TikTok Ad Specs (2026): Sizes, Lengths and Safe Zones by Placement
Every TikTok ad spec for in-feed, Spark, TopView and carousel ads, each number quoted from TikTok's own help pages, with the safe zone in pixels.
Simon Beno
Co-founder, CEO & CMO, Selzee
10 min read
Short answer: a TikTok in-feed video ad is 9:16 at 540 x 960 pixels or larger, up to 500 MB, and 5 to 60 seconds long under TikTok's ad policy. Every number below is quoted from TikTok's own help pages, with the date we read them.
- Size: 9:16 at 540 x 960 or more; 16:9 at 960 x 540 and 1:1 at 640 x 640 also run (TikTok in-feed specs).
- Length: the spec page says up to 10 minutes, the ad policy says 5 to 60 seconds (TikTok ad policy). Plan for 60.
- File: MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP or AVI, up to 500 MB, at least 516 kbps.
- Safe zone: on a 1080 x 1920 frame, keep words out of the top 240 and bottom 660 pixels, 120 at each side and a 180 pixel column of buttons on the right, measured on TikTok's own file.
What are the TikTok ad specs for each placement?
TikTok's ad specs are minimums per placement, not one export size. The in-feed page lists the smallest video it takes for each shape, and the TopView and carousel pages do the same. The table puts the four placements most advertisers buy side by side, each row with the TikTok page it comes from and the day we read it. The same list holds if you searched for TikTok ad requirements or TikTok ad dimensions.
| Placement | Shape and minimum size | Length | File | Bitrate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-feed, Non-Spark | 9:16 at 540 x 960 or more (recommended); 16:9 at 960 x 540; 1:1 at 640 x 640 | Up to 10 minutes on the spec page; 5 to 60 seconds in the ad policy | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi; up to 500 MB | 516 kbps or more | In-feed page, updated June 2026, read 28 Oct 2026 |
| Spark Ads (Pull) | Your published organic post; no size stated | "No restrictions" | .mp4 or .mov | Not stated | Same page |
| TopView (Non-Spark and Spark Push) | 9:16 at 540 x 960 or more | 5 to 60 seconds, 9 to 15 recommended | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp; up to 500 MB | 2,500 kbps or more | TopView page, updated October 2026, read 28 Oct 2026 |
| Carousel | Images at 1200 x 628, 640 x 640 or 720 x 1280 | 2 to 35 images, up to 20 shown; music of 2 seconds or more | JPG or PNG; 100 KB or less suggested | n/a | Carousel page, updated September 2026, read 29 Oct 2026 |
TopView needs 2,500 kbps, about five times the in-feed floor, so a file that clears the in-feed floor can fall short for TopView. Export at 2,500 kbps or more if the same video may run in both.
Which TikTok ad specs do guides get wrong?
Five numbers that spec guides repeat are not in TikTok's ad specs. Each is a real number, but from a different spec, read as the ad spec. Check any chart you use against this column on the right.
| What guides say | What that number really is | What TikTok's ad pages say |
|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1920 is required | The common vertical export size, which TikTok does not publish | Minimums only: 540 x 960 for 9:16 |
| 720 x 1280 is the minimum | The frame TikTok draws its safe-zone files on, and the vertical carousel image | 540 x 960 for a 9:16 video |
| Image ads must be under 50 KB | The 98 x 98 profile photo, which must be under 50 KB | Carousel images: 100 KB or less suggested, not required |
| Carousel is 1200 x 628, up to 10 cards | One of three carousel sizes | 1200 x 628, 640 x 640 or 720 x 1280; 2 to 35 images |
| Spark Ads stop at 60 seconds | The ad policy's cap, applied to Spark | Spark Ads (Pull): "No restrictions" |
Exporting at 1080 x 1920 is fine: it is above the minimum. It is a choice, not TikTok's rule.
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Add as preferred sourceHow long can a TikTok ad be?
