Vertical ads on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts use 9:16, and 1080 x 1920 meets all three. Facebook Feed's spec lists 4:5, LinkedIn accepts 16:9, 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16, and YouTube in-stream ads are usually 16:9. The tables below give each platform's limits, from its own spec page.
How we built these tables
Each table states only what the platform's official spec page says. Every table links to that page. Where a page does not state a value, the table says "not stated". Checked October 2026. Platforms change specs often, so check the linked page before a large campaign.
TikTok in-feed ads
Source: TikTok Ads Manager help, video ads specifications. Checked October 2026.
| Spec | Non-Spark ads | Spark Ads (from an organic post) |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio and minimum size | 9:16 (recommended), at least 540 x 960; 16:9, at least 960 x 540; 1:1, at least 640 x 640 | As posted |
| File type | MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, AVI | MP4 or MOV |
| Length | Up to 10 minutes | No restriction |
| File size | 500 MB or less | Not stated |
| Bitrate | 516 kbps or more | Not stated |
| Safe zone | Depends on orientation, caption length and other formats; TikTok provides safe zone files (left to right, and right to left for Arabic) | Same |
| Ad caption | White, uniform font that cannot be changed; no links, @ mentions or hashtags | The post's caption, up to 4 lines including emojis |
| Profile photo | 98 x 98, under 50 KB, JPG or PNG | The account's photo |
Instagram Reels ads
Source: Meta Ads Guide, Instagram Reels. Checked October 2026.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 |
| File type | MP4 or MOV |
| Length | 0 seconds to 15 minutes |
| File size | Up to 4 GB |
| Minimum width | 250 pixels for ads under 30 seconds, 500 pixels for 30 seconds or longer |
| Safe zone | Keep 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and other key elements |
| Primary text | 44 characters |
On a 1080 x 1920 video, Meta's percentages work out to about 269 pixels at the top, 672 pixels at the bottom and 65 pixels on each side. That leaves a safe area of about 950 x 979 pixels. (Our arithmetic, from Meta's percentages.)
YouTube Shorts ads
Source: Google Ads help, YouTube Shorts ads asset specs and Google Ads help, video ad specs. Checked October 2026.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended; horizontal videos show with blurred areas above and below |
| Resolution | 1080p recommended; 1280 x 720 is the minimum for HD |
| File type | .MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4) recommended; other formats accepted |
| Length | Up to 3 minutes; only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed, with an overlay at 50 seconds to watch the rest |
| Suggested length | Under 60 seconds; 10 to 30 seconds for action-oriented ads; 6 to 60 seconds for Video reach campaigns; 10 to 60 seconds for Video action, App and Performance Max |
| File size | Up to 256 GB |
| Safe zone | No pixel values stated. The right side holds like, dislike, comment and share buttons; a call to action button appears at 3 seconds (Performance Max, App, Demand Gen) or 10 seconds (Video view, Video reach) |
| Description | Up to 90 characters |
Facebook Feed video ads
Source: Meta Ads Guide, Facebook Feed. Checked October 2026.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 1800 |
| File type | MP4, MOV or GIF |
| Length | 1 second to 241 minutes |
| File size | Up to 4 GB |
| Minimum size | 120 x 120 |
| Encoding | H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps or more |
| Safe zone | Not stated on the spec page |
| Primary text | 50 to 150 characters |
| Headline | 27 characters |
| Captions | Optional, but recommended |
With the Awareness objective, and some reach, impression or engagement goals, the ad footer (headline, description and button) does not show on mobile Feed, per the same page.
LinkedIn video ads
Source: LinkedIn Marketing Solutions help, video ad specifications. Checked October 2026.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Horizontal 16:9 | 640 x 360 to 1920 x 1080; 1920 x 1080 or 1200 x 675 recommended |
| Square 1:1 | 360 x 360 to 1920 x 1920 |
| Vertical 4:5 (LinkedIn's recommended ratio) | 360 x 450 to 1080 x 1350; 720 x 900 recommended |
| Vertical 9:16 | 360 x 640 to 1080 x 1920; 720 x 1280 recommended |
| File type | MP4; H.264 or VP8; not Apple ProRes |
| Frame rate | Less than 30 frames per second |
| Length | 3 seconds to 30 minutes; 15 to 30 seconds recommended; in-stream video ads up to 90 seconds |
| File size | 75 KB to 500 MB |
| Captions | An SRT file, text only, no custom formatting |
| Thumbnail | JPG or PNG, up to 2 MB, same aspect ratio as the video |
| Introductory text | 150 characters before it is cut off, 3,000 maximum |
| Headline | 70 characters before it is cut off, 200 maximum |
| Safe zone | Not stated |
LinkedIn's page also says you must upload the video directly, not link it from YouTube or Vimeo, and lists a limit of 25 video uploads per 24 hours.
YouTube in-stream ads
Sources: skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable in-stream ads, video ad specs. Checked October 2026.
| Spec | Skippable in-stream | Non-skippable in-stream |
|---|---|---|
| When viewers can skip | After 5 seconds | Never |
| Length | Any length, no minimum or maximum; Reservation campaigns 12 seconds to 6 minutes | 7 to 15 seconds; 16 to 30 seconds on Connected TV |
| Suggested length | 15 to 20 seconds for awareness and action; 2 to 3 minutes for consideration | Not stated |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 recommended | 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1; 30 second ads must be horizontal |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 listed for Video reach campaigns | 1080p recommended, 720p minimum for HD |
| File size | Under 256 GB | Up to 256 GB |
| Hosting | Uploaded to YouTube | Uploaded to YouTube, public or unlisted |
| Billing on views | You pay when a viewer watches 30 seconds, or interacts, whichever is first | Not covered here |
| Safe zone | Not stated | Not stated |
Ads of 6 seconds or less run as bumper ads, per Google's non-skippable page.
One master file for every platform
If you make one video and adapt it, these choices keep it usable everywhere. This is our advice, not a platform rule.
- Make 9:16 first, at 1080 x 1920. It covers TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
- Keep text and faces in the middle. Meta's Reels safe zone (14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides) is a sensible target for every vertical platform. Check it against TikTok's safe zone files and a Shorts preview.
- Put captions just above the bottom safe line, not at the very bottom where the platform's own caption sits.
- Make a 16:9 version for YouTube in-stream and LinkedIn, and a 4:5 or 1:1 version for Facebook Feed.
- Export H.264 MP4 with AAC audio. Every platform above accepts it.
- Keep it under 60 seconds for Shorts, so the whole ad plays in the feed.
Doing this with distrorig
distrorig makes marketing videos for software: an AI agent uses your product and records it, an AI creator introduces it on camera, and an AI voice narrates. It exports MP4 in 9:16 (1080 x 1920), 16:9 (1920 x 1080) and 1:1 (1080 x 1080). Captions can be moved anywhere in the frame, so you can keep them inside a platform's safe zone. It does not export 4:5. Changing format remakes the generated shots in the new shape, so a person is not cropped badly. See YouTube Shorts ads and TikTok ads for apps.