Facebook Video Ad Specs & Placements Guide for 2024

While Facebook started as a way for college students to connect, it has grown into a social media powerhouse. Since its creation in 2004 (yep — 20 years ago), much of the platform has evolved in countless ways, including the Facebook ad specs.  

Here, we’ll explore Facebook video ad specs so you can effectively implement the platform into your video marketing strategy. 

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Benefits of Facebook Video Marketing

Facebook video marketing can be incredibly beneficial for your business. Some video marketing benefits: 

• Reach your audience. With over 3 billion monthly active users (MAUs) around the globe, you can use the platform to reach (at least part of) your target audience. 
• Increase brand awareness. In addition to reaching your specific audience, you can also increase brand awareness by targeting people who might not know about your brand yet. 
• Engage with your customers. You’ll also be able to engage with your current and potential customers on Facebook. Often, video content drives the most shares and engagement on social media, so be sure to focus on video production and testing different video types within your Facebook marketing strategy. 

Facebook Video Ad Specs & Placements

As user demographics have diversified and grown over the last twenty years, Facebook has remained the most widely used social media platform. This makes the channel a great option for every organization aiming to drive awareness, engagement, and conversions with every kind of consumer. No matter your objective or audience, Facebook has an advertising solution to meet your needs.

Since their pivot in 2015, the text and image-heavy social platform has been filled with video content. For your brand to stay fresh, feel relevant, and make the most significant impact, you need to produce a constant stream of iterative video ads. As Facebook eases barriers to entry for organizations of all sizes, video marketing content will help you stay afloat in a sea of competitors vying for attention.

Facebook has developed a suite of creative ad placements to help support your social media video marketing initiatives. But if you’ve poked around Facebook’s Ads Guide, you’ll know these offerings can be a little overwhelming. For a more digestible entry point to wrapping your head around marketing on the platform and understanding Facebook video ad sizes, we’re highlighting four placements that can make the greatest impact on your campaign objectives.

Need help making videos? See how our video production platform can help your business.

Facebook Feed

One of the essential Facebook ad specs to know is for Feed ads. The Feed is the first thing users see and interact with when they open Facebook. While the platform has evolved through the years, browsing through your Feed is still the primary experience of using Facebook.

Both organic and paid in-feed ads will appear in a user’s personalized feed as they scroll. Like any content on the platform, users can engage with an ad by liking, commenting, or sharing a post. Advertisers can further support their in-feed video ad ideas through calls-to-action (CTAs) that can open to internal or external landing pages.

For some objectives, you can utilize a 360-degree video to truly immerse your audience in the content and provide an interactive experience. 

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile only) 
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest-resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max video file size: 4GB
• Video length: 1 second to 241 minutes
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended

Video captions are optional but highly recommended. Facebook feed videos default to a sound-off experience, meaning the user has to unmute the video manually, so captions should include any vital information conveyed in the audio of your video (e.g., dialogue or VO). 

You can add supporting copy to your video ads, as well. Primary description text is limited to 125 characters, but may be truncated. If you use a headline, it and its description will be limited to 27 characters each. It’s also important to note the description will only show on mobile if Facebook thinks it’s likely to resonate with the viewer.

QuickFrame client Nextdoor used a UI-focused, in-feed ad to communicate their value propositions by leading viewers through their product features.

Facebook In-Stream Video

Facebook In-Stream placements are ads that play before in-stream videos from publishers and content makers on Facebook Watch, or during Facebook Live streams from a select group of partners. Think of in-stream video ads like the short commercial breaks you get when watching a YouTube video. 

These videos often get users’ undivided attention. This unlocks opportunities for brands to deliver more nuanced messages, resulting in higher engagement rates.

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 1:1 is recommended
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max file size: 4GB
• Video length: 5 seconds to 15 seconds on desktop and 5 seconds to 10 minutes on mobile
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended

While you may be able to create longer-form video ad examples through this format, please note the video duration limit varies by device. 

Captions and sound are optional but strongly recommended, as Facebook defaults to a sound-on experience when a viewer clicks a video. In-Stream ads also allow supporting copy of up to 125 characters and descriptions of up to 40 characters. While text over these limits is permitted, it may be truncated. 

Facebook Video Feeds

When a user clicks on a video in their Facebook Feed, it opens a separate Video Feed player, which allows users to see additional, related video content they can scroll through and watch. 

This placement allows your ads to run between the organic content in a user’s video feed, making it a great way to feature your brand or product in exciting visual ways. This is an especially effective strategy if you leverage animation in marketing to stop the thumbs of your target audience.

