GIF files can get large quickly. Here are practical ways to keep the file size down without sacrificing too much quality:
- Keep clips short — 2–5 seconds is ideal. Every extra second adds dozens of frames.
- Lower the frame rate — 10 fps looks smooth enough for most GIFs and produces half the file size of 20 fps.
- Reduce the width — 480px is plenty for Slack, GitHub, and most chat apps. 320px works well for inline documentation.
- Avoid complex motion — scenes with lots of movement compress poorly in GIF format. UI demos and slides convert better than action footage.
- Consider WebP or MP4 — if your target platform supports it, these formats are dramatically smaller than GIF at the same quality.