A Guide to Video Ads Facebook Specs
Getting your Facebook video ad specs right isn't just a box-ticking exercise; it's the absolute first step to launching a campaign that actually works. Think of these technical requirements—things like aspect ratio, file formats, and resolution—as the foundation of your entire ad strategy. Nail them, and you're set up for better delivery, a smoother user experience, and more control over your campaign costs.
In short, knowing the rules helps you create content that looks professional and avoids those frustrating (and costly) ad rejections from the get-go.
Why Facebook Video Ad Specs Matter
Ever tried to force a video with the wrong dimensions into a placement? It's like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole—it just doesn't work. When you ignore Facebook’s technical guidelines, you open the door to a bunch of problems that can quickly derail your campaign.
For example, getting the aspect ratio wrong can result in your video being awkwardly cropped or sandwiched between ugly black bars. This immediately makes your ad look amateurish and can hurt your brand's credibility. If your file size is too big, you'll run into upload errors or terrible compression quality, and using the wrong file format might stop your ad from even running at all.
The Foundation of Performance
Getting the specs right is fundamental to strong campaign performance. By adhering to the correct Facebook video ad specs from the start, you're giving your content its best shot at success.
Here’s why it’s so critical:
- Better Ad Delivery: Facebook's algorithm is designed to favor ads that meet its technical standards. This can directly translate to better ad placements and a wider reach.
- Improved User Experience: A video that’s formatted correctly loads quickly and displays perfectly, no matter what device someone is using. This keeps viewers engaged instead of scrolling past a buggy, poorly-rendered ad.
- Cost Efficiency: When you avoid rejections and last-minute edits, you save a ton of time and resources. That means you can focus your energy on what really matters—optimizing your campaign strategy.
As of January 2025, Facebook's advertising reach is a staggering 2.28 billion people. That's about 39.4% of all adults on the planet. With an audience that massive, even tiny technical tweaks can have a huge impact on your results. If you want to dive deeper, you can explore more essential Facebook stats to understand the full scope of the platform.
A Quick Reference Guide to Facebook Video Ad Specs
I get it—sometimes you just need the numbers, fast. This section is your go-to cheat sheet for the most important Facebook video ad specs. Think of it as the checklist you run through before hitting "publish" to make sure every video is perfectly sized and formatted for where it's going to show up.
Go ahead and bookmark this page. It'll save you from digging through Meta's dense documentation the next time you need to double-check an aspect ratio or file size.
This visual breakdown gives you a great overview of the key specs—like aspect ratio, resolution, and file size—you'll need across the Facebook and Instagram ad ecosystem.
As you can see, the classic 16:9 widescreen format still has its place, but you absolutely need mobile-first formats like 1:1 (square) and 9:16 (vertical) to get the best results across all placements.
Facebook Video Ad Specs at a Glance
For those who prefer a clean table format, here’s a quick summary of the most common specs you'll encounter for key placements. It's a great way to compare the requirements side-by-side.
| Placement | Aspect Ratio | Resolution | Max Duration | Max File Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 | Minimum 1080x1080 | 240 minutes | 4 GB |
| Facebook/IG Stories | 9:16 | Minimum 1080x1920 | 60 seconds | 4 GB |
| Facebook In-Stream | 16:9 or 1:1 | Minimum 1080x1080 | 5-15 seconds | 4 GB |
| Instagram Feed | 1:1 or 4:5 | Minimum 1080x1080 | 60 minutes | 4 GB |
| Instagram Reels | 9:16 | Minimum 1080x1920 | 90 seconds | 4 GB |
This table should help you quickly prepare your video files, but always remember to check the specific requirements for any new or less common placements you plan to use.
The Core Technical Rules
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of each ad placement, there are a few universal rules that apply to pretty much any video you upload to Facebook. Getting these right from the start will save you a lot of headaches.
File Type: Stick with MP4 or MOV. These are the gold standards for a reason—they offer the best mix of quality and compatibility on the platform.
File Size: Your video file must be under 4 GB. If your file is bigger, you'll need to compress it before you can upload it.
Video Captions: These are technically optional, but I consider them essential. So many people watch videos with the sound off, especially in public feeds. Captions ensure your message still gets through.
Video Sound: Sound is also listed as optional, but it's highly recommended. When a user does tap to unmute, you want to provide a full, immersive experience. Just make sure your video makes sense without it, too.
Your Complete Guide to Feed and In-Stream Video Ad Specs
The Facebook Feed is the classic, and still the most competitive, place to run an ad. This is where your video goes head-to-head with posts from your audience's friends, family, and favorite pages. People scroll fast here, so getting your ad specs right is non-negotiable for making it look professional and native to the environment.
