Aspect ratio
Aspect ratio is the proportion of a frame's width to its height, written width:height. 16:9 is widescreen, 1:1 square, 4:5 slightly tall and 9:16 full-screen vertical. Each ad placement is designed around one or a few ratios, and a video in the wrong ratio is cropped, letterboxed or shrunk to fit.
Updated
Common ratios and where they run
| Ratio | Shape | Typical placements |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 | Full-screen vertical | TikTok, Reels, Stories, YouTube Shorts |
| 4:5 | Tall | Facebook Feed (Meta's recommendation), LinkedIn, Pinterest |
| 1:1 | Square | Feeds on most platforms; Pinterest max width |
| 16:9 | Widescreen | YouTube in-stream, connected TV, desktop |
Ratio versus resolution
Ratio is shape; resolution is size. 1080 x 1920 and 1440 x 2560 are both 9:16, at different sharpness. Platforms usually state a recommended resolution and a minimum, and both must be met.
To check a ratio, divide width by height. 1080 ÷ 1920 = 0.5625, which is 9 ÷ 16. Platforms that publish a tolerance, such as LinkedIn's 5% or Meta's 1% for Stories, accept files whose ratio falls within that margin.
Converting between ratios
Going from 16:9 to 9:16 keeps only about a third of the original frame's width, so anything not near the centre is lost. Reframing, choosing what stays in shot for each ratio, works better than a centre crop. Letterboxing a horizontal video inside a vertical frame is accepted by most platforms but reads as a repurposed ad.
Questions
- What aspect ratio is 1080 x 1350?
- 4:5. Divide both numbers by 270.
- What aspect ratio should I use for all platforms?
- There is no single ratio that suits every placement. Most teams make 9:16 for vertical placements, 4:5 or 1:1 for feeds, and 16:9 for YouTube in-stream.
Sources
- Meta Ads Guide: Facebook Feed video
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels video
- Google Ads Help: Video ad requirements
Read on 13 October 2026. Platforms change specs and policies without notice; check the source before you build to a number.