Facebook Stories ad specs
Facebook Stories video ads use 9:16 at 1440 x 2560 pixels (1% tolerance), MP4, MOV or GIF up to 4 GB, from 1 second to 3 minutes. Ads of 15 seconds or less play in full; longer ones are split into cards. Meta recommends 125 characters of primary text and a 40-character headline.
Updated
The spec sheet
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (1% tolerance) |
| Resolution | 1440 x 2560 px |
| Minimum width | 250 px |
| File types | MP4, MOV or GIF |
| Maximum file size | 4 GB |
| Duration | 1 second to 3 minutes |
| Primary text | 125 characters recommended |
| Headline | 40 characters recommended |
Safe zones
Meta's guide says to keep text and logos out of the top 14% (which it gives as 250 px) and the bottom 20% (340 px) so interface elements such as the call to action do not cover them.
Those pixel figures and percentages do not line up exactly for a 2560 px tall frame: 250 px is closer to 10% and 340 px to 13%. Design to the larger percentage margins and you satisfy both readings. Check the preview in Ads Manager before launch.
The fifteen-second split
A Stories ad of 15 seconds or less plays as one card. Anything longer is divided into cards and the viewer can tap to play the full video. Each card boundary is a natural exit point, so a long Stories ad should be written so the first card carries the whole message on its own.
This is the practical case for a separate Stories cut rather than reusing a Feed video: the structure that works in a scrolling feed does not survive being chopped into tappable segments.
Questions
- How long can a Facebook Story ad be?
- Meta's guide allows 1 second to 3 minutes. Ads of 15 seconds or less are shown in full; longer ones are split into Stories cards.
- What is the Facebook Stories safe zone?
- Keep text and logos out of the top 14% and bottom 20% of the 9:16 frame, per Meta's Ads Guide.
Sources
Read on 13 October 2026. Platforms change specs and policies without notice; check the source before you build to a number.