Facebook Ads Creative Sizes Guide 2026: The Complete Design Handbook

TL;DR: Getting your ad sizes wrong kills performance before the campaign even starts. Your beautifully designed creative gets cropped, your HD video looks blurry on mobile, and your CTR suffers. This complete guide covers every Facebook and Instagram placement with exact specifications: Feed (1:1 at 1080x1080 for images, 4:5 at 1080x1350 for video), Stories/Reels (9:16 at 1080x1920), Carousel (1:1 at 1080x1080), and more. Key principles: Mobile-first (90%+ of users are on mobile), aspect ratio matters more than pixels, keep text minimal (algorithm prefers less text), and design for safe zones (top 250px and bottom 340px get covered in Stories). Includes a quick reference table you should screenshot and save. Master these specs and your creative will finally get the performance it deserves.

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The Problem Every Advertiser Faces

Have you experienced this frustration?

• ✂️ Your carefully designed ad gets cropped, cutting off key information
• 📱 Your HD video looks blurry on mobile, despite being high quality
• 📉 Your campaigns underperform, and you can't figure out why

The culprit? Wrong ad sizes and specifications.

Most performance issues start before the campaign even launches—in the design phase.

Today, we're giving you the ultimate "hand-holding" guide to Facebook ad sizes. Whether you're a design beginner or advertising veteran, this article will clarify all placement specifications and help you spend every dollar effectively.

Bookmark this now. You'll reference it constantly.

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Real-World Example: Why Size Matters

Let's look at three versions of the same ad:

Version A: 1:1 (1080x1080) - Square

Version B: 9:16 (1080x1920) - Vertical Stories

Version C: 1.91:1 (1200x628) - Horizontal

Same creative. Different dimensions. Completely different results:

• Feed placement: Version A performs best
• Stories/Reels: Version B dominates
• Right Column (desktop): Version C is the only option

One size does NOT fit all.

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Quick Reference Table: Ad Sizes at a Glance

Screenshot this table and save it to your phone for instant reference:

Pro tip: When in doubt, use 1080px as your base width. It works for almost everything.

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The 4 Golden Rules (Master These First)

Before diving into specific pixel dimensions, memorize these 4 principles. Understand them, and you'll work twice as efficiently:

📱 Rule 1: Mobile-First Design

Reality check: 90%+ of Facebook users are on mobile.

What this means:

• Forget desktop. Design for vertical screens.
• Your creative must be eye-catching on a 6-inch phone screen
• Test everything on mobile before launching

Common mistake: Designing on a desktop monitor and assuming it'll look good on mobile. It won't.

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📍 Rule 2: Placement Determines Size

The same creative performs completely differently across placements.

Example:

• A 1:1 square image looks perfect in Feed
• The same image looks tiny and ineffective in Stories
• It gets completely cropped in Right Column

Solution: Design separate creatives for your most important placements. The performance difference will shock you.

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📐 Rule 3: Aspect Ratio > Pixel Count

Facebook cares more about your aspect ratio than exact pixels.

Why this matters:

• As long as the ratio is correct, higher resolution = better quality
• 1080px width is the sweet spot (not too small, not unnecessarily large)
• The system will scale your creative to fit, but it can't fix wrong proportions

Remember: Get the ratio right first, then worry about resolution.

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📝 Rule 4: Less Text = Better Performance

Historical context: Facebook used to reject ads with >20% text coverage.

Current reality: The 20% rule is gone, but the algorithm still prefers minimal text.

Best practice:

• Put your message in the ad copy, not the image
• Let the visual "speak" for itself
• If you must use text, keep it to headlines and CTAs only

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Core Placement Specifications (Detailed Breakdown)

Let's dive into the most important placements with exact specs and optimization tips.

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1. Feed Ads | The Main Battleground

Why it matters: This is where users spend the most time and where most ads appear.

Placement description: Appears in users' Facebook and Instagram main feed as they scroll.

✅ Recommended Specifications

🖼️ Image Ads

• Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (Square)
• Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• File Format: JPG or PNG
• Max File Size: 30 MB
• Text: Minimal (algorithm prefers <20% coverage)

🎬 Video Ads

• Aspect Ratio: 4:5 (Vertical)
• Resolution: 1080 x 1350 pixels
• File Format: MP4 or MOV
• Max File Size: 4 GB
• Duration: 1 second to 241 minutes (but 15-30 seconds is optimal)
• Frame Rate: 30 FPS minimum

💡 Optimization Tips

Why 4:5 for video?

• On mobile, 4:5 vertical video occupies 78% more screen space than 1:1 square
• More screen space = More attention = Better CTR
• This is the #1 reason to use 4:5 for Feed video ads

Image vs Video:

• Use 1:1 for images (clean, balanced, works everywhere)
• Use 4:5 for videos (maximum mobile impact)

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2. Stories & Reels | Immersive Full-Screen

Why it matters: Full-screen, vertical, fast-paced—the best placement for capturing young audiences.

