TikTok in-feed ad specs
TikTok in-feed video ads accept 9:16 vertical (recommended, at least 540 x 960 px), 16:9 (at least 960 x 540) or 1:1 (at least 640 x 640). Files can be .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 500 MB and up to 10 minutes long, with a bitrate of at least 516 kbps.
Updated
The full spec sheet
| Spec | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (recommended), 16:9 or 1:1 |
| Minimum resolution | 540 x 960 (9:16) · 960 x 540 (16:9) · 640 x 640 (1:1) |
| File types | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi |
| Length | Up to 10 minutes |
| File size | 500 MB or less |
| Bitrate | At least 516 kbps |
| Display name | One line; up to 20 characters (10 for Chinese, Japanese, Korean) |
| Profile photo | 98 x 98 px square, .jpg/.jpeg/.png, under 50 KB |
What the ten-minute limit does not tell you
TikTok will accept a ten-minute file, but acceptance is not the same as attention. In-feed ads sit between organic videos that a viewer can swipe past at any moment, so the length that matters is how long the opening holds someone, not how long the upload is allowed to run.
In practice that means writing the first two or three seconds as if they were the entire ad. If the hook does not land, nothing after it is seen. Many advertisers cut a short and a long version from the same script and let delivery data decide which one earns its spend.
Vertical is recommended for a reason
TikTok lists 9:16 as the recommended ratio because the app is a full-screen vertical feed. A 16:9 or 1:1 file is accepted, but it occupies a fraction of the screen and surrounds the creative with dead space that reads as a repurposed ad.
If your source footage is horizontal, reframe it rather than letterboxing it: crop to the subject, reposition text, and check that nothing important sits where the caption and action buttons overlay the frame.
Captions, profile and safe zones
- Ad captions render as white text in a fixed font and cannot contain clickable links, @ mentions or hashtags.
- The display name is a single line, so brand names longer than 20 characters need a shortened form.
- The profile photo's key element should sit inside the central 66 x 66 px of the 98 x 98 image, because the corners are cropped.
- TikTok publishes downloadable safe-zone overlays that vary by orientation, caption length and add-on formats. Check your frame against the current overlay rather than a fixed margin.
Questions
- What is the best size for a TikTok ad?
- 9:16 vertical, which TikTok lists as recommended, at a minimum of 540 x 960 px. Higher resolutions such as 1080 x 1920 meet that minimum comfortably.
- How long can a TikTok in-feed ad be?
- TikTok's guide allows in-feed video up to 10 minutes. It does not state a minimum. Shorter cuts are common because attention, not the limit, is the constraint.
- Can TikTok ad captions include hashtags?
- Not in non-Spark in-feed ads. TikTok's guide says the caption cannot contain clickable links, @ symbols or hashtags. Spark Ads use the organic post's caption instead.
Sources
Read on 13 October 2026. Platforms change specs and policies without notice; check the source before you build to a number.