WhatsApp Images for Marketing in Coco AI

Resource for coco.ai clients and internal teams
Last updated: April 2026

What marketing images do in Coco AI

In Coco AI, marketing images are used to make WhatsApp messages more immediate and easier to understand at a glance. They are most useful when the visual itself helps sell the message, such as a product launch, a promotion, a featured item, a seasonal campaign, or a branded announcement.

You will typically use an image in one of two places:

• WhatsApp template messages used in campaigns, broadcasts, and automated sends
• Icebreaker campaigns where a strong visual helps start the conversation and gives subscribers a clear reason to tap

The image is not the full message on its own. In Coco AI, it works together with your body copy and call to action, so customers can understand the offer quickly and decide whether to click.

Why image size matters

WhatsApp technically accepts images in many shapes and sizes. But sending the wrong dimensions forces recipients to tap to expand the image before they can see it — adding friction right at the moment you need their attention most.

Optimising your image dimensions can increase CTA click-through rate by up to 28%. That's one of the easiest performance gains available in WhatsApp marketing, and it costs nothing.

On top of that, oversized or wrong-format files slow down delivery, risk rejection by the API, and can appear pixelated or cropped on certain devices.

The key number: your go-to dimensions

For WhatsApp template messages sent via the Meta Business API — the type used in broadcast campaigns, abandoned cart flows, post-purchase sequences, and automated journeys — there is one clear recommended size:

✅ 1125 × 600 px (aspect ratio 1.91:1)

This is the sweet spot. It helps the image preview render in full inside the message thread with no extra tap required. It is also the mandatory ratio Meta enforces for carousel messages.

How images are used in Coco AI campaigns

Template campaigns

Image-based templates are commonly used when you want the campaign preview to do some of the selling before the customer reads the full copy. In Coco AI, this is a strong fit for:

• new product or collection launches
• promotions and flash sales
• back-in-stock or restock announcements
• seasonal campaigns
• post-purchase and retention journeys with a featured visual

In these sends, the image appears at the top of the message preview and sets context for the headline, body copy, and button.

Icebreaker campaigns

For icebreaker campaigns, images help you open with something instantly recognisable and easy to react to. A product image, offer graphic, or campaign visual can make the message feel more inviting and easier to understand than text alone.

In practice, image-based icebreakers work best when the visual answers one of these questions immediately:

• What product or offer is this about?
• Why should I care right now?
• What am I expected to tap next?

If the image does not add that clarity, it is usually better to simplify the message.

How images appear in message previews

In Coco AI, uploaded images are shown as part of the message preview before you send or submit for approval. This preview is where you should confirm that the image supports the message instead of competing with it.

A strong preview usually has these qualities:

• the main subject is visible without needing to open the image
• the offer or product is obvious at a glance
• the body text still feels readable and relevant next to the image
• the button label matches what the image is encouraging the customer to do

If the image is too tall, too square, too busy, or too text-heavy, the preview can become harder to scan. That weakens the message before the customer ever reaches the CTA.

Where image-based content fits in your workflow

In Coco AI, image-based content usually fits into the campaign workflow like this:

This page focuses on where images fit into that flow. Detailed setup, submission, and approval steps are covered in the related pages below.

Full technical spec

PNG vs. JPEG — when to use which

Recommended sizes by message type

📣 Broadcast / Template messages

• Size: 1125 × 600 px
• Used for abandoned cart, promotions, flash sales, re-engagement flows
• This is your primary and most-used format

🎠 Carousel messages

• Size: 1125 × 600 px
• The 1.91:1 ratio is mandatory and enforced by Meta
• Every card in the carousel uses the same spec

🛍️ Product catalogue

• Size: 1024 × 1024 px (square, 1:1)
• WhatsApp auto-crops non-square images from the centre
• Always prepare square assets specifically for catalogue use

👤 Business profile photo

• Size: 640 × 640 px
• Square format, max 5 MB
• WhatsApp will resize anything larger before uploading

📱 WhatsApp Status

• Size: 1080 × 1920 px (9:16 vertical)
• Full-screen format — keep important content centred and away from edges

🔗 Link previews (Open Graph)

• Size: 1200 × 630 px
• WhatsApp pulls OG data directly from your website's meta tags
• Keep under 600 KB for a fast large preview load
• Test using Facebook's Sharing Debugger before launching any link-based campaign

10 best-practice rules

1. Always export at 1125 × 600 px for broadcast templates. This eliminates the "tap to view" barrier and keeps your CTA visible without any extra action from the recipient.
2. Target under 1 MB per image, even though the API allows up to 5 MB. Large files cause delivery delays, especially for customers on 3G or in markets with slower data speeds.
3. Use JPEG at 80–85% quality for photography, PNG for branded graphics. JPEG keeps photo file sizes small; PNG preserves sharp edges and text legibility in branded visuals.
4. Always use sRGB colour profile. CMYK and other profiles cause noticeable colour shifts when WhatsApp converts them on-device. Set sRGB before exporting.
5. Keep text overlays minimal and away from edges. WhatsApp compresses images on delivery. Keep core copy within the central 80% of the image frame.
6. Supply square images for product catalogues. WhatsApp auto-crops non-square product images from the centre — always prepare 1:1 assets specifically for catalogue use.
7. Test OG images before launching link-based campaigns. Run your URL through Facebook's Sharing Debugger to confirm the preview looks correct before sending to your list.
8. Compress using tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading. These can reduce file size by 40–70% with no visible quality loss — worth doing before every campaign.
9. Do not use JPG for API campaigns. Meta has removed JPG support in certain WhatsApp Cloud API contexts. Always use PNG or JPEG (with the E).
10. Preview every image on a real mobile device before sending. WhatsApp compression behaves differently on Android vs. iOS. What looks sharp on desktop can disappear on a small screen.

Pre-send checklist

Before every campaign, confirm:

• [ ] Image exported at the correct dimensions (1125 × 600 px for templates)
• [ ] File size is under 1 MB (hard max: 5 MB)
• [ ] Format is PNG or JPEG — not JPG or WebP
• [ ] Colour profile is sRGB
• [ ] Key content sits within the central 80% of the image
• [ ] Image previewed on a real mobile device
• [ ] If using a URL: OG image tested in Facebook's Sharing Debugger

Quick reference card

Related pages

Guide produced by coco.ai — WhatsApp marketing platform for e-commerce
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