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Facebook ads run on four aspect ratios. 4:5 and 1:1 for the Feed, 9:16 for Stories and Reels, 1.91:1 for right column and landscape link ads, and 16:9 for in-stream video. 4:5 is the tallest the Feed will render. Text fields are shared across Meta: primary text is commonly documented as showing about 125 characters before truncation, and headlines truncate much sooner. The safe zone question only applies to full-screen vertical placements, where the interface covers the top strip and the bottom third of the frame. Reserved areas vary by placement and app version, so preview each placement in Ads Manager before launch.
Check this before you ship
Ad specs change, often quietly. Aspect ratios are stable and safe to build against. Exact pixel margins, file size ceilings and duration caps are not, and reserved interface areas differ by placement and by app version. Treat the numbers on this page as a starting point, then check the platform's own current specification before you sign off on a production file.
Last reviewed: . Official source: Meta Ads Guide, Facebook placements (official).
The rule that outlives every redesign
Keep essential text and branding toward the centre of the frame, and preview the ad in the real placement before you launch it.
If you only build two files, build 4:5 for the Feed and 9:16 for Stories and Reels. Everything else on Facebook is a crop of one of those.
Everything below is detail on top of that. Ratios are the stable layer and are safe to build against. Pixel margins, file size ceilings and duration caps are the volatile layer, which is why they are marked as commonly documented rather than stated as fact.
Facebook aspect ratios by placement
| Placement | Aspect ratio | Commonly recommended resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Feed, vertical | 4:5 | 1080 x 1350 |
| Feed, square | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 |
| Feed, landscape link ad | 1.91:1 | 1200 x 628 |
| Stories | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 |
| Reels | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 |
| In-stream video | 16:9 or 1:1 | 1920 x 1080 or 1080 x 1080 |
| Right column | 1.91:1 | 1200 x 628 |
| Marketplace | 1:1 or 4:5 | 1080 x 1080 or 1080 x 1350 |
| Search results | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 |
Safe zones, as a share of the frame
Feed and right column placements do not overlay your creative, so safe zones only matter for the full-screen vertical placements. Those are stated as percentages of frame because pixel margins move.
Percentages are used here on purpose. Pixel margins go stale every time an app ships a redesign, whereas the proportion of the screen the interface occupies moves far less. Reserved areas still vary by placement and by app version, so treat these as a design margin rather than a measurement. For the concept itself, see safe zone in the glossary.
| Placement | Keep clear | What sits there |
|---|---|---|
| Stories | Roughly the top 14 percent and the bottom 20 percent | Progress bar and profile name at the top. Call to action at the bottom. |
| Reels | Roughly the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent, and a strip down the right edge | Caption and audio ticker at the bottom. Reaction buttons down the right. |
| In-stream video | Assume a playback control bar across the bottom | Player chrome. Burned-in subtitles placed at the very bottom of the frame can end up behind it. |
These percentages are widely used working figures, not published constants. Confirm against the official specification above, and preview the creative in the live placement before sign-off.
Formats with structural rules
| Format | Rule | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Carousel | 2 to 10 cards | Every card should share one aspect ratio. Mixed ratios look like a mistake, because they are one. |
| Collection | One cover asset plus a product grid beneath it | The cover carries the message. The grid is pulled from your catalogue. |
| Right column | Image only, small render | Anything smaller than a large logo is illegible here. Do not put copy in the image. |
Text fields
| Field | Commonly documented limit | What actually happens |
|---|---|---|
| Primary text | 125 characters | Longer copy collapses behind a See more link. |
| Headline | 27 characters | Truncation point varies by placement. |
| Link description | 27 characters | Not shown in every placement. |
These describe what displays without truncation, not hard rejection limits. Ads Manager shows the real truncation point live.
File limits
| Item | Commonly documented limit |
|---|---|
| Image formats | JPG and PNG |
| Image file size | Up to 30 MB |
| Video formats | MP4, MOV and GIF |
| Video file size | Up to 4 GB |
| Stories video length | Up to 60 seconds per card |
The right column is not a small Feed ad
The right column renders at a fraction of the size of a Feed placement, on desktop only. A Feed creative dropped into it becomes an unreadable postage stamp with three words of body copy underneath.
If you run it at all, treat it as a logo and a product shot. Any text in the image is decoration.
Automatic placements will crop for you
With automatic placements switched on, one uploaded asset is reshaped to fit inventory across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network. That is efficient and it is also how a carefully composed shot loses its subject.
Meta lets you supply a different asset per placement. It is more work up front and it is the difference between a system that crops your ad and a system that shows the version you approved.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best Facebook ad image size?
- 1080 x 1350 at 4:5 for the Feed, because it takes the most vertical space Facebook will render and therefore the most screen. Use 1080 x 1080 at 1:1 when one asset has to cover several placements, and 1200 x 628 at 1.91:1 for landscape link ads and right column.
- What is a safe zone in a Facebook ad?
- The area of the frame that Facebook's own interface does not cover. It applies to full screen vertical placements such as Stories and Reels, where the top strip carries the profile name and the bottom third carries the caption and call to action. Feed placements do not overlay the creative at all.
- How many cards can a Facebook carousel ad have?
- Between 2 and 10. Every card should use the same aspect ratio, because the format renders them at a single size and mixed ratios produce inconsistent crops across the set.
- How much text can a Facebook ad have?
- There is no longer a limit on text inside the image. The 20 percent text rule was retired. The practical limit is truncation in the text fields: primary text is commonly documented as displaying about 125 characters before a See more link, and headlines cut off far earlier.
- Do I need different creative for Facebook and Instagram?
- Not necessarily. Both are bought in the same Ads Manager and share ratios and text fields, so a 4:5 and a 9:16 master will serve both. Supplying placement specific assets gives you control over the crop, which is the main reason to bother.
- What video length works on Facebook?
- Long uploads are permitted, but attention is not. Feed video that has to work without sound is usually under 30 seconds, and Stories cards are commonly documented at up to 60 seconds each. Check Meta's Ads Guide for the current ceilings before exporting a long master.
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