The Real Facebook Ad Sizes for 2020

The sizes for Facebook Ads change fairly frequently, and a number of new ad formats are always being introduced, in addition to the updates of dimensions and specifications for existing videos and images. If you're wondering why so much attention is paid to these digital ads, it's because nearly 20% of all digital ad dollars are spent on Facebook. There are approximately 2 billion active monthly users on the platform and each of them spend approximately 53 minutes a day online, which is significantly more than either Snapchat or Instagram, both of which can only claim about 33 minutes of user time daily.That means when you're trying to reach potential customers with your ads, Facebook is the platform you should be using. Of course, all the executives at Facebook are well aware of this fact, and that means they're going to help you plot out the best possible approaches for using ads to attract customers. In order to stay abreast of all the changes, the information below is provided so you can refer to it whenever you're involved with Facebook ad creation.

Video ad sizes

The number one recommendation Facebook always has for its advertisers is to prioritize mobile design above all other forms of advertising. The platform has issued guidelines for uploading both square and vertical aspect ratios so as to achieve the best possible look on both mobile screens and desktop screens. Square aspect ratios are recommended to be 1:1, while vertical aspect ratios are suggested to be either 4:5, 9:16, or 2:3.An additional recommendation is to limit the duration of videos to 15 seconds or less, and to incorporate captions with those videos, so they will be effective either with sound or without. For all kinds of video ads, Facebook recommends using the highest possible resolution, without using letter boxing or pillar boxing.It recommends that landscape videos should have a 1.9:1 aspect ratio and should contain a minimum of 600×315 pixels. Square ads should be at least 600×600 pixels with a 1:1 aspect ratio. MP4 or MOV format videos should have a file size no larger than 4 GB, with a maximum length of 240 minutes, and a high-end frame rate no greater than 30 frames per second.

Instant article videos

Instant article videos should use the highest possible resolution, and a video ratio somewhere between 9:16 and 16:9. The file size for instant article videos should not exceed 4 GB, and the minimum-maximum duration should be somewhere between one second and 240 minutes. Facebook cautions advertisers that when using thumbnails that exceed 20% text content, there could be degraded video delivery to users.

In-stream videos

Again with in-stream videos, the recommended resolution is the highest possible resolution available. The video ratio aspect is recommended to be at 16:9, but an aspect of 9:16 will still be supported. Once again the maximum video file size is at 4 GB, with the minimum and maximum lengths being five seconds and 15 seconds respectively. Once again, when thumbnail content consists of more than 20% text, it is possible that video delivery is less than optimal.

Marketplace video ads

As with most other video ads, the recommended resolution is the highest possible resolution available, and the video ratio aspect can be somewhere between 9:16 and 16:9. Maximum file size is again 4 GB, with minimum video length being one second and maximum video length being 240 minutes. As with other video ad types, when the thumbnail content exceeds 20% text, video at delivery may be less than optimal. In addition, if your vertical video aspect ratio exceeds 2:3, it is entirely possible that it will be cropped down to a 2:3 aspect ratio.

Stories ads

Facebook recommends that you use the highest possible resolution which is available, and that your video ratio should be somewhere between 1.91 to 9:16. Your file size must not exceed 4 GB, and the maximum length of your video cannot exceed two minutes. As with other video ad types, when your thumbnail content is greater than 20% text, you may not have optimal video delivery to consumers.

Video feeds

Video feeds are slightly different from most other videos in Facebook, primarily because anytime a user clicks on a video appearing in their feed, that particular video will be displayed in a separate player, with additional video feeds appearing below it. These types of ads appear in those specific video feeds. As usual, Facebook recommends that resolution be the optimal available resolution, and the video ratio aspect should be somewhere between 9:16 and 16:9. Maximum file size for your video feed ads should be 4 GB, with minimum video length being one second and maximum video length being 240 minutes. The usual constraints apply with thumbnails whose content is greater than 20% text.

Facebook image ad sizes

Obviously, customers will want to see what it is they're buying before they take the plunge and make a purchase, and that's why it's important to include images with your ads, so that you can get the attention of your audience. The images which you use should be those which feature your brand in some kind of catchy setting, or in a unique way that no one has thought of before.It's definitely true that designing visual ads for Facebook can be a challenging prospect, and of course because there are different ad destinations and display formats, all those will call for different ad sizes. Fortunately, Facebook's Ads Manager allows you to upload various types of images for alternate display formats, after which you can preview how they look before deciding to go live with them.

Facebook Carousel ad sizes

Carousel allows you to feature as many as 10 images or videos in a single ad, all without forcing the user to scroll to a new page. Carousels may potentially appear in a number of different areas on Facebook, including the main Facebook feed, Facebook Messenger, the Facebook Audience Network, Facebook Marketplace, and instant articles. All Carousel formats use the same specifications for images and videos, which are as follows: 1080×1080 pixels, maximum file size of 30 MB, recommended aspect ratio of 1:1, minimum cards 2, and maximum cards 10.