# Placeho

> Free placeholder images and safe zones by URL. Put a link like https://placeho.com/600x400 anywhere an image goes. No sign-up, no API key, open CORS. Images are SVG.

Use Placeho when you need a placeholder image of a given size in HTML, Markdown, JSX or a design, or when you need the safe zone (the area that stays visible) for a responsive image or a social media format.

## Placeholder images

- https://placeho.com/600x400 : 600 × 400 grey placeholder
- https://placeho.com/400 : 400 × 400 square
- https://placeho.com/600x400/000000/FFFFFF : background colour, then text colour (hex without #, or a CSS colour name)
- https://placeho.com/600x400?text=Hero+image : custom text (use \n for a new line)
- Sizes from 10 to 4000 px. ".svg" on the end is optional.

Example: <img src="https://placeho.com/800x600?text=Product" width="800" height="600" alt="Product placeholder">

## Social media safe zones

These return an image at the right size with the safe zone drawn on it:

- https://placeho.com/instagram-reels (1080 × 1920, safe zone about 950 × 883)
- https://placeho.com/instagram-story (1080 × 1920, about 1080 × 1325)
- https://placeho.com/instagram-post (1080 × 1350, profile grid crop, about 1013 × 1350)
- https://placeho.com/instagram-square (1080 × 1080, about 810 × 1080)
- https://placeho.com/facebook-reels (1080 × 1920, about 950 × 883)
- https://placeho.com/facebook-cover (820 × 360, about 640 × 312)
- https://placeho.com/tiktok (1080 × 1920, about 780 × 1020)
- https://placeho.com/youtube-shorts (1080 × 1920, about 840 × 960)
- https://placeho.com/youtube-thumbnail (1280 × 720, keep the bottom-right corner clear)
- https://placeho.com/youtube-banner (2560 × 1440, 1546 × 423)
- https://placeho.com/vertical-video (1080 × 1920, one video for Reels, Stories, TikTok and Shorts, about 733 × 960)
- https://placeho.com/landscape-post (1200 × 630, shows in full)

Mix platforms on any size with ?guides=, for example https://placeho.com/1080x1920?guides=tiktok,shorts
Guide ids: reels, stories, fbreels, tiktok, shorts, grid, fbcover-desktop, fbcover-mobile, ytbanner-desktop, ytbanner-mobile, ytbadge

## Responsive safe zones

- https://placeho.com/1920x1080?crops=16:9,4:3,4:5 : shows what survives each object-fit: cover crop
- Add &focus=20,50 to move the focal point (it equals CSS object-position: 20% 50%)

## Safe zones as data (JSON)

- https://placeho.com/api/safe-zone/tiktok
- https://placeho.com/api/safe-zone/1920x1080?crops=16:9,4:5&focus=20,50
- https://placeho.com/api/safe-zone?size=1080x1920&guides=reels,tiktok
- https://placeho.com/api/formats : every named format with its size and safe zone

The JSON gives safeZone {x, y, width, height} in pixels from the top-left, the same as percentages, a smaller textSafe box, each guide's visible and blocked areas, and the CSS object-position to use. Image responses also carry an X-Safe-Zone header: x,y,width,height.

## Use as an MCP server or skill

- MCP server (Streamable HTTP, no key): https://placeho.com/mcp
  Tools: placeholder_image (URL, HTML and Markdown for a placeholder), safe_zone (pixel and percent safe zone), list_formats
  Claude Code: claude mcp add --transport http placeho https://placeho.com/mcp
  Cursor (.cursor/mcp.json): {"mcpServers": {"placeho": {"url": "https://placeho.com/mcp"}}}
- Skill for Claude Code, Cursor and Claude: https://placeho.com/placeho-skill.zip (or read https://placeho.com/skill/SKILL.md)

## Notes

- Social media safe zones are approximate, based on each platform's published templates, checked October 2026.
- PNG, JPEG and WebP downloads are available in the editor at https://placeho.com/
- OpenAPI description: https://placeho.com/openapi.json