Creating successful Facebook ads involves more than just compelling text; it’s about captivating visuals. While excellent ad copy matters, the striking images and videos grab your audience’s attention, making them pause while scrolling and, hopefully, enticing them to click.
With Facebook constantly updating its recommended ad sizes, it is crucial to ensure your images and videos remain properly formatted. Nobody wants their carefully designed visuals to appear cropped, distorted, or worse, rejected by Facebook. That’s why we created this guide that provides an up-to-date rundown of the best image sizes for Facebook ads.
Image Size Guide for Facebook Ads
A Facebook ad without a picture is like a silent movie—easy to ignore. Every Facebook ad needs a good picture, but the thing is, there isn’t a universal best image size for Facebook ads. Different spots and types of ads need different picture sizes to look just right. The good news is you can easily find good stock images online or, even better, use AI-generated images that catch attention and represent your brand well.
These are the specifications and dimensions required for images on Facebook ads:
Feed image ads
Feed image ads are traditional single-image Facebook advertisements showcased within your newsfeed amid posts from family, friends, pages, and groups. Feed image ads should be in JPG or PNG format, with a ratio ranging from 1.91:1 to 1:1, a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, a maximum file size of 30MB, and minimum dimensions of 600 pixels width and height.
Instant article image ads
Instant article image ads present articles directly in-app, offering a tailored reading experience, with your ads seamlessly integrated, similar to print ads within a magazine. These ads should be in JPG or PNG format, maintain a ratio between 1.91:1 to 1:1, have a resolution of at least 1080 x 1080 pixels, and not exceed a file size of 30MB.
Search results image ads
Search results image ads on Facebook provide a gateway for users to discover desired content across Marketplace and the platform overall. These ads enable you to engage with users seeking product-specific or niche-related content, requiring images in JPG or PNG format, maintaining a ratio from 1.91:1 to 1:1, with a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, and not surpassing a file size of 30MB, while meeting minimum dimensions of 600 pixels width and height.
Marketplace image ads
Marketplace image ads offer an effective route to engage an active audience already primed for shopping within the diverse marketplace, ideal for discovering various products from local businesses and sellers. These ads require images in JPG or PNG format, with a 1:1 ratio, a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, and a maximum file size of 30MB.
Right-column image ads
Right-column image ads are exclusive to desktop viewing and are typically positioned along the screen’s right side. Due to their smaller size, Facebook advises against adding text overlay to these ads. Right-column image ads should be in JPG or PNG format, with a 1:1 ratio, a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, a maximum file size of 30MB, and specific minimum dimensions of 254 pixels width and 133 pixels height.
Facebook Videos
With Facebook’s increasing focus on videos, it’s crucial to understand the specifics for the best presentation. Remember that most users browse via mobile when creating video ads, so prioritize designs that work well on mobile screens. Also, remember that you can always use royalty-free videos to engage your audience. Here are the specifications and dimensions required for Facebook videos:
Feed video ads
Feed video ads, the quintessential Facebook adverts, appear within your newsfeed among content from your connections. A Facebook video ad should be in MP4, MOV, or GIF format, with a minimum width and height of 120 pixels and a resolution of at least 1080 x 1080 pixels. Its video ratio should be 4:5 for mobile viewing or 1:1 for both desktop and mobile, with a maximum duration of 241 minutes and a file size limit of 4GB.
Instant article video ads
Instant article video ads deliver a seamless article-reading experience within the app, similar to magazine ads. Captions aren’t supported, though sound remains optional. An instant article video ad must be in MP4, MOV, or GIF format, with minimum dimensions of 120 pixels width and height, a resolution of at least 1080 x 1080 pixels, a video ratio of 16:9, a maximum file size of 4GB, and a duration ranging from 1 second to 240 minutes.
Video feed ads
When users tap on a video in their News Feed, video feed ads pop up. These ads need to be in MP4, MOV, or GIF format, with at least 120 pixels width and height, maintaining a resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, a video ratio of 4:5, not exceeding 4GB in size and can run from 1 second up to 240 minutes.
Search results – video ads
Search results video ads allow you to engage with users seeking relevant content on Facebook’s vital Search platform, helping to connect your product or niche with their interests. These ads must meet specific criteria: being in MP4, MOV, or GIF format, having a minimum width and height of 120 pixels, a resolution of at least 1080 x 1080 pixels, a video ratio of 1:1, a file size limit of 4GB, and a duration spanning from 1 second to 240 minutes.
Business explore video ads
Business Explore content comprises paid advertisements and organic posts, offering users an avenue to explore various businesses tailored to their interests, such as clothing, beauty, or restaurants. To feature as a Business Explore video ad, the content must be in MP4, MOV, or GIF format, possess a minimum width and height of 120 pixels, a resolution of at least 1080 x 1080 pixels, a video ratio of 1:1 for desktop or mobile, with a file size not exceeding 4GB and a duration ranging from 1 second to 240 minutes.
Right-column video ads
Right-column video ads, exclusively for desktop viewing, typically feature along the screen’s right side, commonly seen alongside Facebook Pages but occasionally elsewhere. For these ads, go for MP4, MOV, or GIF formats and ensure they’re at least 120 pixels wide and tall. The resolution should hit a minimum of 1080 x 1080 pixels. They can have a video ratio 1:1 for desktop or mobile or 4:5 if it’s just for mobile. Keep the file size under 4GB; they can run from a quick second to 240 minutes.
Facebook Story Ads
Facebook Story ads appear amidst organic posts from friends, family, and brands they follow. These ads allow up to 6 seconds for image ads and 15 seconds for video ads, and users can swipe up for external links or call-to-action prompts. Using an Instagram story maker, you can create captivating Stories and automatically share them on your linked Facebook page, ensuring your content aligns perfectly with the immersive, vertical experience of Facebook Stories. These are the specifications and dimensions for Facebook Story ads:
Image story ads
Image story ads on Facebook offer an immersive, full-screen showcase for your product, allowing creative expression through emojis, stickers, and interactive elements like polls or question boxes. These ads last 5 seconds or until users swipe forward, providing a captivating visual experience. An image story ad requires JPG or PNG format, a 9:16 ratio, a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, a maximum file size of 30MB, and a minimum width of 500 pixels to meet the specifications for optimal display.
Video story ads
Stories offer an ideal platform for showcasing exclusive vertical videos. With Stories video ads lasting up to 15 seconds, you can split longer content across 2 or 3 separate cards, allowing viewers to continue watching by clicking “Keep Watching.” A video story ad requires MP4, MOV, or GIF format, a 9:16 ratio, a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels, a video duration between 1 second to 2 minutes, a maximum file size of 4GB, and a minimum width of 500 pixels to ensure optimal presentation.
Carousel Story ads
Carousel Story ads within Messenger offer a user-centric browsing experience directly above the main inbox, enabling interested shoppers to explore your products seamlessly within the app. These carousels work best with images in JPG or PNG format, keeping them under 30MB. Aim for MP4, MOV, or GIF format for videos, staying within 4GB and lasting anywhere from 1 second to 240 minutes. Ensure all content sticks to a 1:1 ratio and has a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1080 pixels for the best look.
Conclusion
Choosing the right images for Facebook ads can make a huge difference. Understanding the best image size for Facebook ads ensures your content looks great and grabs attention. With images for Facebook that meet the recommended dimensions, like the ones we’ve discussed, your ads can shine, engaging your audience and boosting your chances of success. You can also explore other social media ads, like Pinterest ads, to increase your visibility and reach. Keeping the image sizes in mind for any social media will help you make a strong impact and get the most out of your advertising efforts on the most popular social platform.