WhatsApp sticker size
Every WhatsApp sticker must be exactly 512 × 512 pixels. That is a fixed canvas, not an upper limit — 511 × 511 and 1024 × 1024 are both rejected when the pack is imported.
Pixel dimensions
| Asset | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sticker (static or animated) | 512 × 512 px | Square, 1:1 |
| Tray icon | 96 × 96 px | One per pack, always static — see Tray icon |
Non-square artwork
Most source images are not square. Scale the artwork so its longest side fits inside 512 px, then centre it on a transparent 512 × 512 canvas. Do not stretch it to fill the square — distortion is far more noticeable in a sticker than empty transparent space.
The conversion recipes include one-line commands that do exactly this.
Leave a margin
Artwork that touches the canvas edge looks cramped next to other stickers in the picker. A practical rule is to keep the subject inside roughly 16 px of padding on every side. Many sticker designers also add a thin white outline around the subject so it stays readable on both light and dark chat themes.
File size
Dimensions are only half of the rule; each file also has a byte budget:
| Asset | Max file size |
|---|---|
| Static sticker | 100 KB |
| Animated sticker | 500 KB |
| Tray icon | 50 KB |
The limits apply per file — there is no combined limit for a pack. For comparison, WhatsApp notes that many of its built-in stickers are around 15 KB, so the limit is a ceiling rather than a target. Smaller files send faster and cost the recipient less data.
Getting under 100 KB
Flat illustration, lettering and cartoons usually land well under the limit. Photographic cut-outs are the usual offenders. In order of effectiveness:
- Lower the WebP quality — quality 70–85 is usually indistinguishable from 100 at sticker display size.
- Reduce colours before conversion (quantise the PNG).
- Simplify the edges — soft, feathered alpha edges cost more bytes than a clean cut-out.
- Remove detail that nobody will see at 64–128 px chat-bubble size.
Pack size
A pack must contain between 3 and 30 stickers. Both bounds are enforced: two stickers cannot ship as a pack, and a 31st sticker means the pack is refused.
Further reading
- File format: why WebP
- Animated sticker limits
- Sticko's illustrated walkthrough of WhatsApp sticker size and format requirements
- Source: WhatsApp/stickers — Android README