What Are the Specs for a Facebook Ad?

Nothing is more frustrating than carefully crafting the perfect Facebook ad, only to have it rejected - or worse, run with blurry images and awkward cropping. Getting the technical specifications right isn't just about passing Meta's review, it's about making your ads look professional and perform their best. This guide breaks down the most current and important specs for every common Facebook ad format, giving you a clear blueprint for creating ads that work.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

Why Facebook Ad Specs Actually Matter

Diving into pixel counts and aspect ratios can feel tedious, but it has a direct impact on your campaign results. Paying attention to these details ensures your ad budget is working as efficiently as possible.

• Better User Experience: Ads that are properly formatted feel native to the user's feed or Stories. They blend in seamlessly, which builds trust and encourages engagement. A poorly cropped image or a video with black bars instantly screams "ad" and can lead to users scrolling right past it.
• Improved Ad Performance: Meta’s algorithm favors ads that provide a good user experience. While they’ve relaxed some older rules (like the 20% text limit on images), ads formatted correctly for their specific placement tend to receive better delivery and can result in a lower cost-per-click (CPC) and higher click-through-rate (CTR).
• Avoid Ad Rejections: The most immediate reason to get specs right is to avoid the dreaded ad rejection notice. The automated review system is designed to catch technical issues, and simple mistakes with file size, resolution, or aspect ratio can get your campaign stuck in review limbo, delaying your launch.

Universal Text Specs for Most Ad Formats

While creative formats vary, the text guidelines are fairly consistent across the board. The goal is to be concise and compelling, especially since most users will only see a preview of your copy before deciding to click "See more."

Primary Text

This is the main body of text that appears above your image or video in the feed. It's your prime real estate for conveying your message.

• Official Limit: Meta allows quite a lot of text here, but that's misleading.
• Practical Recommendation: Keep your most important message within the first 125 characters. On mobile devices, anything longer than that is often hidden behind a "See more..." link. Hook the reader immediately so they want to expand the text or click your ad.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

Headline

The headline is the bold text that typically appears directly below your creative, next to the call-to-action button. It should be punchy and clear.

• Official Limit: Varies by a few characters depending on the placement.
• Practical Recommendation: Aim for 25-40 characters. This length is less likely to be truncated on mobile screens or in smaller placements like the right-hand column on desktop. Think of it as a sub-header that reinforces your main value proposition (e.g., "Free Shipping On All Orders").

Description

This is optional text that appears below the headline on some placements, usually only on the Facebook Feed. It's typically used to provide extra context or clarify an offer.

• Official Limit: Around 30 characters.
• Practical Recommendation: If you use it, keep it very short - around 20-30 characters. Use it for social proof ("Join 10,000+ Happy Customers") or to add an element of urgency ("Offer Ends Friday").

Image Ad Specifications

Static images are the backbone of Facebook advertising. They're quick to produce and can be highly effective. The key is to optimize for the two primary aspect ratios on the platform: square and vertical.

Specs for Feeds (Facebook & Instagram)

This placement covers the main scrollable feeds where users spend most of their time. Optimizing creative for the feed is your highest priority.

• File Type: JPG or PNG.
• Aspect Ratio: While you can use anything from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 4:5 (tall portrait), 1:1 (square) is the most versatile and recommended ratio. It looks great on both mobile and desktop. The 4:5 ratio is also excellent because it takes up more vertical screen space on mobile phones.
• Resolution: Upload the highest resolution image possible. A minimum of 1080 x 1080 pixels for a 1:1 ad is the standard. For a 4:5 ad, aim for 1080 x 1350 pixels.
• Text on Image Rule: The old "20% text rule" no longer causes automatic ad rejections. However, Meta's systems still analyze image text. Ads with minimal text on the creative itself generally perform better and reach more people at a lower cost. Put your copy in the Primary Text and Headline, not all over your image.

Specs for Stories, Reels, and In-Stream Placements

These full-screen, immersive placements require vertical creative to look native and professional.