Placement description: Appears in Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, and Messenger Stories.

✅ Recommended Specifications

• Aspect Ratio: 9:16 (Standard vertical)
• Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• File Format: MP4, MOV (video) or JPG, PNG (image)
• Max File Size: 4 GB (video), 30 MB (image)
• Duration: 1-120 seconds (but 5-15 seconds is optimal)

💡 Critical: Safe Zone Requirements

The #1 mistake in Stories ads: Ignoring safe zones.

What gets covered:

• Top ~250px: Profile picture, timestamp, "Sponsored" label
• Bottom ~340px: CTA button, swipe-up area, UI elements

What this means:

• Don't put logos in the top 250px
• Don't put text in the bottom 340px
• Keep all critical information in the middle 60% of the screen

Pro tip: Create a template with safe zone guides and reuse it for every Stories creative.

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3. Carousel Ads | Multi-Card Storytelling

Why it matters: Perfect for ecommerce product showcases or telling a sequential brand story.

Placement description: Users can swipe horizontally to view multiple images or videos.

✅ Recommended Specifications

• Aspect Ratio: 1:1 (Square)
• Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Number of Cards: 2 to 10
• File Format: JPG, PNG (images) or MP4, MOV (video)
• Max File Size: 30 MB per card (image), 4 GB per card (video)

💡 Optimization Tips

Consistency is key:

• All cards must use the same dimensions
• Maintain consistent design style across all cards
• Use consistent color palette and typography

Creative techniques:

• Create a "seamless panorama" effect by designing one long image split across cards
• Tell a story with sequential cards (Problem → Solution → Result)
• Show product variations (different colors, angles, use cases)

Performance tip: The first card gets 70%+ of impressions. Make it count.

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4. Right Column Ads | Desktop Brand Awareness

Why it matters: Desktop-only placement, good for brand exposure and retargeting.

Placement description: Appears in the right sidebar on Facebook desktop.

✅ Recommended Specifications

• Aspect Ratio: 1.91:1 (Horizontal)
• Resolution: 1200 x 628 pixels
• File Format: JPG or PNG
• Max File Size: 30 MB

💡 Optimization Tips

When to use:

• Brand awareness campaigns
• Retargeting desktop users
• B2B campaigns (professionals on desktop)

When to skip:

• Mobile-first campaigns (most campaigns)
• Performance/conversion campaigns
• Limited budget (prioritize mobile placements)

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5. In-Stream Video Ads | Pre-Roll & Mid-Roll

Why it matters: Captures attention during video content consumption.

Placement description: Plays before, during, or after video content on Facebook.

✅ Recommended Specifications

• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Horizontal) or 1:1 (Square)
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9) or 1080 x 1080 (1:1)
• Duration: 5-15 seconds (optimal), up to 10 minutes (max)
• File Format: MP4 or MOV
• Max File Size: 4 GB

💡 Optimization Tips

Sound is required:

• Unlike Feed, users expect sound in video content
• Design audio-first (music, voiceover, sound effects)
• Don't rely solely on captions

Duration matters:

• 5-10 seconds: Highest completion rate
• 15 seconds: Good balance
• 30+ seconds: High skip rate

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Analyzing Your Creative Performance with AI

One of the biggest challenges with creative optimization is understanding which sizes, formats, and designs actually perform best across different placements.

Common struggles:

• Can't easily compare performance across different aspect ratios
• Don't know which placements are driving results
• Hard to identify creative fatigue patterns
• Time-consuming to analyze creative metrics manually

The solution: Use an AI-powered analytics tool that automatically tracks creative performance across all placements.

Try Adfynx for Free — AI Meta Ads Analyst that helps you:

• Ask questions in plain English — "Which creative size has the best CTR?" or "Are my Stories ads performing better than Feed?"
• Get instant visual insights — See performance breakdowns by placement, aspect ratio, and creative format
• Analyze creative performance — Identify which sizes and formats drive the best engagement and conversions
• Generate professional reports — Auto-generated insights showing what's working across all placements

Stop guessing which creative specs work best. Get your free AI audit and optimize your creative strategy in 60 seconds.

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Advanced Tactics: Make Your Ads Stand Out

Following the specs above gets you to "passing grade." Want to reach "excellent"? Try these tactics:

✨ Maintain Visual Consistency

Why it matters: Builds brand recognition and trust.

How to do it:

• Use consistent color palette across all creatives
• Maintain the same typography style
• Ensure ad creative matches landing page design
• Create a brand style guide and stick to it

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⚡ The Golden 3-Second Rule

Reality: Users decide to scroll past or engage within 3 seconds.

For video ads:

• Lead with your strongest hook
• Show the product/benefit immediately
• Don't waste time on logos or intros

For image ads:

• Use bold, contrasting colors
• Feature faces (humans look at faces first)
• Create visual hierarchy (guide the eye)

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💬 Add Dynamic Captions

Critical stat: 85% of users watch videos with sound OFF.

