Ad specs
Video ad specs for every platform
Short-form placements (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) take 9:16 vertical video; the Facebook feed recommends 4:5 and YouTube in-stream 16:9, while LinkedIn and X accept several ratios. Lengths and file limits differ a lot, so each row below links the platform's own page, read on October 25, 2026. pitchboom.io, an AI motion-design studio for video ads, exports 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:5 and 3:4 as MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio; 30 fps, 60 fps in Studio).
By Arsène Huot, founder of pitchboom.io · Updated · Specs checked
What are the video ad specs for each platform?
One row per placement: the aspect ratios the platform documents, the size it recommends (or its minimum), how long the video may be and the largest file it accepts. The last column is the official page each value comes from.
| Placement | Aspect ratio | Size (pixels) | Length | Max file size | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok In-Feed Ads | 9:16 (recommended), 1:1, 16:9 | At least 540×960 (9:16) | Up to 10 minutes | 500 MB | TikTok Ads Help |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | 1440×2560 | 0 seconds to 15 minutes | 4 GB | Meta Ads Guide |
| YouTube Shorts ads | 9:16 (recommended) | 1080×1920 | Up to 3 minutes; only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed | Under 256 GB (uploaded to YouTube) | Google Ads Help |
| Facebook feed | 4:5 | 1440×1800 | 1 second to 241 minutes | 4 GB | Meta Ads Guide |
| LinkedIn video ads | 16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 9:16 | Up to 1920×1080 (16:9) or 1080×1920 (9:16) | 3 seconds to 30 minutes (15 to 30 seconds recommended) | 500 MB | LinkedIn Help |
| YouTube skippable in-stream | 16:9 (9:16 and 1:1 also listed) | 1920×1080 recommended, 1280×720 minimum | No minimum or maximum (under 3 minutes recommended) | Under 256 GB | Google Ads specs |
| X video ads (unconfirmed) | 1:1, 16:9, 9:16, 4:5, 2:3, 1.91:1 | 1920×1080 (16:9), 1200×1200 (1:1) | Up to 2 minutes 20 seconds (15 seconds or less recommended) | 1 GB | X Ads Help |
| App Store app preview | Portrait or landscape | 886×1920 on current iPhones | 15 to 30 seconds | 500 MB | App Store Connect Help |
| Google Play preview video | Portrait or landscape | A YouTube video (no upload) | No maximum; only the first 30 seconds autoplay | Not applicable | Play Console Help |
Where are the safe zones, and what about captions?
A safe zone is the part of the frame that the app's buttons, captions and profile details do not cover. Only Meta gives percentages for Reels; the other pages give a template or nothing, as marked.
| Placement | Safe zone | Captions and ad text | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok In-Feed Ads | A downloadable safe-zone file (standard, right-to-left for the Arabic region, and a version for videos with anchors); no percentages in the page text | Ad text shows in white in a fixed font; no links, @ mentions or hashtags | TikTok Ads Help |
| Instagram Reels | Keep at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and key elements | Captions optional but recommended; sound strongly recommended | Meta Ads Guide |
| YouTube Shorts ads | No percentages documented; a right-hand panel holds the like, dislike, comment and share buttons, and the call-to-action button appears after 3 or 10 seconds depending on the campaign | Captions not covered; the page suggests text overlays | Google Ads Help |
| Facebook feed | No percentages documented. With the Awareness objective and some reach and engagement goals, the headline, description and button are not shown on mobile | Captions optional but recommended; primary text 50 to 150 characters, headline 27 | Meta Ads Guide |
| LinkedIn video ads | Not documented on the specs page | An SRT caption file, plain text only (no custom fonts or colors) | LinkedIn Help |
| YouTube in-stream | Not documented on the specs pages | Not covered on the specs pages | Google Ads specs |
| X video ads | Not read (page blocked) | Not read (page blocked) | X Ads Help |
Which file types and codecs are accepted?
| Placement | File types and settings | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok In-Feed Ads | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi; bitrate at least 516 kbps | TikTok Ads Help |
| Instagram Reels | MP4 or MOV; H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, AAC stereo audio at 128 kbps or more | Meta Ads Guide |
| Facebook feed | MP4, MOV or GIF; H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan | Meta Ads Guide |
| LinkedIn video ads | MP4; H.264 or VP8; the page says less than 30 fps; AAC or MPEG4 audio | LinkedIn Help |
| YouTube (in-stream and Shorts) | Upload to YouTube first (public or unlisted); .MPG recommended, MP4, MOV, WebM and HEVC accepted | Google Ads specs |
| X video ads | MP4 or MOV | X Ads API |
| App Store app preview | .mov, .m4v or .mp4 in H.264, or .mov in ProRes 422 (HQ); up to 30 fps | App Store Connect Help |
How long can a YouTube in-stream ad be?
| Format | Length |
|---|---|
| Skippable in-stream | No maximum (under 3 minutes recommended); viewers can skip after 5 seconds |
| Non-skippable in-stream | 15 to 60 seconds depending on the campaign subtype (the same page also says 60 seconds or shorter) |
| Bumper | 6 seconds (5 seconds minimum) |
| In-feed | No maximum |
| Shorts | Under 60 seconds recommended |
What do App Store and Google Play previews require?
