Quick take
- Feed runs on 1:1 at 1080×1080 or 4:5 at 1080×1350. Stories and Reels want 9:16 at 1080×1920.
- 9:16 works as a shared master for vertical placements across both apps, but still preview each placement on its own.
- When the ratio doesn't match the placement, Meta may crop or refit the image on its own. Check every placement preview in Ads Manager before you launch.
For Meta feed placements, build at 1:1 (1080×1080) or 4:5 (1080×1350). For Stories and Reels, build at 9:16 (1080×1920), which also works as a shared master for vertical placements. Carousels go at 1:1. When a ratio doesn't match a placement, Meta may crop or refit the image, so preview every placement in Ads Manager before you launch.
Meta's spec table looks intimidating: dozens of placements, a pile of ratios. This isn't the whole table. It's the production baseline we actually build against, plus the handful of things worth checking before anything goes live.
Three ratios cover most placements
If you only want to memorize the minimum:
- Feed: 1:1 at 1080×1080, or 4:5 at 1080×1350. 4:5 claims more vertical space on a phone; 1:1 travels more safely across placements.
- Stories and Reels: 9:16 at 1080×1920. Full-screen vertical, the most immersive unit Meta has.
- Carousel: build at 1:1, 1080×1080. Every card in a set gets the same ratio, and the placement preview has the last word.
Ad formats, campaign objectives, and the placements available to a given account all vary, so don't treat any single ratio as a hard rule for every situation. Once the creative is built, walk each placement in Meta Ads Manager and check the crop and the text position.
One bonus: the 9:16 you cut for Stories and Reels is the same ratio TikTok and YouTube Shorts use. One vertical master covers a lot of ground.
The full size table
When you need the whole thing:
| Placement | Ratio | Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed | 4:5 | 1080×1350 | More vertical space on mobile |
| Feed baseline | 1:1 | 1080×1080 | Safest across placements |
| Stories / Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | Covers all four vertical placements |
| Carousel | 1:1 | 1080×1080 | Safe baseline; one ratio per set |
| Landscape / in-stream | 16:9 | 1920×1080 | Mostly video |
| Right column / link image | 1.91:1 | 1200×628 | Small desktop unit |
Format and file size: JPG or PNG, under whatever upload ceiling the platform currently sets. Building at 1080 keeps things sharp and reusable. Treat all of that as production guidance, not a minimum that every ad format enforces. Ads Manager's upload validation is the actual authority.
Carousels: keep every card on one ratio
The safe baseline for a carousel is 1:1 at 1080×1080, with every card in the set cut the same way. Some placements and formats accept other ratios, but don't mix them without checking the preview first.
If the target placement renders square, a 4:5 card loses its top and bottom bands. That is exactly where headlines and CTAs tend to live. Pick one ratio before you start building, then check each card against the placement preview.
Safe zones: keep Stories and Reels off the edges
Vertical placements here work like TikTok's. Account info sits along the top, the CTA sits at the bottom, engagement controls run down the right side, and any of it can cover your image. The interface shifts with device, placement, and which ad components are switched on, so no fixed set of pixel margins stays correct forever.
Build with the headline, the product, and the CTA toward the middle of the frame and leave generous room on all four sides. Then open Ads Manager and calibrate against each placement preview. The same rule shows up in our TikTok creative size guide; when the same product needs a Xiaohongshu cut, switch to its 3:4, 1080×1440 cover spec.
The mistake we see most: Meta refits your creative
When the ratio doesn't match the placement, Meta may crop, scale, or otherwise refit the image, and the result won't necessarily match your source file. A successful upload is not the same thing as correct rendering in every placement.
Which is why designing per platform is the wrong frame. Design per ratio. Cut everything at 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16, and one set of assets covers nearly every Facebook and Instagram placement. Image fission generates the right ratio per channel and lets you lock layout, brand marks, or product facts as protected elements. Key elements still need a pass through the platform preview to confirm they land inside the safe zone.
Don't skip video and link images
Two units get forgotten once the main image is done.
Video. Feed video goes 4:5 or 1:1; Reels goes 9:16 at 1080×1920. Same ratio logic as stills. Video lives or dies on the first three seconds in a way an image doesn't, but the size rules don't change: fill the screen vertically, respect the safe zone.
Link image and desktop right column. The 1.91:1, 1200×628 landscape unit feeds desktop link placements and the right rail. It renders small, so keep the copy short. One line plus the product is plenty; anything more shrinks past legibility.
A 30-second check before you ship
The creative is done and about to go live. Half a minute, five items:
- Right ratio? 1:1 or 4:5 for feed, 9:16 for vertical, previewed per placement.
- Sharp enough? Start from 1080-series source files. Never upscale a low-res image and upload the result.
- Format and file size pass validation? Requirements differ by format and placement.
- Is text crowding the edges on the vertical cuts? Keep headlines, CTAs, and the product centered.
- Do the carousel cards share one ratio? 1:1 is the safe default; confirm placement support before using anything else.
None of this is hard. Remembering to do it every time is the hard part. A checklist stuck to your monitor beats a spec sheet you have to recall.
FAQ
Should feed ads be 1:1 or 4:5?
Test 4:5 at 1080×1350 first on mobile feed, since it claims more vertical space than 1:1. When you need one file to travel across more placements, 1:1 at 1080×1080 is safer. Build carousels at 1:1, but let the ad format and the placement preview settle it.
How do I run one set of creative across both Facebook and Instagram?
Cut three ratios: 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16. Meta serves both apps from the same ad system, and those three cover the main placements on either side. You don't need platform-specific versions, only ratio-specific ones.
Are there hard limits on file size and resolution?
Yes, though they shift by ad format. Day to day, build JPG or PNG at 1080-series sizes and treat Ads Manager's upload check on format, size, and resolution as the authority. Don't upscale a low-res source and run it.
Sources
- Meta: image ad best practices for Facebook and Instagram
- Meta: supported aspect ratios by ad placement
- Meta: safe zones for Stories and Reels ads
Sources checked July 23, 2026. Platform rules change, so at launch, Ads Manager's current validation and previews are the final word.