---
title: Image variants basics
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

## Understanding image variants

An **image variant** is a **resized and cropped** version of your original image that follows your company's graphic design guidelines. Your developers ensure that the image stays responsive and on brand across different marketing channels or in your marketing campaigns.

For example:

- A wide **hero banner** might use a landscape variant.
- A **thumbnail** might use a square variant.
- A **social media card** might need yet another size and ratio.

You don't need to create these versions yourself. Once configured, Xperience automatically generates them from the **primary optimized image** you upload into [Content hub](https://docs.kentico.com/guides/digital-marketing/xperience-essentials/manage-content-hub-essentials.md).

> **Info:** Each project can have its own set of image variants, depending on the design and channel requirements. Your project's UX and graphic designers work with developers to decide which aspect ratios and sizes are needed, and they set up the rules in advance.
>
> That means you don't need to create multiple sizes of your images manually, or worry about compression settings under time pressure – you can leave the basic optimization to [AIRA](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/aira.md). If you ever find a particular variant that isn't currently available, you can ask your administrator or developer to create one for you. You're not restricted in how many variants your project can support.
>
> And if a specific [widget](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/business-users/website-content/widgets-and-page-builder.md) always needs to display a particular variant, ask your developer to add a [widget property](https://docs.kentico.com/documentation/developers-and-admins/development/builders/page-builder/widgets-for-page-builder/widget-properties.md) that lets you select that variant.

## Why image variants matter, and what they do

Image variants are more than just a matter of convenience. When you upload your image assets into Content hub, _AIRA_ automatically transforms them, giving you several image variants to choose from. But what do you do with these variants once they're ready?

Image variants, in short, help you:

- Keep your images looking great across different contexts.
- Avoid stretched, cut-off, or pixelated visuals.
- Ensure a consistent look across pages, devices, and channels.
- Save time by letting the system handle most of the resizing and cropping for you.

> **Info:** Currently, image variants are natively supported in the Kentico API **only for the website channel**.