How long should a video ad be?
Platform limits are far longer than most ads should be: TikTok in-feed allows 10 minutes, LinkedIn 30 minutes, Reels 15 minutes. Where platforms do recommend a length, it is short: Pinterest suggests 6 to 15 seconds and Google suggests under 60 seconds for Shorts. Choose length by how much you need to say, then test a shorter cut.
Updated
Limits and recommendations by placement
All figures are from each platform's own ads guide, read on 13 October 2026. See the individual spec pages for sources.
| Placement | Platform limit | Platform recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok in-feed | Up to 10 minutes | Not stated |
| Instagram Reels | Up to 15 minutes | Not stated |
| Instagram Stories | 1 second to 60 minutes | Under 16s plays in full |
| Facebook Feed | 1 second to 241 minutes | Not stated |
| Facebook Stories | 1 second to 3 minutes | 15s or less plays in full |
| YouTube skippable in-stream | No maximum | Under 3 minutes |
| YouTube non-skippable | 15 to 60 seconds | By campaign subtype |
| YouTube bumper | 6 seconds | — |
| YouTube Shorts | — | Under 60 seconds |
| 3 seconds to 30 minutes | Not stated | |
| 4 seconds to 15 minutes | 6 to 15 seconds |
How to choose a length
- Write the message first. If it fits in one sentence and one shot, it is a 6 to 15 second ad.
- If it needs a demonstration, budget 15 to 30 seconds.
- If it needs a story or a full explanation, consider 30 to 60 seconds, and put the claim in the opening anyway.
- Cut a shorter version of every longer ad and let results decide.
Why shorter often wins
Shorter ads are completed more often, which helps view-based metrics, and they force a single message. But the shortest ad is not automatically best: a product that needs to be demonstrated may convert better with a longer cut that people choose to watch. Test rather than assume.
Sources
- TikTok Ads Manager: Auction In-Feed Ads specs
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels video
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Stories video
- Meta Ads Guide: Facebook Feed video
- Meta Ads Guide: Facebook Stories video
- Google Ads Help: About video ad formats
- Google Ads Help: Video ad requirements
- LinkedIn Ads Guide: Video ads
- Pinterest Business Help: Pinterest product specs
Read on 13 October 2026. Platforms change specs and policies without notice; check the source before you build to a number.