These core specs apply across the main Feed, Video Feed, and Marketplace placements. While you can technically upload a video up to 240 minutes long, I can tell you from experience that shorter is almost always better. Keep mobile users front and center in your planning.
Key Feed Placement Specs
To make sure your ad looks sharp and grabs attention, stick to these core requirements. They're designed to give the best possible viewing experience, particularly on mobile, where vertical video is king.
- Aspect Ratio: Use 1:1 for a classic square video that looks great on both desktop and mobile. For a more immersive mobile experience, go with a 4:5 vertical format to take up more screen real estate.
- Resolution: Aim for a minimum of 1080x1080 pixels. I always recommend uploading the highest resolution source file you have—this helps combat the video compression that Facebook inevitably applies.
- File Size: Make sure your final video file is under the 4 GB maximum.
- File Type: MP4 or MOV are the go-to formats. They offer the best compatibility and are pretty much universally accepted.
In-Stream Video Ad Requirements
In-stream ads are a different beast altogether. They pop up as short commercial breaks while someone is already watching another video on Facebook Watch. Because you're interrupting an engaged viewer, your approach needs to be quick, punchy, and get to the point immediately.
The technical specs are a bit different here, allowing for more traditional video formats.
- Aspect Ratio: You can run a standard 16:9 horizontal video or a 1:1 square video.
- Video Length: The sweet spot is between 5 and 15 seconds. While you can go longer on mobile, brief and impactful ads perform best in this skippable format.
- Sound: Sound is a must. Viewers already have their volume on for the video they were watching, so make sure your ad takes advantage of it.
Nailing these specs is just the first step. The real magic happens when you start tracking what works. This is where solid Facebook ads conversion tracking comes in, showing you precisely which video formats are actually connecting with your audience and driving results.
Getting Vertical: Your Guide to Stories and Reels Ads
When you’re running ads in Stories and Reels, you're playing in a full-screen, mobile-only world. To win here, you have to think vertically from the get-go. Landscape video simply won't cut it; the 9:16 aspect ratio is the only way to go.
Think about it from the user's perspective. They’re tapping through content from their friends and favorite creators. The last thing you want is for your ad to show up with jarring black bars on the top and bottom. It immediately breaks the experience and shouts "I'm an ad!" Sticking to the proper video ads Facebook specs helps your content feel native and professional.
The Core Specs for Stories and Reels
To make sure your video looks sharp and loads properly, you need to hit a few key technical marks. These numbers are all about delivering a high-quality experience on a modern smartphone screen.
- Aspect Ratio: It's 9:16, full stop. Don't even consider anything else for these placements.
- Resolution: Aim for a minimum of 1080x1920 pixels. Anything less will look blurry and unprofessional.
- Duration: You’ve got some flexibility here. Facebook Stories ads can be up to 2 minutes long, while Reels ads max out at 90 seconds.
- File Size & Type: The standard rules apply here, too: keep your file under 4 GB and stick with the MP4 or MOV format.
A crucial pro tip: keep your most important text and logos out of the very top and bottom 15% of the screen. Facebook overlays its own UI—like the profile icon and call-to-action button—in these zones, and they can easily block your key message.
Creative Tips for Your Vertical Videos
Getting the technical specs right is only half the battle. Your creative strategy needs to be built for this vertical view, too. For instance, take advantage of interactive elements like polls and question stickers in your Stories ads. They're a fantastic way to drive engagement and make your ad feel less like an ad and more like a conversation.
This mobile-first mindset is more than just a best practice; it's where the money is. In fact, over 50% of Facebook’s video ad revenue now comes from ads designed specifically for mobile. That statistic alone shows just how much viewing habits have shifted to vertical video on phones. If you want to dive deeper into the numbers, you can discover more insights about Facebook ad statistics.
Expanding Your Reach: Search, Messenger, and Audience Network Specs
To really maximize your ad spend, you need to think beyond the main Facebook Feed. Placements like Search Results, Messenger, and the Audience Network offer huge potential to connect with users in different moments and mindsets. Of course, each environment comes with its own unique video ads Facebook specs.
Facebook Search Results, for instance, are all about capturing high-intent users actively looking for something. To fit in seamlessly, your video ad needs a square 1:1 aspect ratio. This makes your ad look clean and native within the search interface, almost like a visual answer to what the user was searching for.
Getting the Specs Right for Messenger and the Audience Network
Messenger is a much more personal space. Your ads can show up in the main Inbox tab or appear as Sponsored Messages right inside existing conversations. While there's some flexibility, a 1:1 aspect ratio is your safest bet to look good and feel natural in the chat layout.
Now, the Audience Network is where things get really interesting. This placement puts your video ads across thousands of different apps and websites outside of Facebook's ecosystem. That means you need to be prepared for a variety of formats.
