Meta ad specs: every size, ratio and limit, from Meta's own pages
Every number on this page comes from Meta's Ads Guide and Business Help Center, fetched 2026-08-26. Where Meta's own pages disagree, both values are listed. No blog numbers.
Meta ad specs are the sizes and limits Meta publishes per placement: 4:5 feed, 9:16 Stories and Reels, 30 MB images, 4 GB video.
Every value on this page comes from Meta's own documentation, checked 2026-08-26.
Image specs: 4:5 in feed, 9:16 in Stories and Reels, 30 MB max
Feed image ads run 4:5 at 1440x1800 pixels. Stories and Reels run 9:16 at 1440x2560. Right column, Marketplace and carousel cards run square. JPG or PNG, up to 30 MB, on every placement that states a file size.
The Ads Guide shows these values on its Awareness-objective pages; a few shift with the campaign objective. Rows marked required will block an upload. Everything else is Meta's recommendation.
- The Help Center's minimum-size table is stricter than the Ads Guide for right column and Marketplace: 1200x1200 against 1080x1080. Both pairs are in the conflict list at the end.
| Facebook Feed (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 source |
| Resolution | 1440x1800 px source |
| Primary text | 50 to 150 characters source |
| Headline | 27 characters source |
| Max file size (required) | 30 MB source |
| Minimum width (required) | 600 px; at 4:5 that means 750 px tall source |
| Ratio tolerance (required) | 3% source |
| Instagram Feed (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 source |
| Resolution | 1440x1800 px source |
| Primary text | 125 characters source |
| Headline | 40 characters source |
| Hashtags | Up to 30 source |
| Max file size (required) | 30 MB source |
| Minimum width (required) | 500 px source |
| Ratio range (required) | 4:5 to 1.91:1 source |
| Ratio tolerance (required) | 1% source |
| Facebook and Instagram Stories (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 source |
| Resolution | 1440x2560 px source |
| Max file size (required) | 30 MB source |
| Minimum width (required) | 500 px source |
| Ratio tolerance (required) | 1% source |
| Text (Facebook Stories) | Primary text 125, headline 40 source |
| Text (Instagram Stories) | Primary text 125 source |
| Image display time (Facebook) | 8 seconds source |
| Image display time (Instagram) | 5 to 16 seconds, or until swiped away source |
| Instagram Reels (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 source |
| Resolution | 1440x2560 px source |
| Primary text | 44 characters source |
| Max file size (required) | 30 MB source |
| Minimum width (required) | 500 px source |
| Ratio tolerance (required) | 1% source |
| Facebook Right Column (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| Placement | Desktop only source |
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 source |
| Resolution | 1080x1080 px source |
| Headline | 40 characters source |
| Minimum size (required) | 254x133 px source |
| Text on the image | Meta recommends none at this render size source |
| Max file size, primary text | Not stated on Meta's page source |
| Facebook Marketplace (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 source |
| Resolution | Minimum 1080x1080 px source |
| Primary text | 125 characters source |
| Headline | 40 characters source |
| Description | 30 characters source |
| Max file size (required) | 30 MB source |
| Audience Network: native, banner, interstitial (image) | Value |
|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG source |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 source |
| Minimum size (required) | 398x208 px source |
| Primary text | 125 characters source |
| Headline | 40 characters source |
| Description | 30 characters source |
| Max file size (required) | 30 MB source |
| Accepted image file formats (Help Center) | Value |
|---|---|
| For best results | JPG or PNG source |
| All 17 accepted formats | BMP, DIB, HEIC, HEIF, IFF, JFIF, JP2, JPE, JPEG, JPG, PNG, PSD, TIF, TIFF, WBMP, WEBP, XBM source |
| Recommended minimum image sizes (Help Center) | Value |
|---|---|
| Facebook Feed | 1080x1080 at 1:1; 1440x1800 at 4:5 source |
| Facebook Right Column | 1200x1200 source |
| Facebook Marketplace | 1200x1200 source |
| Facebook Stories | 1080x1080 source |
| Facebook Reels | 1080x1080 source |
| Instagram Feed, Stories and Reels | 1080x1080 source |
| Audience Network | 398x208 source |
Video specs: 4 GB max everywhere, duration set per placement
Video files cap at 4 GB on every placement Meta documents. Recommended encoding everywhere: H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps or higher. Captions and sound are optional; Meta recommends both.
Instagram Reels adds its own rules. Minimum width is 250 px for ads under 30 seconds, 500 px from 30 seconds up. Boosted reels carry the content restrictions in the second table.
