TL;DR
- TikTok Ads Manager lists 9:16 at 540x960 or higher as the recommended In-Feed size; 16:9 (960x540+) and 1:1 (640x640+) are also accepted for Non-Spark ads.
- Non-Spark In-Feed files: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 500 MB, up to 10 minutes, bitrate at least 516 kbps.
- TopView needs 9:16, 5-60 seconds, at least 2,500 kbps, audible sound, pre-approval through a TikTok sales rep and up to 2 days of review.
- TikTok gives no fixed pixel safe zone for In-Feed ads; it publishes downloadable safe zone files because the area depends on ratio and caption length.
- Spark Ad captions come from the organic post, show up to 4 lines and cannot be edited in Ads Manager; sparked videos are capped at 10 minutes.
The TikTok video size that TikTok Ads Manager recommends for In-Feed ads is vertical 9:16 at 540x960 pixels or higher, while horizontal 16:9 (at least 960x540) and square 1:1 (at least 640x640) are also accepted. For Non-Spark ads, files must be 500 MB or smaller, at least 516 kbps, and up to 10 minutes long, according to the TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads page in the TikTok Ads Manager help center, last updated June 2026.
Every number in this guide was checked against TikTok Ads Manager help pages (the TikTok Business Help Center) on the date of writing. TikTok changes its ad specs without much notice, so before you brief an editor or upload a live campaign, open the current help page and compare again, especially if you are reading this months after it was written.
TikTok video size for In-Feed ads: recommended aspect ratio and resolution
In-Feed ads are the ads that sit in the For You feed between regular videos. TikTok's help page splits the specs into two types: Non-Spark Ads (video uploaded directly into Ads Manager) and Spark Ads (an existing organic post on a TikTok account). The rules differ, so decide which type you will run before you set the export settings for the production team.
For Non-Spark Ads, the help page lists three aspect ratios:
- Vertical 9:16 (recommended) at 540x960 pixels or higher
- Horizontal 16:9 at 960x540 pixels or higher
- Square 1:1 at 640x640 pixels or higher
These numbers are minimums, not targets. A file that only just clears the minimum can still look soft on a large, high-density phone screen, and TikTok's page on ads that fail review lists low-resolution and blurry video or images as a rejection reason. You can export above the minimum, for example 1080x1920 for vertical, which is still 9:16. That is a choice made for quality headroom, not a number TikTok requires.
The reason 9:16 is the recommended ratio is simple. The TikTok feed fills a vertical phone screen. A 16:9 or 1:1 video leaves part of the screen empty, so the main subject looks smaller than the organic videos around it. If you already have horizontal footage from a TV or YouTube shoot, reframing it to vertical, with the product or face kept in the center of the frame, usually works better than uploading it as-is.
File size, length and file format limits
The TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads page lists these limits for Non-Spark Ads:
- File formats: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp and .avi
- Length: up to 10 minutes
- File size: 500 MB or smaller
- Bitrate: 516 kbps or higher
For Spark Ads, the same page lists .mp4 or .mov as supported formats and gives no length restriction. The separate Spark Ads help page, however, says there is a 10 minute maximum on videos that can be sparked. When two pages disagree, plan around the stricter number.
A note on length: the fact that the system accepts videos up to 10 minutes does not mean an ad should run that long. The right length depends on the campaign objective and the content. The only format where the pages checked for this guide give a recommended duration range is TopView (see below). If you want to know which length works for your brand, test several cuts and read the results in your own account.
On bitrate: 516 kbps is a floor. A file squeezed hard to keep it small can clear that floor and still show blocky artifacts in fast-moving scenes. If your file is nowhere near the 500 MB ceiling, there is no reason to compress it until the picture breaks up.
Spec summary by ad format
| Ad format | Aspect ratio and resolution | File, length and bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| In-Feed, Non-Spark | 9:16 (recommended) at least 540x960, 16:9 at least 960x540, 1:1 at least 640x640 | .mp4 .mov .mpeg .3gp .avi, up to 500 MB, up to 10 minutes, at least 516 kbps |
| In-Feed, Spark Ads | Uses the existing organic post; the Spark Ads page says ratio and resolution are not restricted for organic videos | .mp4 or .mov; videos that can be sparked are capped at 10 minutes |
| TopView (Non-Spark and Spark Ads Push) | Vertical 9:16, at least 540x960 | .mp4 .mov .mpeg .3gp, 5-60 seconds (9-15 recommended), up to 500 MB, at least 2,500 kbps |
| Carousel (image ads) | Horizontal 1200x628, square 640x640, vertical 720x1280 | JPG/JPEG or PNG, 100 KB or less suggested per image, music required (.mp3, at least 2 seconds) |
Table sources: the TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads and TopView ad specifications pages (updated June 2026), the Spark Ads page (updated June 2026) and the Specifications for Carousel Ads page (updated September 2026) in the TikTok Ads Manager help center.
