Meta
Instagram Reels 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
| Platform | Meta |
|---|---|
| Recommended aspect ratio | 9:16 |
| Accepted ratios | 9:16 |
| Recommended resolution | 1080 x 1920 |
| Minimum resolution | 600 x 1067 |
| File types | MP4, MOV, JPG, PNG |
| Max file size | 4 GB video / 30 MB image |
| Video length | 1 sec - 90 sec |
| Formats | Image, Video |
| Primary text | 72 recommended (shown above the caption fold) |
| Headline | Optional - de-emphasized in Reels |
Video is the native format, but image ads DO run in the Reels placement - Meta publishes a separate image spec for it. (The 'video only' rule applies to organic Reels, not to ads.) Keep captions and key visuals inside Meta's safe zone: about 14% free at the top, 35% at the bottom, where the caption, CTA and action buttons sit, and 6% on each side.
How to get Instagram Reels right
Design it right
Instagram Reels is a full-screen 9:16 placement at 1080 x 1920 built around video. Image ads run here too, but video is what the feed is made of. Reels sit in an entertainment feed, so the creative that works looks native: shot vertically, fast-paced, and hooking in the first second. A repurposed 1:1 or landscape file either gets heavy letterboxing or simply cannot be used, so a dedicated vertical master is not optional for this placement.
The common mistake
The safe zone matters in Reels because the lower part of the frame is crowded: the caption, the profile and CTA, the audio ticker and the action buttons all sit there. Meta's guide asks you to keep the bottom 35%, the top 14% and 6% on each side free of text and key visuals. Ads run up to 90 seconds, but shorter usually holds better; design for sound-off with on-screen text since many viewers keep audio muted. The same 9:16 master and the same safe zone serve Facebook Reels and Stories.
Check your creative against Instagram Reels
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.
Instagram Reels FAQ
What is the aspect ratio for Instagram Reels ads?
Can I use an image for an Instagram Reels ad?
How long can an Instagram Reels ad be?
Where should I keep text in a Reels ad?
Is the Reels spec the same as Stories?
Other placement specs
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.