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For Feed placements, the sweet spot for your Facebook video ads size is 1080x1350 pixels, which is a 4:5 aspect ratio. For full-screen placements like Stories and Reels, you'll want to go with 1080x1920 pixels, a perfect 9:16 aspect ratio. Nail these dimensions, and you'll maximize the screen real estate on mobile phones, which is exactly where most of your audience is scrolling.
Getting your video ad dimensions right isn't just a best practice—it's absolutely critical for campaign success. If you get it wrong, you’re looking at awkward cropping, distracting black bars, or a blurry, unprofessional ad. All that translates to wasted ad spend and dismal conversion rates.
Every single placement, from the main News Feed to immersive full-screen Stories, has its own unique specs. They're designed that way to give the user the best possible experience, and it’s our job as marketers to play by those rules.
To help you sidestep those common, costly mistakes, I’ve put together a go-to cheat sheet with the most important specs you'll need before uploading any creative. Mastering these details is the first step to getting your ads approved quickly and, more importantly, boosting your campaign performance. If you're managing multiple campaigns, a solid handle on these specs is also foundational for accurate tracking and attribution, a topic we cover extensively in our other guides on Facebook ads.
Before we break down each placement one by one, let's get a high-level view of the core components that make up a perfectly formatted video ad. The image below lays out the three pillars you need to focus on: aspect ratio, resolution, and file size.
As you can see, vertical formats are king in Facebook's mobile-first world, especially 4:5 and 9:16. These are the dimensions that fill up the screen and grab attention.
If you really want to go deep on the gold standards for full-screen content, it’s worth checking out a comprehensive guide to vertical video dimensions across platforms. Understanding these nuances is how you create high-impact video campaigns that stop the scroll and actually drive results.
Knowing the specific numbers for your Facebook video ads size is a great starting point, but the real power comes from understanding why these specs are so crucial for driving results. This is especially true in today's mobile-first world, where over 98% of users are on their phones.
The core idea is simple: you want to own as much of the screen as possible. When your video ad is formatted correctly for a specific placement, it fills the viewer's screen, creating an immersive experience that feels native to the platform. It just belongs. This small adjustment has a huge impact on user attention and, ultimately, their behavior.
Put yourself in the user's shoes. A perfectly sized 4:5 video ad in the Facebook Feed feels natural and professional. It takes up a significant chunk of the screen without the user having to do a thing.
Now, picture a standard 16:9 landscape video jammed into that same vertical feed. It looks tiny, surrounded by ugly black bars. This immediately screams "this is an ad that doesn't fit," and most users will just scroll right past without giving it a second thought. This disconnect has a measurable, negative impact on your most important metrics.
Key Takeaway: Correctly formatted video ads can see a significant lift in view-through rates and click-through rates (CTR) simply because they offer a better, less jarring user experience. Mismatched dimensions create friction and kill any chance of the user taking action.
For marketers using advanced attribution tools like Cometly, this connection is even more critical. A poorly formatted ad can completely skew your data, making it look like a campaign is failing when the real problem is just a technical mistake. Accurate tracking depends on giving your creative its best shot to succeed, and that starts with optimizing your dimensions so your data reflects genuine ad effectiveness, not preventable formatting errors.
At the end of the day, optimizing your video ad size isn't just a creative task—it's a financial one. Higher engagement and better CTRs directly lead to a lower cost-per-acquisition (CPA). When more people watch and click your ad, Facebook's algorithm rewards your campaign with better placement at a more efficient cost.
To really get a handle on how these visual details affect performance, it helps to dig into the metrics behind user interaction. You can learn more about these key indicators by exploring our detailed post on what is video engagement rate and how to properly measure it. Every second of viewership counts, and proper formatting is what ensures you capture as many of those seconds as possible, turning your ad spend into actual revenue.
The Facebook Feed is the original, endlessly scrollable content hub. That makes it one of the most valuable—and competitive—placements for your video ads. To stand out here, your content has to be perfectly formatted to stop the scroll instantly. The game has changed; the dominant format for mobile is no longer square, it's the taller, more immersive vertical video.
Because of this shift, the 4:5 aspect ratio has become the undisputed champion of the Feed. This format absolutely maximizes screen real estate on mobile devices without forcing users to turn their phones, creating a seamless and engaging viewing experience. Getting the Facebook video ads size right is your first step toward a high-performing campaign.
