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Eeyorecore
gbj_tester
The answer to this, and the other 8000 times similar questions have been asked:
Roller chain has 4 basic dimensions (and some less significant ones which very rarely become significant in bicycle use)
1: Pitch. With the exception of weird stuff you'll already know about if you have it, always 1/2" for pedal cycles
2: Inner width. There are three normal values, 1/8" for track and BMX, 3/32" for all dérailleur equipped bikes up to 8-speed, 11/128" for 9-12 speed
3: Roller diameter: 7.75mm for all 1/2" pitch cycle chain except SRAM 12-speed Flat Top which is 8.0mm
4: Pin length. Changes every time the speeds go up, almost never matters if you use a thinner chain than the rest of the drivetrain wants.
So, if we take a 11-speed chain with an 11-speed RD and cassette and a 12-speed crankset and FD, we have a single area of disagreement; the crankset wants a very slightly shorter pin length than it's being fed. Consider the geometry - if the pins are too long, they will interfere with the FD and outer chainring at the settings where the clearance is at a minimum, i.e. crossed over chain, specifically small-small. If you avoid this setting, as you should anyway, you'll be fine. You may have to set the FD limit screws very slightly further apart, but by a much smaller margin than the usual assembly tolerances.