Instagram Highlight Covers — Design Guide with Free Ideas

Why Highlight Covers Matter

Highlight covers are the first visual element visitors notice on your profile after your photo and bio. Consistent, well-designed covers make your profile look professional and organized. For more details, see our guide on bio optimization tips. For more details, see our guide on profile optimization guide.

Design Styles

Icon-Based

Simple icons on solid color backgrounds:

• Clean and professional look
• Easy to create with free tools
• Works for any niche
• Scalable as you add more highlights

Photo-Based

Using actual photos as covers:

• More personal and authentic
• Shows real content inside
• Works well for lifestyle and travel accounts
• Harder to maintain consistency

Text-Based

Words or letters on colored backgrounds:

• Clear and descriptive
• No ambiguity about content inside
• Simple to create
• Good for information-heavy accounts

Brand-Colored

Using your brand colors with minimal design:

• Strongest brand consistency
• Very clean appearance
• Works with icons or text
• Easy to update

Creating Highlight Covers

Using Canva (Recommended)

• Open Canva and search "Instagram Highlight Cover"
• Choose from thousands of free templates
• Customize colors to match your brand
• Download as PNG
• Upload to Instagram as a story, then set as cover

Using Instagram

• Create a story with a solid background color
• Add an icon or text
• Save to your highlights
• Set it as the cover image

Sizing

• Dimensions: 1080 x 1920 pixels (same as stories)
• Only the center circle is visible: approximately 640 x 640 pixels
• Keep important elements centered
• Preview how it looks as a small circle

Category Ideas

For Personal Accounts

• About Me / Intro
• Travel
• Food
• Fashion / OOTD
• Favorites
• Memories

For Creators

• Tips
• Behind the Scenes
• Tutorials
• Reviews
• Q&A
• Collabs

For Businesses

• Products / Services
• Reviews / Testimonials
• FAQ
• How to Order
• New Arrivals
• Sales / Offers

Tips

• Use 5-7 highlights maximum (too many looks cluttered)
• Update highlight content regularly
• Name highlights with one word or short phrase
• Keep covers consistent in style
• Archive old stories into relevant highlights
• Use StoriesFly to see how top accounts organize their highlights