40% off your first 3 months on any monthly plan — and the $9 Starter Pack for $7. Applied automatically at checkout. Ends Sep 30. See plans →
Seedance 2.5 is live — one unbroken take, the richest native voices. 20% off through Sep 21. Try Seedance 2.5 →

Video Ad Specs 2026

The definitive reference for video dimensions, safe zones, file sizes, and sweet spot lengths across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and more.

This is an interactive tool

The Video Ad Specs 2026 loads automatically — no signup required.

Use Video Ad Specs 2026

What You Get

This free video ad specs reference covers aspect ratios, resolutions, durations, file size limits, and safe zones for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook — in one table, kept current.

Specs are the least interesting and most expensive thing to get wrong in short-form video. A caption placed inside the safe zone on one platform sits under the UI on another; a video exported at the wrong ratio gets cropped through the subject; a file over the size limit fails on upload after you have already scheduled the post. None of these are creative problems, but they all cost a reshoot or an export cycle.

This page is a static reference — no generation, no limit, no signup. Bookmark it, or check it before an export.

How It Works

  1. Find your platform — Specs are grouped by platform and placement, because the requirements differ between a feed video and a Story on the same network.
  2. Check ratio, duration, and file limits — The three that most commonly cause a re-export. Match them before you render, not after.
  3. Respect the safe zones — Keep captions and key visuals out of the regions the platform UI covers — this is the constraint people most often discover only after publishing.

Example Output

What the reference covers, per platform and placement

Aspect ratio and resolution

Vertical 9:16 is standard across short-form; the reference lists the exact pixel dimensions each platform prefers, plus which placements still accept square or landscape.

Duration windows

Minimum and maximum lengths per placement, including the shorter effective limits that apply to some ad formats.

File size and format

Maximum upload size and accepted codecs, which differ enough between platforms to break a cross-posting workflow.

Safe zones

The top and bottom regions covered by platform UI, where captions and logos get obscured.

Frequently Asked Questions

What aspect ratio should I use for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts?
Vertical 9:16 for all three. It fills the screen on every one of them, and it is the only ratio that does not risk cropping or letterboxing when a video is cross-posted.
What are safe zones and why do they matter?
Safe zones are the parts of the frame the platform interface does not cover with buttons, captions, or the account handle. Text placed outside them is partially hidden, which is why captions that looked fine in your editor can be unreadable in the feed.
Can I use the same export for every platform?
Usually yes for the video itself if you export vertical 9:16 and stay within the shortest duration limit you are targeting. Safe zones differ, though, so text placement is the element most likely to need a per-platform adjustment.
How current is this reference?
It is maintained alongside the product and reviewed when platforms change requirements. Platforms do change specs without much notice, so verify anything unusual against the official docs before a large campaign.

Related Reading

UGC Copilot for TikTok adsInstagram Reels adsYouTube Shorts ads

More Free Tools

AI UGC Script GeneratorContent Type Script GeneratorViral Hook GeneratorUGC Cost CalculatorTikTok Trend AnalyzerProduct Description OptimizerCreator Persona GeneratorVisual Aesthetic GeneratorContent Pillar PlannerCTA GeneratorHook Rate BenchmarkTestimonial Script GeneratorAI UGC Ad GeneratorAI Video Prompt Generator