- Native Ads: These are meant to blend in with the surrounding content of an app. They work best with either a 1:1 or 16:9 ratio.
- Banner Ads: These are the classic small, rectangular ads you see at the top or bottom of a screen. Stick to a 16:9 format for these.
- Interstitial Ads: These are the full-screen ads that pop up between levels in a game or actions in an app. For maximum impact, a vertical 9:16 video is the way to go.
The sheer variety of Audience Network placements means it's smart to have your video creative ready in multiple aspect ratios. If you have 1:1, 16:9, and 9:16 versions, you can be confident your ad will look great no matter where it shows up.
Tailoring your creative for these placements is a non-negotiable part of running a successful campaign. If you want to learn more about improving performance across all of Meta's properties, take a look at our complete guide on how to optimize Facebook ads.
Common Mistakes in Facebook Video Ad Specs
Navigating the technical side of Facebook video ads can feel like a minefield. It's easy to get something wrong, and even a tiny slip-up can get your ad rejected, kill its performance, or just plain waste your money. Getting familiar with the most common mistakes is the best way to get your campaigns running smoothly right from the start.
One of the biggest and most frequent errors I see is advertisers using the wrong aspect ratio for a specific placement. Simply uploading a single 16:9 video and expecting it to work everywhere is a classic rookie mistake. This almost always leads to awkward cropping or those ugly black bars, especially on mobile-first formats like Stories and Reels. It immediately screams "this is an ad" and makes it look cheap.
Mismatched Ratios and Low Quality
Right behind aspect ratio issues is low video resolution. Everyone has a high-definition screen in their pocket these days, so a blurry or pixelated video makes your brand look unprofessional and untrustworthy. You should always aim to upload the highest resolution file you have—at least 1080x1080 pixels is a good rule of thumb. This gives you a buffer against the compression that Facebook applies to all videos.
Remember, you want your ad to feel like it belongs in the user's feed, not stick out like a sore thumb. A crisp, perfectly formatted video blends in seamlessly, while a poorly rendered one stands out for all the wrong reasons.
Here are a few other common pitfalls to keep on your radar:
- Ignoring File Size: It’s easy to forget about the 4 GB maximum file size, which can lead to frustrating upload errors right when you're trying to launch.
- Missing Duration Limits: Trying to run a 90-second ad in a 15-second In-Stream slot just won't work. You have to match your video's length to the placement's rules.
- Forgetting "Safe Zones": A classic mistake with Stories ads is putting key text or your logo too close to the edge, only to have it covered by the profile icon or the call-to-action button.
Getting these technical specs right isn't just about avoiding rejections; it directly impacts your results. It's well-known that video posts on Facebook drive 59% more engagement than other formats, and marketers who use video see a 20% higher conversion rate. As you get your technicals sorted, you can discover more about how Facebook advertising can work for small businesses and really start to grow. These numbers prove that sweating the small stuff pays off in brand growth and ROI.
Common Questions About Facebook Video Ad Specs
Getting the technical details right for Facebook video ads can be tricky, and a lot of the same questions pop up. Let's clear up some of the most common ones so you can get your campaigns running without a hitch.
What’s the Best Video Format for Facebook Ads?
Stick with MP4. It’s the gold standard for a reason—it hits that sweet spot between great video quality and a reasonable file size, meaning your ads will load quickly and play smoothly for just about everyone.
While Facebook does accept MOV files, MP4 is far more universal and reliable. Using it helps you dodge those frustrating upload errors or weird playback glitches that can sometimes happen with other formats. It's simply the safest bet.
Does Facebook Ruin Video Ad Quality by Compressing It?
Yes, Facebook compresses every video you upload. There's no way around it. They do this to make sure your ad loads fast, even for people on spotty mobile connections.
The key to minimizing quality loss is to give their compression algorithm a great source file. Always upload your video at the highest possible resolution, ideally at least 1080x1080 pixels. When Facebook has a high-quality original to work with, the final compressed version will look much sharper and more professional in the feed.
Pro tip: When you export your video from your editing software, use a high bitrate. This makes the file larger, but it feeds more visual data into Facebook's compression process, which helps preserve fine details.
How Can I Check My Video’s Specs Before Uploading?
You can quickly check your video’s details right from your computer. If you're on a Windows machine, just right-click the file and go to "Properties." For Mac users, it's a right-click and "Get Info."
This little window will show you everything you need to know: the dimensions (resolution), file type, and size. For a more robust check, I highly recommend using Meta's Creative Hub. It lets you preview exactly how your ad will appear in different placements, which is perfect for catching any formatting issues before you spend a dime.
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