Instagram reel size and length in 2026
Make an Instagram reel 1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical frame; Meta's ads guide recommends 1440 x 2560 for Reels ads. You can record reels up to 20 minutes, but Instagram only recommends reels of 3 minutes or less to people who don't follow you. Reels ads run up to 15 minutes.
Updated
Reel and short video specs by platform
Every number here is from the platform's own help or ads guide, read on the date above. Where a platform publishes nothing, we say so, and a usual size is marked as common practice.
| Placement | Size and ratio | Length | File | Safe zone | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | Size and ratio9:161080 x 1920 px is the usual export (common practice: 9:16 at Instagram's 1080 px width) | LengthRecord and edit up to 20 minutes. Only reels up to 3 minutes are recommended to people who don't follow you. | FileInstagram's Reels pages don't publish a file limit. | Safe zoneUse the Reels ads zone: 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides | SourceInstagram, Instagram for Creators |
| Instagram Reels ads | Size and ratio9:161440 x 2560 px recommended. Minimum width 250 px under 30 seconds, 500 px from 30 seconds. | Length0 seconds to 15 minutes | FileMP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB (Meta asks for H.264 video and AAC stereo audio at 128 kbps or more) | Safe zone14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side | SourceMeta |
| Instagram Stories ads | Size and ratio9:161440 x 2560 px recommended, minimum width 250 px | Length1 second to 60 minutes. From 16 seconds, a video is split into separate story cards. | FileMP4, MOV or GIF, up to 4 GB | Safe zoneAbout 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side | SourceMeta |
| Facebook Reels ads | Size and ratio9:161440 x 2560 px recommended | LengthNo maximum | FileMP4, MOV or GIF, up to 4 GB | Safe zoneAbout 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side | SourceMeta |
| Facebook Feed video ads | Size and ratio4:5 recommendedAt least 1440 x 1800 px; minimum 120 x 120 px | Length1 second to 241 minutes | FileMP4, MOV or GIF, up to 4 GB | Safe zoneMeta's guide gives none for this placement | SourceMeta |
| TikTok In-Feed ads | Size and ratio9:16 recommended (16:9 and 1:1 also accepted)At least 540 x 960 px (1080 x 1920 is the usual export) | LengthUp to 10 minutes (Spark Ads: no limit) | File.mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 500 MB | Safe zone12.5% top, 34.38% bottom, 11.11% each side, plus the button column on the right | SourceTikTok Ads Manager Help, TikTok Ads Manager Help |
| TikTok posts | Size and ratio9:161080 x 1920 px is the usual export (common practice) | LengthTikTok's help pages didn't give a limit we could confirm; check your upload screen. | FileNot published on the pages we read | Safe zoneUse the In-Feed ads zone | SourceTikTok Ads Manager Help |
| YouTube Shorts | Size and ratioVerticalUp to 1080p, so 1080 x 1920 px for 9:16 | LengthUp to 3 minutes | FileYouTube's Shorts page doesn't publish a file limit. | Safe zoneUse Google's vertical ads zone | SourceYouTube Help |
| YouTube vertical video ads (incl. Shorts) | Size and ratio9:161080 x 1920 px recommended, minimum 720 x 1280 px | LengthDepends on the ad format and campaign type | FileMP4, MOV, WebM and more, up to 256 GB | Safe zone15% top, 35% bottom, 4.44% left, 17.78% right | SourceGoogle Ads Help |
The 9:16 aspect ratio in pixels
9:16 means the height is 16/9 of the width. Any size in that shape works; these are the ones people export.
- 720 x 1280The minimum Google lists for vertical YouTube ads
- 1080 x 1920Full HD: the usual export for Reels, TikTok and Shorts
- 1440 x 2560What Meta's ads guide recommends for Reels and Stories ads
- 2160 x 38404K vertical: far larger files to upload
How long should a reel be for an ad?
The platforms publish limits, not a best length. Meta takes Reels ads up to 15 minutes and TikTok takes In-Feed ads up to 10. The line that matters on Instagram is 3 minutes: since January 2025 (first in the US), reels up to 3 minutes can be recommended to people who don't follow you, and longer ones can't.
For an ad, most small businesses run 15 to 30 seconds. That is common practice, not a platform rule: say one thing, show it, tell people what to do next. Our sample ads run 8 to 35 seconds, and ReelMade makes films of 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds.
Watch the sample adsInstagram Reels, TikTok and Shorts safe zones
The app draws its name line, caption and buttons over your video. Keep text and logos out of those margins. All sizes below are on a 1080 x 1920 frame.
