Safe zone
A safe zone is the area of a video ad frame that the platform's interface does not cover. Captions, usernames, buttons and progress bars sit on top of the edges of full-screen placements, so text and logos must stay inside the safe zone. For Instagram Reels, Meta recommends keeping the top 14%, bottom 35% and 6% of each side clear.
Updated
Published margins
| Placement | Keep clear | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | Top 14%, bottom 35%, 6% each side | Meta Ads Guide |
| Instagram Stories | Roughly 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side | Meta Ads Guide |
| Facebook Stories | Top 14%, bottom 20% | Meta Ads Guide |
| TikTok in-feed | Varies by orientation and caption length; use TikTok's overlay files | TikTok Ads Manager |
Designing for it
- Put on-screen text and the product in the upper-middle of a vertical frame.
- Keep logos away from corners, where profile images and buttons sit.
- Burn captions in above the bottom margin, not at the very bottom where most editors default.
- Check every export against the platform's preview or overlay template before launch.
Why it matters more for repurposed ads
An ad made for a feed, where nothing overlays the video, often places its call to action in the lower third. Moved into Reels or Stories, that exact area is under the interface. This is the most frequent reason a cross-posted ad underperforms for reasons that have nothing to do with the idea.
Questions
- Do safe zones apply to Facebook Feed?
- Feed placements have far less overlay than Stories and Reels, but the footer and text above the video still frame it. The large published margins apply to full-screen vertical placements.
Sources
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels video
- Meta Ads Guide: Facebook Stories video
- TikTok Ads Manager: Auction In-Feed Ads specs
Read on 13 October 2026. Platforms change specs and policies without notice; check the source before you build to a number.