A standard TikTok in-feed ad can be 5 to 60 seconds under TikTok's ad policy, even though its spec page allows longer. The in-feed spec page says a Non-Spark video can run "up to 10 minutes" (TikTok in-feed specs). TikTok's Ad format and functionality policy, updated April 2026, says: "The duration of the ad must be a minimum of 5 seconds, and a maximum of 60 seconds" (TikTok ad policy). The policy is the rulebook ads are reviewed against, so a Non-Spark ad of 5 to 60 seconds fits both pages, and one over 60 fits only the spec page.
| Placement | What TikTok's spec page says | What TikTok recommends |
|---|---|---|
| In-feed, Non-Spark | Up to 10 minutes; policy: 5 to 60 seconds | No length given |
| Spark Ads (Pull) | "No restrictions", any length you can publish organically | No length given |
| TopView | 5 to 60 seconds | 9 to 15 seconds |
We did not upload a 90-second ad to see which page Ads Manager follows, so this is only what TikTok publishes. If the story needs more than a minute, post it organically and run it as a Spark Ad: our TikTok Spark Ads guide covers how the authorisation works. We covered the same question for Instagram in how long an Instagram story ad can be.
What is the TikTok safe zone in pixels?
On TikTok's current in-feed file, the safe zone of a 1080 x 1920 ad starts 240 pixels from the top, ends 660 pixels above the bottom, keeps 120 pixels from each side and steps around a 180 pixel column of buttons on the right. TikTok prints no number in words: its in-feed page links zip files only, and says the zone depends on the shape, "ad caption length, and any additional formats used" (TikTok in-feed specs). We read the figures off TikTok's own files, drawn on a 720 x 1280 frame, and multiplied them by 1.5.
| TikTok's file | Frame | Top | Each side | Button column | Bottom | At 1080 x 1920 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-feed standard, dated April 2025 | 720 x 1280 | 160 | 80 | 120 wide, top 720 above the bottom | 440 | 240 top, 120 sides, 180 column, 660 bottom |
| In-feed with anchor, dated April 2021 | 540 x 960 | 126 | 60 | 120 from the right edge | 406 (1 caption line) to 507 (4 lines) | 252 top, 120 sides, 240 column, 812 to 1014 bottom |
| TopView, first 3 seconds | 720 x 1280 | 160 | 80 | None | 160 | 240 top and bottom, 120 sides |
| TopView, after 3 seconds | 720 x 1280 | 160 | 80 | 120 wide, top 720 above the bottom | 440 | Same as in-feed |
The anchor file is not outdated: TikTok says to use it when the ad carries an anchor, the product link above the caption (TikTok in-feed specs). One spec guide that ranks for this keyword gives 120 pixels at the top and 378 at the bottom of a 1080 x 1920 frame; TikTok's current file is 240 and 660.
TopView has two stages. For the first 3 seconds the video fills the screen and only a 160 band at the top and bottom is covered; then it drops into the feed with the in-feed zone. TikTok's TopView page says "in-feed safe zone is more restrictive than open screen" and "the longer the caption, the smaller the safe zone will be" (TikTok TopView specs). Its files mark the side bands blue, "may be cropped based on device type", and the top and bottom red, "may be blocked by UI elements". So design for the after-3-seconds frame.
The files themselves: TikTok's in-feed standard zip, the in-feed with anchor zip and the TopView zip. A transparent 1080 x 1920 overlay PNG, drawn from the same numbers, is free on our TikTok safe zone template page: put it on the top layer in Canva or CapCut and hide it before you export.
How do I check my ad against the TikTok safe zone?
Our free TikTok safe zone checker has its own page. Drop a still or a clip on its "Check my ad" box, or press "Try an example" to see one of our ads. It draws TikTok's current in-feed zone on your own frame, tells you whether the file plays full screen, and nothing is uploaded. A 1080 x 1920 file reads "Kept as is". A 480 x 854 file is under the 540 x 960 minimum, and the checker warns that most of its delivered pixels would be invented.
Check your ad in the free TikTok safe zone checker
A 4:5 feed ad is not 9:16. We dropped an 870 x 1080 ad Selzee made for Aladdin into the checker: it "plays with bars, filling 70% of the screen", and in the cropped version the right-hand button of the pop-up sits under TikTok's like and share column. For Instagram Reels the same check is in our Reels safe zone checker.
Which TikTok ad formats can you buy in 2026?
TikTok's ad help centre lists nine ad formats in its menu as of October 2026: TopView, Top Feed, TopReach, Standard feed, Branded Buzz, Spark Ads, TikTok Pulse suite, Branded Mission and Prime Time (TikTok TopView specs, left menu, read 28 Oct 2026). This guide gives specs for the ones whose spec page we read:
- Standard feed (in-feed): the auction ad on TikTok's in-feed spec page.