To make sure your ad gets approved and displays correctly, you have to play by Facebook's rules. These technical guidelines are designed to balance quality with performance, ensuring your video loads quickly and looks sharp on any device.
Here are the must-haves:
Following these specs isn't just a suggestion—it's non-negotiable. Facebook's algorithm prioritizes content that delivers a good user experience, and a correctly formatted video is a huge part of that.
Beyond the basics, make sure you export your video using H.264 compression. This codec gives you an excellent balance of high quality and manageable file size, which is critical for ads that need to load fast on mobile connections. And while you technically have up to 241 minutes, the sweet spot for engagement is much, much shorter—typically under 60 seconds.
Nailing the technical specs is only half the battle. How you execute the creative is what ultimately drives results. Always remember that most people scroll through their Feed with the sound off, which makes your visual storytelling absolutely critical.
The move to the 4:5 aspect ratio isn't just a trend; it's backed by serious performance data. That 1080x1350 pixel format has become the gold standard for mobile Feed ads because it can fill up to 70% more screen real estate on a vertical scroll. This directly boosts view-through rates. In fact, some studies have shown that 4:5 ads can lift click-through rates by 18% and reduce cost-per-acquisition by 22% in competitive niches.
By combining precise technical formatting with these strategic creative tips, you're setting your campaigns up for success. For more guidance on building campaigns from the ground up, check out our in-depth article on how to create a successful Facebook ad.
If you're still thinking in terms of landscape video, you're already behind. The shift to full-screen, vertical formats like Stories and Reels has completely changed the game for social media advertising. These placements demand a totally different creative approach—one that’s fast, immersive, and feels native to the platform.
For these ads, the 9:16 aspect ratio is an absolute must. It's the only way to fill the entire mobile screen and deliver the seamless experience users have come to expect. Trying to squeeze a 4:5 or 16:9 video into these spots leads to awkward cropping or ugly black bars, which is a dead giveaway that users are looking at a lazy ad.
To make sure your ads look sharp and perform well, you have to nail the technical requirements for these full-screen placements. While both Stories and Reels use the same aspect ratio, their duration limits and user expectations are slightly different.
Here are the key technical details for your Facebook video ads size in Stories and Reels:
A quick heads-up: just because you can upload longer videos doesn't mean you should. The best-performing Stories and Reels ads are incredibly short and get straight to the point. We consistently see attention drop off a cliff after just a few seconds.
Beyond the technical specs, winning on Stories and Reels is all about the creative. These are fast-paced environments where users have zero patience for polished, traditional ads. The goal is to make content that looks and feels like it belongs next to posts from friends and creators. To get a better handle on this, check out our deep dive on the proper IG Stories format.
Here are a few strategies that actually work:
Finally, a solid understanding of Instagram Reels video length limits is crucial for making sure your message actually gets delivered. When you master both the technical Facebook video ads size and the unique creative language of these placements, you can build ads that don't just get views—they get results.
Beyond the main Feed, Facebook gives us some powerful, but very different, ad placements like In-Stream and Marketplace. Each one has a totally unique user context, and if you don't nail the Facebook video ads size for them, you’re just wasting money. Get it wrong, and your ad feels intrusive or just plain weird, killing your effectiveness from the start.
In-Stream ads are basically commercial breaks that pop up while someone is watching another video. That context demands a format that fits right in with what they're already viewing. On the other hand, Marketplace is where people go with a high intent to buy, so your ads need to blend into a shopping grid.
Since In-Stream ads interrupt a landscape video, they work best when they match that widescreen format. The whole game here is to deliver a quick, punchy message before the viewer hits "skip."
The short, often unskippable nature of In-Stream ads makes them perfect for brand awareness campaigns where you need to make an impression fast. Your hook needs to be instant, and your branding has to be clear from the very first frame.
Facebook Marketplace is all about discovery. People are scrolling through product listings in a grid, looking for deals. To capture their attention without feeling like an interruption, your video ad needs to look and feel just like one of those native listings.
The mindset in Marketplace is completely different. People are actively looking to buy stuff, making this placement a goldmine for e-commerce brands with strong product visuals. A perfectly formatted 1:1 video ad feels less like an ad and more like a great product recommendation.
Think of your Marketplace creative as a dynamic product showcase. Highlight the best features, show your product in action, and wrap it up with a clear call to action. Because users are already in a shopping mode, a well-made square video can drive incredibly high-intent clicks. Getting the Facebook video ads size right for this context is your first, most critical step to success.