Store previews are not ads: they play on the product page next to your screenshots, and each store has its own rules.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 15 to 30 seconds |
| Max file size | 500 MB |
| iPhone with Face ID or Dynamic Island | 886×1920 portrait, 1920×886 landscape |
| iPhone with Home button, 5.5-inch class | 1080×1920 portrait, 1920×1080 landscape |
| iPhone with Home button, 4.7-inch class | 750×1334 portrait, 1334×750 landscape |
| How many | Up to three per device size and language |
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | The URL of one YouTube video (not a playlist or channel), without a timecode |
| Length | No maximum; only the first 30 seconds autoplay |
| Orientation | Landscape or portrait |
| Video settings | Public or unlisted, ads and monetization off, not age-restricted, embeddable |
What does pitchboom export for these placements?
pitchboom.io renders every ad at 16:9 (1920×1080), 9:16 (1080×1920), 1:1 (1080×1080), 4:5 (1080×1350), 3:4 (1080×1440), as MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio; 30 fps, 60 fps in Studio). Each format variant is laid out again for its frame, not cropped. See how it works and the pricing.
| Spec | pitchboom |
|---|---|
| Length | 15 s by default; any catalog length from 6 to 120 s |
| pitchboom export | 16:9 · 1920×1080, 9:16 · 1080×1920, 1:1 · 1080×1080, 4:5 · 1080×1350, 3:4 · 1080×1440 |
| File | MP4 · H.264 video · AAC audio · 30 fps |
| 4K | On Pro (+4 credits per second) and Premium (included); Starter exports 1080p |
- App Store: current iPhones take 886×1920, so resize or re-encode the 9:16 export before upload, and keep it between 15 and 30 seconds.
- Google Play: upload the export to YouTube and paste its link in Play Console.
- LinkedIn: the page asks for less than 30 fps; re-encode if LinkedIn rejects the file.
- Platform pages: TikTok ads, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook ads, LinkedIn ads and app store previews.
Questions
What is the best aspect ratio for a video ad?
It depends on the placement: 9:16 for TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, 4:5 for the Facebook feed, 16:9 for YouTube in-stream. LinkedIn accepts 16:9, 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16 (official pages, read October 25, 2026).
How long can a video ad be?
TikTok In-Feed Ads go up to 10 minutes, Instagram Reels ads up to 15 minutes, LinkedIn video ads 3 seconds to 30 minutes, App Store previews 15 to 30 seconds. YouTube Shorts ads can be 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed (official pages, read October 25, 2026).
What is the Instagram Reels ad safe zone?
Meta asks to keep at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and other key elements, so the profile icon and call to action don't cover them (Meta Ads Guide, read October 25, 2026).
What size is an App Store app preview?
886×1920 pixels in portrait (1920×886 in landscape) for iPhones with Face ID or Dynamic Island, 15 to 30 seconds, up to 500 MB, up to three previews per device size and language (App Store Connect Help, read October 25, 2026).
Can I download this data?
Yes: the same values, each with its official source and the date it was read, are in https://pitchboom.io/data/video-ad-specs.json.
Sources
- TikTok Ads Help: Auction In-Feed Ads specs (opens in a new tab)checked
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels video (opens in a new tab)checked
- Meta Ads Guide: Facebook Feed video (opens in a new tab)checked
- Google Ads Help: YouTube Shorts ads asset specs (opens in a new tab)checked
- Google Ads Help: video ads specs and format requirements (opens in a new tab)checked
- Google Ads display specs: skippable in-stream ads (opens in a new tab)checked
- Google Ads Help: about video ad formats (opens in a new tab)checked
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Help: video ads specifications (opens in a new tab)checked
- X Ads Help: creative ad specifications (blocked our reader; values unconfirmed) (opens in a new tab)checked
- X Ads API: creatives (opens in a new tab)checked
- App Store Connect Help: app preview specifications (opens in a new tab)checked
- Play Console Help: add preview assets (opens in a new tab)checked
Facts from other sites are quoted as published on the date shown. Prices, specs and features change: check the source before you rely on them.