• File Type: JPG or PNG.
• Aspect Ratio: A 9:16 vertical ratio is essential. Anything else will be awkwardly cropped with colored bands at the top and bottom.
• Resolution: Aim for 1080 x 1920 pixels.
• Design Tip (The Safe Zone): Keep your crucial text, logos, and focal points away from the very top and bottom of the creative. The platform often overlays UI elements like your profile name or a "Swipe Up" call to action that can obscure parts of your design. Leave about 14% (or around 250 pixels) of empty space at the top and bottom clear of critical elements.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

Video Ad Specifications

Video consistently drives higher engagement than static images. Like with images, the key is matching your video's dimensions to the placement.

Universal Video Guideline

Before diving into specific placements, here are some universal rules for a successful video ad:

• Formats: MP4, MOV, or GIF are the most common and reliable formats.
• File Size: Maximum of 4 GB.
• Audio: While you should include sound where relevant, always design your video to be understood with the sound off. Most users watch videos on silent. Use animated text, clear visuals, and burned-in captions to tell your story.
• Captions: Highly recommended. You can upload an SRT file or use Meta's automatic captioning tool inside Ads Manager. It significantly increases view time and message comprehension.

Feed Video Ads (Facebook & Instagram)

• Aspect Ratio: Similar to images, 1:1 (square) or 4:5 (vertical) are your best options. 4:5 is excellent for capturing maximum mobile screen real estate.
• Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels.
• Length: You can upload a video up to 240 minutes long, but you absolutely shouldn't. For feed ads, aim for under 60 seconds, with the ideal length often being 15-30 seconds. Grab attention within the first 3 seconds, or you've lost the viewer.

Stories, Reels, & In-Stream Video Ads

• Aspect Ratio: A full-screen 9:16 (vertical) experience is non-negotiable here.
• Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels.
• Length:

Carousel Ad Specifications

Carousels allow you to showcase multiple products, highlight different features of a single service, or tell a sequential story. They are highly interactive and effective.

• Number of Cards: You can use between 2 and 10 cards per carousel ad.
• Creative Type: Cards can be either images or videos. You can mix and match them within the same ad.
• Image/Video Aspect Ratio: The strong recommendation is 1:1 (square) and a resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels for all cards. While other ratios are technically allowed, using a consistent square format ensures your creative renders predictably and professionally across all placements.
• Video Length per Card: Can be up to 240 minutes, but it's best to use very short video clips (a few seconds) to keep the user swiping.
• Unique Text for each Card: Remember that each carousel card can have its own unique headline, description, link, and call-to-action button. This is perfect for driving traffic to different product pages.

A Quick Reference Cheatsheet By Placement

Feeling overwhelmed? Keep this simple breakdown handy.

• Feeds (Facebook, Instagram, Marketplace): Prioritize 1:1 (square) as the most versatile, with 4:5 (vertical) being a powerful mobile-first alternative.
• Stories & Reels (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger): Stick strictly to 9:16 (full-screen vertical).
• Desktop Right Column: This is one of the few places where a traditional 1.91:1 (landscape) image is required. Note that this placement is smaller and often delivers a lower CTR.
• In-Stream Video: Requires 16:9 (horizontally) or 1:1 (square) for desktop and more often 9:16 (vertically) for mobile placements.

Pro Tip: Inside Ads Manager, always use the "Asset Customization" feature. This allows you to upload different versions of your creative for each placement category (e.g., a square image for Feeds and a vertical image for Stories) all within the same ad. This prevents Meta from making ugly automatic crops and ensures your ad looks pristine everywhere it's shown.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

Final Thoughts

Getting your Facebook ad creative specs right is the foundation for a successful campaign. This isn't just about avoiding rejections from Meta's review bots, it's about delivering a seamless, professional experience that respects the user's time and attention. Focus on creating 1:1 and 9:16 assets, and you'll have control over how your brand appears on nearly every critical placement.

Of course, once your perfectly formatted ads are running, the real work begins: analyzing the results. Instead of getting lost trying to stitch together reports across Ads Manager and your other platforms, we built Graphed to do the heavy lifting for you. We connect to all your marketing and sales data, so you can stop wrestling with spreadsheets and instantly ask questions like, "Show me my Facebook campaigns with the best ROI this month" in plain English. You'll get a real-time dashboard in seconds, so you can see what's actually working and make smarter decisions, faster.