Edit your images in Hootsuite

You can edit the images in your posts using the web version of Hootsuite's built-in image editor. Make images your own by adding effects, or cropping them to fit each social network. A preview shows your updated images.

For Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, X and Bluesky, you can also add alternative (alt) text to make your images accessible. Learn more about adding alt text.

• Learn how to include images in your posts in Create and publish posts.
• Learn about social network requirements for images in Image file requirements.
• Learn how to create eye-catching images in Canva in Add Canva designs to your post.

Edit your image

When composing a new post or editing scheduled or draft content, point to an image thumbnail, select More, and then select Edit image to open it in the image editor.

Transform - Use Transform to scale, crop, rotate, or skew your image.

• Scroll through the options and select an aspect ratio made to fit a specific social network, a common aspect ratio, or set your own custom width and height.
  
• Move the guides on the image to select the portion of the image that you want to keep.
  
• Use the flip and rotate options to further modify your image.

Filters - Select a filter of your choice and then adjust the filter's intensity using the slider.

Adjust - Adjust Basic settings of brightness, saturation, contrast, or gamma and use the Refinements options to further modify your image.

Focus - Select your focus style and then adjust the intensity using the slider.

• Move the guides on the image to adjust the focus area and direction.
  

Frames - Select a frame to add around your image, and then adjust its opacity and size using the sliders.

Overlays - Select an overlay effect, and then choose the blend mode and overlay opacity using the slider.

Text - Add text and then use the formatting options to adjust font, size, alignment, spacing, and color.

• Move the guides on the text box to adjust the placement and orientation of the text.
  

 Stickers - Choose an emoticon or shape sticker, or upload your own. Adjust the color and opacity using the slider.

 Brush - Select your brush color and choose its hardness and size using the sliders, and then draw freehand on your image.

Select Undo to remove any of your changes. When you are happy with your edits, select Save to exit the image editor.

Add alt text to images

Include alt text with images published to Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, and Threads. Alt text describes an image to make it more accessible. Alt text doesn’t appear anywhere on your posts. It’s detected by screen readers and displays in browsers when images are turned off. Alt text is not supported with animated GIFs or videos.

Character limits for alt text vary, depending on the social network:

• Facebook: 500 characters
• Instagram: 1000 characters
• LinkedIn: 4068 characters
• X: 1000 characters
• Bluesky: 2000 characters
• Threads: 1000 characters

1. Go to Create, choose an image to add from your own computer or from the media library.
2. Point to the image thumbnail, select More, and then select Edit alternative text.
   
   
3. Enter an alt text description of the image, and then select Save.
   Hootsuite provides AI-generated alt-text based on the content of the image. Select Use text if you want to use the AI-generated version, or select Refresh to get a variation. You can refresh up to four times for each image.

About image rotation

An image uploaded to Hootsuite may appear rotated due to orientation tags embedded in that image. Orientation tags are commonly assigned when taking pictures on mobile devices. These pictures can appear correct when viewed on your computer or mobile device, but appear rotated when uploaded to Hootsuite.

To change the rotation of an image, open and rotate the image in your default image editing application, such as Preview (iOS) or Windows Photo Viewer. Then save the image as a new file and upload it to Hootsuite.