The Help Center publishes a separate video-length table, and it does not match the Ads Guide everywhere. Facebook Stories is the visible case: 3 minutes on one page, 120 seconds on the other. Both entries are in the conflict list at the end.
| Video specs by placement (Ads Guide) | Value |
|---|---|
| Facebook Feed | Ratio 4:5, 1440x1800. Duration 1 s to 241 min. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 50 to 150, headline 27. source |
| Instagram Feed | Ratio 4:5, 1440x1800. Duration 1 s to 60 min. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 125, up to 30 hashtags. source |
| Facebook Stories | Ratio 9:16, 1440x2560. Duration 1 s to 3 min on this page; the Help Center says 120 s. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 125, headline 40. source |
| Instagram Stories | Ratio 9:16, 1440x2560. Duration 1 s to 60 min; under 16 s plays in full, longer splits into cards. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 125. source |
| Instagram Reels | Ratio 9:16, 1440x2560. Duration listed as 0 seconds to 15 minutes. MP4 or MOV only. Primary text 44. source |
| Facebook Reels | Ratio 9:16, 1440x2560. No maximum length listed. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 40, headline 55. source |
| Facebook in-stream | Ratio 16:9 or 1:1, minimum 1080x1080. Duration 5 to 15 s desktop, 5 s to 10 min mobile. Over 15 s truncates to a context card. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 125, headline 40. source |
| Facebook Marketplace | Ratio 1:1, minimum 1080x1080, hard minimum 120x120. Duration 1 s to 241 min. MP4, MOV or GIF. Headline 25. source |
| Audience Network | Ratio 9:16, minimum 1080x1080. Duration 1 s to 2 min. MP4, MOV or GIF. Primary text 125, headline 40, description 30. Captions not supported. source |
| Instagram Reels ads: content restrictions | Value |
|---|---|
| Publish date | Reels published before October 15, 2021 cannot run as ads source |
| Audio | Licensed music is not supported; use original audio or the Meta Sound Collection source |
| Effects and tags | Face and camera effects, GIFs and product tags are not supported source |
| Video length caps in the Help Center's own table | Value |
|---|---|
| Facebook Feed and Marketplace | 241 minutes max source |
| Facebook in-stream | 5 s to 10 min mobile; 5 to 15 s desktop source |
| Facebook Stories | 1 to 120 seconds source |
| Instagram Stories and Feed | 60 minutes max source |
| Audience Network: native, banner, interstitial | 1 to 120 seconds source |
| Audience Network rewarded video | 3 to 61 seconds source |
Carousel specs: 2 to 10 cards, headline down to 20 characters
A carousel runs 2 to 10 cards, each with its own image or video, headline and link. Meta's carousel page lists the headline at 20 characters. The 45-character figure blogs still repeat is not on Meta's page; checked 2026-08-26.
| Facebook Feed carousel | Value |
|---|---|
| Cards | 2 to 10 source |
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, minimum 1080x1080 px source |
| Image cards | JPG or PNG, 30 MB per card source |
| Video cards | MP4, MOV or GIF, 4 GB, 1 s to 240 min source |
| Primary text | 80 characters source |
| Headline | 20 characters source |
| Description | 18 characters source |
| Landing page URL | Required source |
| Ratio tolerance (required) | 3% source |
| Instagram Feed carousel | Value |
|---|---|
| Cards | 2 to 10 source |
| Aspect ratio | 4:5 when all cards are images; 1:1 when any card is video source |
| Resolution | Minimum 1080x1080 px source |
| Image cards | 30 MB per card source |
| Video cards | 4 GB, 1 s to 2 min source |
| Primary text | 125 characters, up to 30 hashtags source |
| Landing page URL | Required source |
| Ratio tolerance (required) | 1% source |
Collection specs: a cover asset, three product images, one Instant Experience
A collection ad is a cover image or video plus three product images, opening into an Instant Experience. The Instant Experience is required, and so is the landing page URL.
| Collection (Facebook Feed) | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | Cover image or video plus 3 product images source |
| Aspect ratio | 1.91:1 to 1:1 source |
| Resolution | Minimum 1080x1080 px source |
| Cover image | JPG or PNG, 30 MB source |
| Cover video | MP4, MOV or GIF, 4 GB source |
| Primary text | 125 characters source |
| Headline | 40 characters source |
| Instant Experience | Required source |
| Landing page URL | Required source |
Meta ads safe zones: 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side
Keep the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side of 9:16 creative free of text, logos and key elements. Meta states these numbers on the Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and Instagram Stories spec pages, for image and video.
The zones apply to 9:16 ads in Stories, Reels, Facebook Feed and Facebook in-stream reels. A 9:16 video in Instagram Feed uses the same safe zone as Reels and Stories. Non-9:16 Instagram Feed ads keep the bottom and side edges clear.
Ads Manager has a Safe zone guardrail toggle that overlays the zones on the preview in yellow. On screens taller than 9:16, Meta can zoom in, cropping whatever sits outside the safe zone, or letterbox the ad with black bars.
The old rule that limited text to 20% of the image is gone from Meta's guidance. The current article gives style advice: a clean font, contrast, nothing covering the visuals, everything inside the safe zone. Meta has published no statement retiring the rule; it no longer appears, as of 2026-08-26.
| Safe zone numbers | Value |
|---|---|
| Stories, Reels and 9:16 feed video | 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side source |
| Facebook Stories (video page variant) | Approx. 14% top (250 px) and 20% bottom (340 px) source |
| Reels ads with a disclaimer | Bottom 40% free source |
| Safe zone guardrail | Ads Manager toggle; yellow overlay on the preview source |
Text limits: recommended lengths and truncation, no documented hard caps
Meta documents no hard character caps for ad text. It publishes recommended lengths, and text past them truncates; where the cut-off lands varies by placement and device.