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 4:5
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max file size: 4GB
• Videos length: 1 second to 241 minutes
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended

Captions and sound are both optional but recommended. Video Feed ads allow for supporting copy, with the primary text being capped at 125 characters. You can go over the limit like other ad types, but your copy may be truncated. These video ads also allow for a headline of up to 40 characters and a description of up to 30. 

Small-batch meal subscription service and QuickFrame client CookUnity was fairly new to video, but knew it was the answer when it came to an acquisition campaign on Facebook.

Facebook Stories

Stories are Facebook’s answer to Snapchat and TikTok’s short-form user-generated videos. With Facebook Stories, people can become content creators and use video to convey a message or tell a narrative arc. 

Story ads will run between each user-generated video. These Facebook ad placements are full-screen vertical ads, so make sure this video size works with your concept. 

Facebook Story ads can be up to two minutes long but will be split into multiple 15-second cards. These ads are skippable, so it’s important to have a “thumb-stopping” hook. If you capture viewers’ attention in the opening few seconds, they are more likely to continue watching the ad.

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max file size: 4GB
• Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended, but additional types are supported

Like the other ad placements on Facebook, video captions and sound are both optional but highly recommended, as viewers are most likely to watch Stories with the sound on. You can also support your ad with headlines and descriptions, but be aware of the limitations. The primary text is limited to 125 characters and the headlines to 40 characters. You can go over both these limits, but the text may be truncated. 

Additionally, do not place text or logos in the top or bottom 250 pixels of the video. Profile icons (top of the screen) and CTAs (bottom of the screen) may cover essential information in these areas. 

Hairstory partnered with QuickFrame to execute a performance testing plan, surfacing platform-specific learnings for Facebook marketing.

Related: When Is the Best Time to Post on Facebook?

Facebook Search Results

Facebook Search Results video ads appear in, as the name implies, users’ search results. This is an effective way to connect with relevant audiences who might already be looking for your product or service. 

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 1:1
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max file size: 4GB
• Video length: 1 second to 241 minutes
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended

Captions and sound are both optional but recommended. Facebook Search Results ads allow for supporting copy, with the primary text being capped at 125 characters. You can go over the limit like other ad types, but your copy may be truncated. These video ads also allow for a headline of up to 40 characters and a description of up to 30. 

Facebook Business Explore

Facebook Business Explore ads provide businesses with the opportunity to get in front of customers who are ready and willing to engage. Since these users are interested in learning more about businesses in a certain industry, you’re already giving yourself a step above the competition. According to Facebook, the Facebook Business Explore experience is similar to other Meta Explore experiences, giving users a Feed curated to show them content they might enjoy. 

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 1:1 (desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (mobile only) 
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max file size: 4GB
• Video length: 1 second to 241 minutes
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended

Captions and sound are both optional but recommended. Facebook Business Explore ads allow for supporting copy, with the primary text being capped at 125 characters. You can go over the limit like other ad types, but your copy may be truncated. These video ads also allow for a headline and description, each of up to 27 characters. 

Facebook Reels Ads

Similar to the Facebook Video Feeds ads, Facebook Reels ads create an immersive experience for users. Once a Facebook user clicks on a Reel, it opens up in the Reels Feed, which allows them to watch a seemingly endless stream of recommended Reels. 

Video Ad Specs

• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max resolution: None, upload the highest resolution video available
• Min resolution: 1080 x 1080 
• Max file size: 4GB
• Video length: No limits
• Recommended file type: .mp4, .mov, or .gif are recommended

Please note that these ad spots do not support automated captioning, so be sure to include on-screen text or captions to allow for an effective sound-off experience. Facebook Video Reels ads allow for supporting copy, with the primary text being capped at 72 characters. You can go over the limit like other ad types, but your copy may be truncated. These video ads also allow for a headline of up to 10 characters. 

Making Facebook Videos at Scale

While Facebook video marketing has extensive benefits, it also requires businesses to have a consistent stream of fresh video content. However, this can be difficult. The traditional video creation process is often complex, and many marketing teams are already at capacity. 

That’s where we come in. At QuickFrame, we believe businesses of all sizes should have the opportunity to create custom video content. So, we created a platform to connect you with top Makers and production teams from around the globe who are ready to craft video content for all of your goals. 

Contact us today to see how QuickFrame can provide your team with an efficient, data-driven, multi-channel Facebook video production solution. 

Related: How Does the Facebook Algorithm Work?

Facebook Ad Sizes: Final Thoughts

As Facebook video marketing continues to evolve, it’s vital to keep up with the changes. By understanding the latest Facebook video ad specs, you’ll be able to implement effective video advertising on the platform and seamlessly connect with your audience. 

Need help with other networks? Check out our complete Social Media Video Ad Specs & Placements Guide