To make a 3x3 Instagram grid post, split one image into nine equal tiles and post them one by one, starting with the bottom right tile and ending with the top left one. Since Instagram's profile grid switched to tall 3:4 rectangles, design the full image at 3240 x 4320 px so each tile is 1080 x 1440 px. Posted in order, with nothing in between, the nine tiles join into one big picture on your profile.
The short version:
- Pick or design one image at 3240 x 4320 px (3:4).
- Split it into nine tiles of 1080 x 1440 px each, three across and three down.
- Number the tiles from the bottom right (1) to the top left (9).
- Post tile 1 first and tile 9 last, with no other post, Reel or pinned post in between.
- Check your profile: the nine posts now read as one image.
What is a 3x3 Instagram grid post?
A grid post, also called a puzzle feed or split post, is one large image cut into several pieces and posted as separate posts. On their own, the tiles look like fragments. On your profile, where Instagram shows posts three across, they line up again into the full picture.
A 3x3 grid uses nine tiles: three columns and three rows. It is the most common size because it fills the first screen of a profile on most phones, so a new visitor sees the whole picture before they scroll. Brands use it for launches, rebrands and announcements; creators use it to make a profile look planned rather than random.
Here is what that looks like in practice, with the numbers showing the order you post the tiles in:
Instagram grid sizes in 2026
In early 2025, Instagram changed the profile grid from squares to taller 3:4 rectangles. Grids designed for the old square layout now get their edges cropped on the profile, so the pieces no longer line up cleanly. Use these sizes instead:
- 3x3 grid (9 posts): full image 3240 x 4320 px, each tile 1080 x 1440 px.
- 3x4 grid (12 posts): full image 3240 x 5760 px, each tile 1080 x 1440 px.
- 3 pictures in a row, the 1x3 banner (3 posts): full image 3240 x 1440 px, each tile 1080 x 1440 px.
Keep faces, text and logos away from the cut lines. Instagram shows a thin gap between grid tiles, so anything that sits exactly on a line gets sliced in two.
If you are not sure how a tile will look once Instagram crops it, run it through the Instagram 3:4 crop preview before you post.
How to post three pictures in a row on Instagram
The 1x3 banner is the smaller version of a grid: one wide image split into three tiles that fill a single row of your profile. It is a good way to try the effect before committing to nine posts, and it works well for event announcements and product launches.
Post the right tile first, then the middle one, then the left one. As with a full grid, nothing else can go in between.
Why the posting order matters
Instagram always places your newest post in the top left corner of the profile and pushes everything else one step to the right and down. That is why a grid is posted backwards: the tile that should end up at the bottom right goes first, and the top left tile goes last.
Three things break a grid more often than anything else:
- Posting something in between. A single extra post, or a Reel shared to your profile, shifts every tile one place and the picture falls apart.
- Pinned posts. Up to three pinned posts always sit at the top of your profile. Unpin them, or plan the grid with them in mind.
- Posting later rows days apart. If you post three tiles today and six next week, any post in the meantime breaks the sequence. Post all tiles in one session, or schedule them back to back.
How to make a 3x3 grid post in one step with Circleboom
Cutting nine exact tiles in an editing app and then posting them by hand, in reverse order, without a single mistake easily takes 45 minutes. Circleboom Publish has a Grid Post tab that does the split and the order for you.
- Open the Instagram composer in Circleboom Publish and select the Grid Post tab.
- Choose 3x3 for nine tiles, or 3x4 for twelve.
- Upload your image. Circleboom splits it into the tiles automatically and shows how they will sit on your profile.
- Add a caption and a first comment to each post if you want.
- Post now or schedule the whole sequence. The tiles go out back to back, in the right order.
You can also watch the whole flow here:
See the Instagram Grid Maker page for the 3x3 and 3x4 options in more detail.
How to make a grid post manually, with Canva or another editor
If you prefer to design and cut the tiles yourself, this works with Canva, Photoshop or any editor that exports images:
- Create a custom design at 3240 x 4320 px. In Canva, choose "Custom size" and enter those numbers.
- Add guides at 1080 and 2160 px across, and at 1440 and 2880 px down, so you can see the nine tiles while you design.
- Design across the whole canvas, keeping important details away from the guide lines.
- Export and split the image into nine 1080 x 1440 px tiles, either in your editor or with an image splitter.
- Post the tiles in order, bottom right first, top left last.
If you design in Canva but do not want to post nine times by hand, upload the finished full image to Circleboom's Grid Post tab and let it do the splitting and the scheduling.
3x3 grid ideas that work
- A launch or rebrand: turn your campaign visual into one big image that greets every profile visitor on launch day.
- A big announcement: an event poster or a sale, spread across the grid like a billboard.
- A product close up: one strong product photo, large enough to show detail.
- A panorama or landscape: travel and hospitality accounts get a lot from wide scenery.
- Nine tiles that also work alone: design each tile so it makes sense in the home feed too, for example with a short line of text or a product on each one. Followers see single tiles in their feed long before they see the full grid on your profile.
For panoramas that swipe instead of splitting across the profile, see how to post an Instagram panorama without cropping, and for the bigger picture, how to create a cohesive Instagram aesthetic.
Keep posting after the grid
A grid makes a strong first impression, but it is a moment, not a strategy. The next post you publish pushes the grid down a row, and that is fine: profiles that keep posting are the ones Instagram keeps showing. Plan the grid as part of a regular schedule, then follow it with the posts that bring people to your website or store.
A simple routine helps: plan a few weeks of posts in one sitting and schedule them to Instagram ahead of time. Add UTM tags to the link in your bio, small tracking codes that show in Google Analytics how many visits and sales your Instagram brings, so you can see what the grid and the posts after it actually earn you. If you are not sure when to post, see when to upload on Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
Do 3x3 grids still work with Instagram's new rectangular grid?
Yes, as long as you design for the 3:4 grid. Old square grids get cropped at the edges; a 3240 x 4320 px image split into 1080 x 1440 px tiles lines up cleanly.
In what order do I post a 3x3 grid?
Backwards. Post the bottom right tile first and the top left tile last, because Instagram places each new post in the top left corner.
Can I post a grid as a carousel?
No. A carousel is one post with several slides, so it only fills one spot on your profile. A grid needs each tile to be its own post.
What happens if I post a Reel in the middle of a grid?
If the Reel is shared to your profile grid, it takes one spot and shifts every tile after it, which breaks the picture. Post Reels before you start the grid or after you finish it.
Is there a 3x3 grid maker that posts the tiles for me?
Yes. Circleboom Publish's Grid Post tab splits one image into nine (or twelve) tiles and posts or schedules them in the right order.
How many posts is a 3x3 grid?
Nine posts. A 3x4 grid is twelve, and a 1x3 banner is three.
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