The short version
You need two formats to cover almost every placement: 4:5 portrait for Feed and 9:16 vertical for Stories and Reels. Make both, and Meta shows the right one in each place.
Made with AIMade with AIMade with AIYour brandShop now| Placement | Aspect ratio | Recommended size | Keep clear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Feed | 4:5 | 1440 x 1800 px | |
| Instagram Feed | 4:5 (1:1 also works) | 1440 x 1800 px | |
| Instagram and Facebook Stories | 9:16 | 1440 x 2560 px | 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides |
| Instagram and Facebook Reels | 9:16 | 1440 x 2560 px | 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides |
Feed: 4:5 portrait
Meta recommends 4:5 at 1440 x 1800 pixels for both Facebook and Instagram Feed, for images and video. A portrait ad takes more of the phone screen than a square one, so it gets more attention as people scroll. Instagram Feed accepts any shape from 4:5 to 1.91:1, so a square 1:1 ad still works.
Stories and Reels: 9:16 vertical
Stories and Reels fill the whole screen, so use 9:16 at 1440 x 2560 pixels. The catch is that the app draws its own buttons on top: the profile name at the top, the caption and call to action at the bottom. Meta recommends keeping these areas free of text, logos and the product:
- At least 14% at the top, about 360 px of 2560.
- At least 35% at the bottom, about 900 px of 2560.
- At least 6% on each side, about 86 px of 1440.
File types and limits
| Images | Video | |
|---|---|---|
| File types | JPG or PNG | MP4 or MOV |
| Largest file | 30 MB | 4 GB |
| Video settings | H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps or more |
Meta also suggests keeping primary text to about 125 characters so it is not cut off, and a short headline. Captions on video are optional but help, since many people watch without sound.
Common mistakes
- Using a landscape video in Reels. A 16:9 clip shows as a small strip in the middle of the screen. Make a 9:16 version instead.
- Text at the very bottom of a Story. The caption and call to action cover it. Move it up into the safe zone.
- Small logos in the corners. The corners are where the profile name and buttons sit. Put the logo on the product or near the middle.
- Exporting too small. Meta accepts smaller files, but a smaller ad can look less sharp on high resolution screens. Export at the recommended size.
Make every size from one idea
- Plan the ad for 9:16 first. Put the product and any text in the middle, inside the safe zone. A 4:5 crop from the middle then still shows everything.
- Make a 4:5 version for Feed with the product a little larger.
- Check both in the Ads Manager preview before you publish.
In Longneckhorse you pick the format before you generate: 4:5, 1:1 or 9:16 for images, 9:16 or 1:1 for video, depending on the model. Make the same idea in both formats and send them to Meta Ads together.