What is the best video size for Facebook ads in 2026?

1080 x 1350 (4:5) for feed placements and 1080 x 1920 (9:16) for Reels and Stories. If you can only produce one asset, produce 9:16 — it covers the highest-volume placements and crops down to 4:5 more gracefully than the reverse.

How long should a Meta video ad be?

6-15 seconds for cold prospecting, 20-40 seconds for warm audiences, and 30-60 seconds for retargeting. Longer runtimes only earn their cost with audiences that already know you.

What file format does Meta prefer?

MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, exported at 10-16 Mbps in Rec.709. Meta re-encodes every upload, so the goal is a clean, generous source rather than a maximum-bitrate master.

Do I still need captions on Meta ads?

Yes. Most impressions begin muted. Burn captions into the video rather than relying on auto-captions, which use a font and position you cannot control and are not shown on every placement.

Can I run the same video on Reels and Feed?

You can, but you shouldn't upload one file to both. Meta will letterbox or crop it. Export a 9:16 version and a 4:5 version from the same master with text repositioned into each placement's safe zone.

How many creative variants should I test at once?

Three to five hooks against one identical body is the cleanest test. Keep everything except the first three seconds constant so the result tells you something you can reuse.

/ Journal

Notesfromthestudio.

Retention curves, hook tests, timeline shortcuts — what we actually learned this week, written by the editors who did the work.

/ Where these notes come from

Editors on our newsletter

we send one email a week

Videos / month

everything we write is from that work

Time zones

our editors cover

Retention

clients staying past month 3

/ FeaturedJul 22, 2026 · 11 min

Meta ads video specs in 2026 (and what converts)

Every aspect ratio, length, file spec and safe zone for Facebook and Instagram ads in 2026 — plus the editing choices that decide whether the spec even matters.

Read article →

/ Recent

All posts

Jun 18, 2026 · 8 min

Getnewpostsinyourinbox.

One email a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

Start my edit

Notesfromthestudio.

Meta ads video specs in 2026 (and what converts)

All posts

The 2026 YouTube retention playbook

UGC ad frameworks that actually scale

A clip-extraction system for podcasters

Why your skin tones look wrong (and the fix)

Subscription editing vs freelancers: the math

Where AI helps in post — and where it ruins your edit

What video editing actually costs in 2026

How to hire a YouTube editor without regretting it

Seven hook frameworks that still work on Shorts, Reels and TikTok

The clip system: how we turn one podcast episode into 40+ social posts

Color grading that doesn't look graded

Getnewpostsinyourinbox.