- Instagram Reels
- Keep clear 14% (269 px) at the top, 35% (672 px) at the bottom and 6% (65 px) on each side. Meta's safe zone for Reels ads. Meta publishes none for organic reels, so this is the one to use for both.
- TikTok
- Keep clear 12.5% (240 px) at the top, 34.38% (660 px) at the bottom and 11.11% (120 px) on each side, plus a 16.67% (180 px) column of buttons on the right from 43.75% (840 px) down. TikTok's safe zone file for In-Feed ads. We found no separate one for organic posts in TikTok's help pages.
- YouTube Shorts
- Keep clear 15% (288 px) at the top, 35% (672 px) at the bottom and 4.44% (48 px) on the left and 17.78% (192 px) on the right. Google's universal safe zone for vertical video ads on YouTube, which run in Shorts. YouTube publishes none for organic Shorts.
Exporting a 9:16 video correctly
Or let ReelMade make the reel from your website- Set the frame to 1080 x 1920 px (9:16). Use 1440 x 2560 if you run the video as a Meta ad and want its recommended size.
- Export MP4 with H.264 video and AAC stereo audio at 128 kbps or more, constant frame rate and progressive scan: what Meta's ads guide asks for.
- Keep it under 500 MB if it will run as a TikTok ad, and under 4 GB for Meta.
- Burn the captions into the video so it still works with the sound off and looks the same in every app (common practice).
- Before you post, check the frame against the safe zones so the app's buttons don't cover your text or logo.
Reel size questions
Make it 1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical frame. That size is common practice rather than an Instagram rule. For Reels ads, Meta's ads guide recommends 1440 x 2560 pixels at 9:16, MP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB.
Instagram's Reels page says you can record and edit reels up to 20 minutes, but reels over 3 minutes aren't recommended to new audiences. Reels ads can run from 0 seconds to 15 minutes, per Meta's ads guide.
Instagram doesn't name a best length. To reach people who don't follow you, stay at 3 minutes or less. Most small-business ads run 15 to 30 seconds, which is common practice, not a platform rule.
Meta asks you to keep at least 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% of each side free of text and logos in Reels ads. On a 1080 x 1920 frame that is about 269 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom and 65 px on each side.
TikTok recommends 9:16 vertical video of at least 540 x 960 pixels for In-Feed ads, up to 500 MB and 10 minutes, as .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi. Most people export 1080 x 1920.
YouTube Shorts are vertical videos up to 3 minutes long, uploaded at up to 1080p, so 1080 x 1920 pixels at 9:16. For vertical video ads, Google recommends 1080 x 1920 and accepts 720 x 1280 at minimum.
Yes, if the text and logo sit where all three leave the frame clear: below the top 15%, above the bottom 35% and at least 11.11% in from the left and 17.78% from the right, with 27.78% clear on the right from 43.75% down for TikTok's buttons.
Sources
- Instagram, "Instagram Reels (features page and its help section)", https://about.instagram.com/features/reels, checked October 28, 2026.
- Instagram for Creators, "Finding success on reels in 2025 (January 21, 2025)", https://creators.instagram.com/blog/the-latest-with-instagram, checked October 28, 2026.
- Meta, "Ads Guide: video ads in Instagram Reels", https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/instagram-reels, checked October 28, 2026.
- Meta, "Ads Guide: video ads in Instagram Stories", https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/instagram-story, checked October 28, 2026.
- Meta, "Ads Guide: video ads in Facebook Reels", https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/facebook-facebook-reels, checked October 28, 2026.
- Meta, "Ads Guide: video ads in Facebook Feed", https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/update/video/facebook-feed, checked October 28, 2026.
- TikTok Ads Manager Help, "TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads (last updated June 2026)", https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/tiktok-auction-in-feed-ads, checked October 28, 2026.
- TikTok Ads Manager Help, "Video ads specifications (last updated June 2026)", https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/video-ads-specifications, checked October 28, 2026. Safe zone measured from TikTok's downloadable In-Feed Standard Version LTR safe zone file (drawn on a 720 x 1280 frame) linked from this page.
- YouTube Help, "Get started creating YouTube Shorts", https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10059070, checked October 28, 2026.
- Google Ads Help, "About video ad specs (universal safe zones for video ads on YouTube)", https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/13547298, checked October 28, 2026. Safe zone measured from Google's vertical safe zone overlay (1080 x 1920 PNG) linked from this page.
Platforms change their specs. Spot something out of date? Email us and we fix it.
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