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Facebook & Instagram Stories Ad Specs 2026

Design at 9:16 (1080 x 1920). Below is the full spec, the practical rules for getting it right, and a free validator to check your own files.

Specs last verified July 2026

Facebook & Instagram Stories ad specifications
PlatformMeta
Recommended aspect ratio9:16
Accepted ratios9:16, 4:5, 1:1
Recommended resolution1080 x 1920
Minimum resolution600 x 1067
File typesJPG, PNG, MP4, MOV
Max file size30 MB image · 4 GB video
Video length1 sec – 120 sec
FormatsImage, Video, Carousel
Primary text125 recommended
HeadlineOptional — often hidden by the UI

Keep text and logos inside the center safe zone: leave the top ~14% and bottom ~20% clear of the profile bar and CTA. As of 2026 Stories and Reels share one 9:16 safe zone.

How to get Facebook & Instagram Stories right

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Design it right

Stories are full-screen vertical, so 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 is the only ratio that fills the frame edge to edge. Anything else gets background padding: a 4:5 or 1:1 file runs, but it sits in a letterboxed box with blurred bars above and below, which reads as recycled Feed creative rather than a native Story. As of 2026 Facebook Stories, Facebook Reels, Instagram Stories and Instagram Reels share one unified 9:16 safe zone, so a single vertical master covers all four.

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The common mistake

The mistake that quietly hurts Stories is ignoring the safe zone. The top roughly 14% holds the profile row and the bottom roughly 20% holds the caption and call-to-action, so any text, logo or key subject placed there gets covered by the UI. Keep everything important in the center band. Stories accept both image and video - unlike Reels, a static image runs here - so a well-composed 9:16 still image is a legitimate Stories ad. Keep video under 120 seconds and design for sound-off with captions.

Check your creative against Facebook & Instagram Stories

Drop your files into the free creative validator - it reads each file's dimensions in your browser, tells you which placements it covers, and flags the aspect ratio your set is missing. For a single file, the aspect ratio checker gives a per-placement verdict.

Open the validatorAspect ratio checker

Facebook & Instagram Stories FAQ

What is the best aspect ratio for Stories ads?
9:16 (1080 x 1920). It fills the entire vertical screen. Any other ratio gets background padding with blurred bars, so you lose screen space and the ad looks less native.
What is the Stories safe zone?
Keep text and logos out of the top ~14% (profile bar) and bottom ~20% (caption and CTA). Place key elements in the center of the 1080 x 1920 frame so the UI never covers them. Stories and Reels now share this same 9:16 safe zone.
Can I use a static image for a Stories ad?
Yes. Unlike Reels, Stories accept both image and video. A well-composed 9:16 still at 1080 x 1920 works, though full-screen video usually holds attention longer in this placement.
How long can a Stories ad video be?
Up to 120 seconds. In practice a Stories ad should be much shorter - the placement is fast-swiped, so front-load the hook in the first couple of seconds and keep the whole thing tight.
Will a Feed creative work in Stories?
It runs, but a 4:5 or 1:1 Feed file gets letterboxed with background bars in the full-screen vertical placement. Export a dedicated 9:16 cut so the ad fills the screen and looks native rather than repurposed.

Other placement specs

Facebook Feed ad specsMeta · 4:5Instagram Feed ad specsMeta · 4:5Instagram Reels ad specsMeta · 9:16Facebook Reels ad specsMeta · 9:16Facebook Marketplace ad specsMeta · 1:1In-stream Video ad specsMeta · 16:9Facebook Right Column ad specsMeta · 1:1Audience Network ad specsMeta · 9:16TikTok In-Feed ad specsTikTok · 9:16

One concept, every ratio, one ad

Once each concept has its 4:5 and 9:16 cuts, uplads reads the placement in every filename and merges them into a single multi-placement ad - the right cut in each surface - across a whole bulk launch.

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