- Spark Ads: an organic TikTok post run as an ad, with its own length rule.
- TopView: the first video when the app opens. "TopView creatives require pre-approval" through a sales rep, and TikTok reviews the assets "within 2 days".
- Carousel: a creative type of the feed ad, covered in the next section.
Some guides still list formats that are not in this menu. We leave them out, because TikTok's own pages do not say whether they still run. For how to make the ad work once the file is right, see our TikTok ads best practices.
Can you run a static image ad on TikTok?
Yes, as a carousel. TikTok's carousel ads take 2 to 35 JPG or PNG images, up to 20 shown, at 1200 x 628, 640 x 640 or 720 x 1280, with 100 KB or less suggested per image (TikTok carousel specs). Three more rules from the same page:
- Music is a must. It loops, runs 2 seconds or more, and an upload is an MP3 up to 10 MB.
- One caption, one button, one URL for all images, unless a product catalog feeds the cards.
- Two placements: TikTok and TikTok Ad Network. Commercial Music Library tracks do not play on TikTok Ad Network, so upload your own music or the ad runs silent there.
Inside a video, a still can carry part of the ad, not the whole. TikTok's policy says "static images should not occupy more than 50% of the video" (TikTok ad policy), and TopView allows still pictures only outside the first 3 seconds and for no more than half the video (TikTok TopView specs).
A square static ad is the 640 x 640 card shape. This one Selzee made for Dust and Glow is 1024 x 1024, above that size:
For the Instagram side of the same sizes, see our Instagram post size guide.
What are the TikTok ad caption and profile limits?
A Non-Spark TikTok ad caption is up to 100 characters, in a white font you cannot change, with no links, @ or #. The rest of the text and profile limits:
| Field | Limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Caption, Non-Spark and Spark Push | Up to 100 characters; fixed white font; no links | TopView page; the in-feed page gives no count |
| Caption, in-feed Non-Spark | No clickable links, @ or # | In-feed page |
| Caption, Spark Ads (Pull) | Taken from the organic post; 4 lines shown | In-feed page |
| Lines before See more | 4 | TopView page |
| Account name | One line: 20 characters, 10 in Chinese, Japanese or Korean | In-feed page |
| Profile photo | 98 x 98, JPG or PNG, under 50 KB, key element in the centre 66 x 66 | In-feed page |
A long caption also shrinks the safe zone, so a short caption buys room for your own words on the video. Our TikTok caption generator writes captions sized for a Spark Ad or an in-feed ad.
How Selzee makes ads for TikTok
Selzee is an AI ad generator: it finds ads winning on Meta right now and recreates them for your brand, with new ones every day. It makes finished static image ads with copy, in feed, story and square sizes. You approve the ones you like and ship them to your TikTok account in 1 click, or download them. On TikTok a static ad runs as a carousel card, or as a still inside a video under the 50% rule above. If you run TikTok ads from Claude, see how to connect TikTok Ads to Claude.
FAQ
What size should a TikTok ad be?
A TikTok video ad should be 9:16 at 540 x 960 pixels or larger; most teams export 1080 x 1920, which is above that minimum. Horizontal 16:9 (960 x 540 or more) and square 1:1 (640 x 640 or more) also run, but play smaller than the screen (TikTok in-feed specs).
Is 1080x1920 required for TikTok ads?
No. TikTok publishes only a minimum for a 9:16 ad, 540 x 960, on both its in-feed and TopView spec pages. 1080 x 1920 is a common export size above that floor, not a TikTok requirement.
What is the file size limit for a TikTok ad?
A TikTok video ad can be up to 500 MB, in-feed or TopView. A carousel image has a suggested 100 KB, uploaded carousel music is up to 10 MB, and the profile photo must be under 50 KB (TikTok carousel specs).
Can a TikTok ad be longer than 60 seconds?
A Spark Ad can: TikTok sets "no restrictions" on its length. A Non-Spark ad is listed at up to 10 minutes on the in-feed spec page, but TikTok's ad policy caps an ad at 5 to 60 seconds, and TopView is 5 to 60 seconds (TikTok ad policy).
Do Spark Ads have different specs?
Yes. A Spark Ad (Pull) runs an existing organic post, so it has no duration limit, takes .mp4 or .mov, and uses the post's own caption, with 4 lines shown. On TopView, Spark Push follows the Non-Spark specs. More in our Spark Ads guide.