Beyond just nailing the dimensions for each placement, there are a handful of universal standards—both technical and creative—that can make or break your video ad's performance. Getting the Facebook video ads size right is just the first step. Finalizing your export settings and creative execution is what ensures your ad actually looks professional and, more importantly, drives action.
Think of these best practices as your final quality check before any video goes live. Following the recommended technical settings means your video will load quickly and display with maximum clarity, which is everything when you're trying to hold someone's attention on a mobile connection. A slow-loading or pixelated video is an instant scroll-past.
To guarantee a smooth upload and optimal playback quality across every device, you'll want to stick to these core technical recommendations. These settings strike the perfect balance between visual quality and manageable file size.
Applying these settings consistently will save you a ton of headaches with common upload and display problems, letting your creative work do the heavy lifting.
A technically perfect video can still fall completely flat if the creative doesn't connect with your audience. User behavior on Facebook is fast-paced and overwhelmingly sound-free, so your ad has to be built from the ground up to grab attention immediately.
Key Insight: Roughly 85% of Facebook videos are watched with the sound off. If your message depends on audio, the vast majority of your audience is going to miss it entirely.
Use this checklist to make sure your creative is optimized for how people actually use the platform:
Even with a detailed spec sheet, you’re bound to run into questions. The world of video ad specs is full of nuances, and sometimes a technical issue pops up right when you’re about to launch. This section tackles the most common questions marketers have about Facebook video ad sizes, with clear, direct answers to help you troubleshoot and refine your strategy.
Think of this as your go-to guide for those last-minute problems and lingering doubts. My goal is to give you actionable solutions so you can get your campaigns live with confidence.
There’s no single “best” size that works perfectly across every single placement, but the 4:5 aspect ratio (1080x1350 pixels) is easily the most versatile and highest-performing choice for the mobile Feed. It takes up the most screen real estate without forcing people to turn their phones sideways.
That said, for the full-screen, immersive placements like Stories and Reels, the 9:16 aspect ratio (1080x1920 pixels) is non-negotiable. An effective strategy always involves creating assets for both—one 4:5 video for Feeds and one 9:16 video for Stories and Reels. This ensures you’re not just present, but you’re performing optimally across Facebook’s most valuable real estate.
The key takeaway here is to stop looking for a one-size-fits-all ad. Instead, build your workflow around producing at least two core versions of your video: a vertical (4:5) cut for the Feed and a full-screen vertical (9:16) cut for Stories and Reels.
Blurry video ads are almost always the result of two culprits: a low-resolution source file or too much compression. Facebook will always compress your video when you upload it, and if the file is already low-quality, that compression will just make things worse.
To fix this, always start with a high-quality source file. Export your video at the recommended resolution—for instance, 1080x1350 pixels for a 4:5 ad—or even higher if you can. Whatever you do, never try to upscale a low-resolution video; it will only magnify the imperfections.
Follow these steps to keep your videos looking sharp:
By giving Facebook’s compression algorithm a high-quality file to work with, you’re setting your ad up to look as crisp and clear as possible.
Technically, yes. You can use a single video for all placements by choosing "Automatic Placements" in Ads Manager. But this is one of the most common and costly mistakes you can make. It’s a guaranteed way to waste ad spend.
When you upload a single video, Facebook just awkwardly crops it to fit different placements. A 16:9 landscape video will get slapped with huge black bars in a 9:16 Story. A 9:16 video will get its sides chopped off in the Feed. It creates a jarring, unprofessional experience that immediately signals a low-effort ad to users.
For the best results, you absolutely have to create custom video assets tailored to the main aspect ratios. At the very minimum, this means having a 4:5 version for the Feed and a 9:16 version for Stories and Reels.
Facebook has a hard maximum file size limit of 4GB. If your video file is even a hair over that, Ads Manager will reject it flat out. This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a rule designed to keep upload and processing times manageable for everyone.
If your file is too big, your only option is to shrink it. The best way to do this is to re-export the video from your editing software with slightly different settings.
Here are two effective ways to cut down the file size:
Most video editing software gives you an estimated file size before you export, which is super helpful. You can play with the settings until you see that estimate dip safely below the 4GB mark.
Ready to stop guessing which ads are driving sales? With Cometly, you get crystal-clear attribution that tracks every conversion back to the right ad, every time. Ditch the wasted spend and scale your campaigns with confidence by visiting https://www.cometly.com to see how our platform can transform your marketing ROI.
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