What this means:

• Captions aren't optional—they're mandatory
• Use large, readable fonts
• High contrast (white text on dark background or vice versa)
• Position captions in safe zones

Tools for captions:

• Kapwing (automatic captions)
• Rev.com (professional captions)
• Adobe Premiere Pro (manual control)

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📢 Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)

Don't make users guess what to do next.

Effective CTAs:

• "Swipe to see more"
• "Shop now"
• "Download the app"
• "Learn more"
• "Sign up today"

CTA placement:

• In video: First 3 seconds + last 3 seconds
• In image: Bottom third (but above safe zone in Stories)
• In copy: First line and last line

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🎨 Always A/B Test

Never settle for a single creative.

What to test:

• Different aspect ratios (1:1 vs 4:5 vs 9:16)
• Image vs video
• Different hooks (first 3 seconds)
• Text overlay vs no text
• Different color schemes
• Various CTAs

Testing framework:

• Start with 3-5 variations
• Let each run for at least 3 days
• Analyze CTR, CPC, and conversion rate
• Scale winners, kill losers
• Iterate and repeat

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Complete Technical Specifications Table

For the technical teams, here's the comprehensive spec sheet:

Image Ads

Video Ads

Carousel Ads

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Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

❌ Mistake 1: Using Desktop-Optimized Creatives

The problem: Designing on a large monitor and assuming it'll work on mobile.

The fix: Always preview on mobile devices before launching.

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❌ Mistake 2: Ignoring Safe Zones in Stories

The problem: Putting logos, text, or CTAs in areas that get covered by UI elements.

The fix: Use safe zone templates and keep critical elements in the middle 60% of the frame.

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❌ Mistake 3: Using the Same Creative for All Placements

The problem: A 1:1 square image looks great in Feed but terrible in Stories.

The fix: Create placement-specific variations for your top-performing campaigns.

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❌ Mistake 4: Uploading Low-Resolution Images

The problem: Blurry, pixelated ads that look unprofessional.

The fix: Always use at least 1080px width. Higher is better (within file size limits).

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❌ Mistake 5: Overloading Images with Text

The problem: Algorithm deprioritizes text-heavy images.

The fix: Keep text minimal. Use ad copy for your message.

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Design Workflow: From Concept to Launch

Step 1: Identify Your Primary Placement

Question: Where will most of your budget go?

Answer determines:

• Which aspect ratio to prioritize
• Whether to design image or video first
• How much text to include

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Step 2: Create Master Assets

What you need:

• High-resolution product photos (2000px+)
• Brand assets (logo, colors, fonts)
• Video footage (if applicable)
• Copy and CTAs

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Step 3: Design for Primary Placement

Start with your main placement:

• Feed → 1:1 or 4:5
• Stories → 9:16
• Carousel → 1:1

Get this perfect before creating variations.

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Step 4: Create Placement Variations

Adapt your master creative for secondary placements:

• Reframe for different aspect ratios
• Adjust safe zones for Stories
• Resize text for smaller screens

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Step 5: Test on Actual Devices

Before launching:

• View on iPhone and Android
• Check in Facebook and Instagram apps
• Verify text readability
• Confirm CTAs are visible

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Step 6: Launch and Monitor

After launching:

• Track CTR by placement
• Monitor quality scores
• Watch for creative fatigue
• Prepare new variations

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Tools and Resources

Design Tools

For images:

• Canva (beginner-friendly, templates)
• Adobe Photoshop (professional)
• Figma (collaborative design)

For videos:

• Adobe Premiere Pro (professional)
• Final Cut Pro (Mac users)
• Kapwing (browser-based, easy)
• InShot (mobile editing)

Testing Tools

Preview tools:

• Facebook Creative Hub (official preview tool)
• Actual devices (iPhone, Android)
• Facebook Ads Manager preview

Analytics tools:

• Facebook Ads Manager (built-in)
• Adfynx (AI-powered insights)
• Google Analytics (landing page tracking)

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Related Resources

Want to master creative strategy? Check out our Fatal Mistakes in Facebook Ad Hooks to learn how to craft hooks that work with any size or format.

Need help with campaign structure? Read our Complete Facebook Ads Account Structure Guide to learn how to organize campaigns for optimal creative testing.

Struggling with performance? Dive into our Meta Ads Metrics Guide to understand which creative metrics actually matter.

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Final Thoughts: Specs Enable Creativity

Remember this:

Tools exist to serve people. Master these specifications not to be constrained by rules, but to better leverage them—so your creativity and value can be maximized for your target audience.

The best creatives:

• Follow the technical specs perfectly
• Then break creative boundaries within those constraints
• Test relentlessly
• Iterate based on data

Your checklist before every launch:

✅ Correct aspect ratio for primary placement

✅ High enough resolution (1080px+ width)

✅ Text is minimal and readable

✅ Safe zones respected (Stories/Reels)

✅ Tested on mobile devices

✅ CTA is clear and prominent

✅ Variations ready for A/B testing

Master the specs. Then master the creative.

That's how you win.