What Size Is a Facebook Ad?

Figuring out the correct size for a Facebook ad can feel like trying to hit a moving target. With all the different places your ads can show up - from the main Feed to Stories, Reels, and even the search results - there isn’t just one single size that works perfectly everywhere. Using the wrong size can lead to your amazing ad creative getting awkwardly cropped, looking unprofessional, and ultimately, wasting your ad budget.

This guide cuts through the confusion. We'll give you the exact dimensions, aspect ratios, and file specs you need for every major Facebook ad placement, along with some practical tips to make your ads perform better.

Why Is Getting Facebook Ad Sizing Right So Important?

Before we get into the pixel-perfect numbers, it’s helpful to understand why this matters. It’s not just about aesthetics, it’s about performance.

• Better User Experience: An ad that fits the placement naturally feels less intrusive and more native to the user's feed. Ads that are obviously mis-sized or have text cut off scream "this is an ad" in a bad way, leading to quick scroll-pasts.
• Improved Ad Performance: Facebook's algorithm rewards ads that provide a good user experience. Creatives that are properly sized and optimized for their placement often see better engagement, higher relevance scores, and ultimately, a lower cost-per-result.
• Maximum Screen Real Estate: Especially on mobile, you're competing for attention in a very small space. Using a taller format like 4:5 or the full 9:16 in Stories takes up more of the screen, pushing out distractions and focusing all the user's attention on your message.
• Professionalism and Trust: A blurry or poorly cropped ad makes your brand look amateur. A clean, correctly formatted ad builds subtle trust and shows that you pay attention to detail.

Aspect Ratio vs. Resolution: What You Really Need to Know

You'll often see two terms used when discussing ad sizes: aspect ratio and resolution. They're related but not the same, and understanding the difference is key.

Aspect Ratio is the shape of your ad. It’s written as a ratio, like 1:1 (a perfect square) or 9:16 (a tall, vertical rectangle like your phone screen).

Resolution is the actual number of pixels in your ad. It determines the quality and clarity. This is written as width x height, like 1080 x 1080 pixels.

Generally, Facebook is more concerned with the aspect ratio for determining which placements your ad can run on. However, you should always aim for the highest resolution possible for that aspect ratio to ensure your ad looks crisp and clear on all devices.

Best Facebook Ad Sizes by Placement (2024 Cheatsheet)

Let's break down the most common placements and the ideal specs for each. The golden rule is to use Facebook's "Advantage+ Placements" and let the platform optimize delivery, but provide it with properly formatted creatives for the most important placements.

1. Facebook & Instagram Feeds

This is the most common and valuable placement. It's the primary content feed users scroll through on both Facebook and Instagram.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (Square)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Also supports: 4:5 (Vertical)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1350 pixels

Why it works: The square 1:1 format is the most versatile and a safe bet across most placements. However, the slightly taller 4:5 format is quickly becoming the gold standard for mobile feeds because it takes up more vertical screen space without feeling unnatural. If you have the resources, creating a 4:5 version for Feeds is a smart move.

2. Facebook & Instagram Stories and Reels

This is where users consume short-form, full-screen vertical video and image content. Mismatched sizing here is especially jarring.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 9:16 (Full-screen Vertical)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels

Why it works: This is a non-negotiable format for this placement. Using anything else will cause Facebook to add distracting colored bars to the top and bottom of your creative or crop it awkwardly. Ads here should be fully immersive.

Pro Tip: Keep your most important elements (text, logo, call-to-action) within the "safe zone." App interfaces and profile information can sometimes cover the very top and bottom 15% of the screen, so keep your key message centered to avoid it being obscured.

3. Video Feeds & In-Stream Video Ads

These are ads that appear in the Facebook Watch feed or as pre-roll/mid-roll ads within other users' videos.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Horizontal)
• Recommended Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Also supports: 1:1 (Square) for mobile video feeds.

Why it works: The 16:9 landscape format matches standard video content, making it the native format for in-stream ads. If your goal is to appear in the video feed alongside other organic posts on mobile, a 1:1 square video often performs better.

4. Facebook Right Column (Desktop Only)

This is an older, desktop-only placement. These ads are smaller and appear in the right-hand sidebar on Facebook. They are often less expensive but also less impactful.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (Square)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels

Why it works: Facebook has standardized their formats, and a 1:1 ad creative will be resized to fit nicely in this small space. These ads can be effective for retargeting campaigns where you're simply trying to remind a warm audience of in-cart items or recent pages viewed.

5. Other Placements (Marketplace, Search Results)

For most other "auxiliary" placements on Facebook, such as in the Marketplace or Search Results feed, a single format generally works well.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (Square)
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels

Why it works: The square format is the most universal. By creating a high-quality 1:1 ad, you ensure decent coverage across most of Facebook's ecosystem without much extra work. When you're just starting, focus on getting your 1:1 (Feed) and 9:16 (Story) creatives right, as they will cover over 90% of your high-impact impressions.

Tips & Technical Best Practices for All Ad Types

Beyond dimensions, keeping a few technical details in mind will help your ads run smoothly and look their best.

• File Types: Use .JPG or .PNG for static images. For video, .MP4 or .MOV are the preferred formats.
• Video Length: Shorter is almost always better. Aim for 3-15 seconds for Stories and Reels ads. For Feed ads, try to get your message across in under 60 seconds, with the main hook in the first 3 seconds.
• Text on Images: The old "20% text rule" is officially gone, but the principle still applies. Ads with too much text look cluttered and spammy, and Facebook's system may still reduce their reach. Keep text concise and part of the visual, not a block of prose.
• Headlines and Primary Text: Remember that your image or video is not your entire ad. You also have primary text (above the creative) and a headline (below). For Feeds, keep the primary text to around 125 characters to avoid it being truncated on mobile.
• Captions are Key: A huge percentage of users watch videos with the sound off. Always include burned-in captions or use Facebook's auto-captioning feature so your message lands even in silence.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): Always use the most relevant CTA button available (e.g., "Shop Now" for e-commerce, "Learn More" for lead gen, "Sign Up" for webinars). Be direct and tell the user what you want them to do next.

A Simple Workflow in Facebook Ad Manager

Feeling overwhelmed? You don't always have to create a separate file for every single placement. Facebook's Ads Manager has tools to help.

When you're creating an ad, at the ad level, you can choose to "edit placement" and "change creative."

1. Upload your main 1:1 square media for Feeds.
2. Click to edit the "Stories & Reels" placement.
3. Here, you can upload your separate 9:16 vertical creative.
4. If you don't have one, Facebook even provides a simple tool to crop your 1:1 image or convert it into a simple video using templates.

This process ensures your most important placements get a native, custom-tailored experience, significantly boosting your performance.

Final Thoughts

Mastering Facebook ad dimensions is an easy win for any campaign. By matching your creative to the placement, you provide a better experience, earn favor with the algorithm, and make your ad budget work harder. Focus on a high-quality 1:1 or 4:5 creative for Feeds and a dedicated 9:16 creative for Stories and Reels, and you'll be ahead of most advertisers.

Once you’ve perfected your creatives and launched your campaigns, the next crucial step is understanding what’s actually working. Sifting through Facebook Ads Manager, Google Analytics, and your sales platform to connect the dots can be incredibly time-consuming. This is exactly why we built Graphed. We automate the entire analysis process by connecting directly to your tools. You can simply ask plain-English questions like, "Which of my 9:16 Story campaigns from this month had the best ROAS?" and get an instant visualization and answer, saving you from hours of manual spreadsheet work.