The cross-placement recommendation is 125 characters of primary text, a 40-character headline and a 25-character description. Meta advises keeping primary text to 1 to 3 lines.
Placement pages override that baseline. Facebook Feed recommends 50 to 150 characters of primary text and a 27-character headline. Instagram Reels recommends 44 characters of primary text, Facebook Reels 40 with a 55-character headline.
Leave a text field blank and Meta can pull text from the destination URL instead. You cannot edit what it pulls. Each field takes multiple text options, and Meta generates up to 5 AI variations.
| Text recommendations across placements (Help Center) | Value |
|---|---|
| Primary text | 125 characters for most placements source |
| Headline | 40 characters source |
| Description | 25 characters source |
| Truncation | Text past the recommendation truncates; the point varies by placement and device source |
| Blank fields | Meta can pull text from the destination URL; you cannot edit it source |
| Text options | Multiple per field; up to 5 AI-generated variations source |
Changes Meta has announced for 2026
None of Meta's spec pages shows a last-updated date. The dating signals are inline banners, and three were live on 2026-08-26.
| Announced changes (Meta's own banners) | Value |
|---|---|
| January 2026 | Instagram Explore ends as an ad placement. The Reels viewer replaces it; the Explore home surface stays. source |
| March 2026 | The Facebook Feed placement adds the Facebook Friends tab. source |
| Ad label | The Sponsored label on ads is replaced by an Ad label. source |
Where Meta's own pages disagree
Both sources in each case are official Meta pages, live on 2026-08-26. Where they conflict, we show both numbers.
- Facebook Stories video length: 3 minutes or 120 secondsThe Facebook Stories page in the Ads Guide (facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/facebook-story) lists 1 second to 3 minutes. The Help Center's video-length article (facebook.com/business/help/817989058548892) lists 1 to 120 seconds. Both were live on 2026-08-26.
- Marketplace and right column minimum size: 1080 or 1200 pixelsThe Ads Guide image pages for Facebook Marketplace and the right column (facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/image/facebook-marketplace and .../image/facebook-right-hand-column) list 1080x1080. The Help Center's pixel-size article (facebook.com/business/help/469767027114079) lists 1200x1200 for both. Checked 2026-08-26.
- Instagram Stories resolution: 1440x2560 or 1080x1920The Instagram Stories page in the Ads Guide (facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/image/instagram-story) recommends 1440x2560. The Stories design-requirements article (facebook.com/business/help/2222978001316177) recommends 1080x1920 with a 600x1067 minimum. Checked 2026-08-26.
- Instagram Feed image ratio: 4:5 or 1:1The Instagram Feed page in the Ads Guide (facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/image/instagram-feed) recommends 4:5. The aspect-ratio best-practices article (facebook.com/business/help/103816146375741) recommends 1:1 for single images in Instagram Feed and 4:5 for Facebook Feed. Checked 2026-08-26.
Meta ad specs: common questions
What size should a Meta ad be?
1440x1800 pixels at 4:5 for Facebook and Instagram feed, 1440x2560 at 9:16 for Stories and Reels. Carousel, right column and Marketplace run square, 1080x1080 or larger. These are Meta's Ads Guide values, checked 2026-08-26.
What is the safe zone for Instagram Reels ads?
Keep the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side free of text, logos and key elements. Reels ads with a disclaimer need the bottom 40% clear. Ads Manager's Safe zone guardrail toggle shows the zones on your preview.
How long can a Facebook video ad be?
Up to 241 minutes in Facebook Feed and Marketplace. In-stream video runs 5 to 15 seconds on desktop and 5 seconds to 10 minutes on mobile. For Facebook Stories, Meta's pages disagree: 3 minutes in the Ads Guide, 120 seconds in the Help Center. Facebook Reels lists no maximum.
How many characters can a Facebook ad have?
Meta documents no hard cap. The recommendation for most placements is 125 characters of primary text, a 40-character headline and a 25-character description. Longer text truncates, and the cut-off varies by placement and device. The Facebook Feed spec page recommends 50 to 150 characters of primary text and a 27-character headline.
What file types does Meta accept for ads?
JPG or PNG for images, MP4 or MOV for video. The Help Center accepts 17 image formats in total, including HEIC, WEBP, TIFF and PSD. GIF is accepted as video on every placement above except Instagram Reels, which takes MP4 and MOV only. Images cap at 30 MB, video at 4 GB.
Do Facebook and Instagram ads have the same specs?
The sizes match, the limits differ. Both feeds recommend 4:5 at 1440x1800. Instagram Feed recommends 125 characters of primary text against Facebook's 50 to 150, and a 40-character headline against 27. Minimum width is 500 pixels against Facebook's 600, ratio tolerance 1% against 3%, and Instagram caps hashtags at 30. Kitchn's Launch Sheet validates specs per placement before launch.
