5 for feed posts on LinkedIn, X and Instagram. Record once in landscape, then export each ratio, as long as your tool keeps the action framed in the narrow crops.
The four ratios and where they win
| Ratio | Pixels (typical) | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 16:9 | 1920×1080 | YouTube, landing pages, docs, email embeds |
| 9:16 | 1080×1920 | TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts, Stories |
| 1:1 | 1080×1080 | LinkedIn & X feeds, Instagram grid |
| 4:5 | 1080×1350 | Instagram/LinkedIn feed, tallest allowed, most screen real estate |
Why 4:5 exists: feeds crop anything taller, but 4:5 occupies ~25% more vertical space than 1:1, which is more attention for the same post.
The trap: cropping screen content
A screen is landscape. Naively center-cropping it to 9:16 throws away 70% of the pixels, usually including the thing you clicked. Three ways out:
- Letterbox (tiny video on a tall background): safe, looks like a screenshot, wastes the format.
- Manual reframing in an editor: keyframe the crop to follow the action. Works; slow.
- Cursor-aware export: tools that recorded your cursor can keep the camera on the action automatically in every ratio. In Girato the same recording exports all four ratios and the auto-zoom camera keeps your clicks in frame in each.
Practical recipe
- Record in landscape at your screen's native size.
- Zoom generously (phones need it, see zooming guide).
- Export 16:9 for the canonical version, then 9:16 and 4:5 for distribution.
- Upload natively per platform, native video beats links everywhere.
See it on your screen
- Record and edit in your browser, nothing to install
- Desktop apps zoom on every click
- Free to start, no time limit