Safe zones: where to put text and the CTA so nothing gets covered
The safe zone is the central area of the screen that the app's interface does not cover: the account name, ad caption, CTA button and the like, comment and share icons on the right edge. A logo, price or key line placed outside the safe zone may never be seen.
The TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads page does not give fixed pixel values for the safe zone. It says the safe zone size depends on the video dimension (vertical, horizontal or square), the ad caption length and any additional formats used. Instead, TikTok provides downloadable safe zone files on the same page, split by format, such as In-Feed Standard, In-Feed with Anchor Standard and Arabic versions. The page also warns that the preview may differ slightly from the live ad.
A practical way to use the safe zone files in editing:
- Download the safe zone file that matches your ad format from the help page (if the campaign will use an anchor, such as a product link, use the with Anchor file).
- Place it as the top layer in your editing software, with enough transparency to see the footage underneath.
- Keep text, prices, logos and subtitles inside the safe area for the whole video, not only the first frame.
- Remove the safe zone layer before the final export.
- After upload, check the preview in Ads Manager and, if you can, on a real phone, because the preview may differ slightly from the live ad.
For TopView, the help page says key elements such as text and logos must sit within the safe zone, and that the In-Feed safe zone is more restrictive than the open-screen one. If one video will run in both stages, design it to the tighter In-Feed frame.
Spark Ads vs Non-Spark Ads: how creative specs differ
Spark Ads promote organic TikTok posts, either from the brand's own account or from a creator who grants authorization. Views, comments, shares, likes and follows gained from the boost count toward the original post. Non-Spark Ads are videos uploaded directly into Ads Manager and shown under the identity set in the campaign.
The differences that affect production, from the Spark Ads page and the In-Feed Ads page:
- Video specs: the Spark Ads page says ratio, resolution, file type, duration, bitrate and file size have no restrictions for organic videos, apart from the 10 minute cap on videos that can be sparked. Non-Spark ads must meet the minimums in the table above.
- Captions: a Spark Ad's caption comes from the organic post and cannot be edited in Ads Manager. Up to 4 lines can be displayed, including emojis; captions can be blank, and account tags, emojis and hashtags are allowed. Non-Spark captions are displayed in white in a uniform font that cannot be customized, and they do not support clickable links, the @ symbol or hashtags.
- Profile name and image: Spark Ads use the video owner's profile. Non-Spark ads can take an optional profile image of 98x98 pixels, square 1:1, in .jpg, .jpeg or .png, under 50 KB, with the key element centered in a 66x66 pixel area to avoid cropping. Left blank, a default image is used.
- Display name: one line, up to 10 characters in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, or 20 characters in other languages, which includes Thai.
Other Spark Ads rules from the help page: a video must be un-authorized as a Spark Ad before it can be deleted from the organic account, banned organic posts are rejected in Ads Manager, and each TikTok Ads Manager account supports up to 10,000 Spark Ads.
In practice, if you plan to run Spark Ads, you have to think about the ad at the moment you post organically, because you cannot fix the caption later. If an organic video carries something unsuitable for an ad, such as an old price, it has to be reposted.
TopView and other placements
TopView is the ad shown as the first video when someone opens the app. The TopView ad specifications page describes two stages: a full-screen takeover for the first 3 seconds, then a transition into an In-Feed experience. The video specs for Non-Spark Ads and Spark Ads Push are vertical 9:16 at 540x960 pixels or higher, .mp4, .mov, .mpeg or .3gp, 5 to 60 seconds long (9 to 15 seconds recommended), 500 MB or smaller, and a bitrate of at least 2,500 kbps, which is far higher than the In-Feed floor.
Other conditions that need lead time:
- Audio must be clear and present; the video must not be completely silent.
- TopView creatives require pre-approval; the help page says to consult your TikTok sales representative for details.
- Once submitted, assets are reviewed by TikTok within 2 days.
TopView is not a format you can send today and run tomorrow. Leave time for review and for a fix if it fails, and export at a high enough bitrate from the start rather than reusing an In-Feed file that may have been compressed below 2,500 kbps.
Image ads on TikTok (Carousel Ads)
If you have no video, Carousel Ads run several images in the feed, and viewers swipe through them in order. The Specifications for Carousel Ads page (updated September 2026) states:
- Image sizes: horizontal 1200x628, square 640x640 or vertical 720x1280 pixels.
- JPG/JPEG or PNG, with 100 KB or less suggested.
- At least 2 images; the maximum differs by carousel type, so check the tab on the help page that matches yours.
- One ad caption and one CTA button for all images.
- Music is required (it loops), at least 2 seconds long, .mp3; uploaded music files can be up to 10 MB.
- Commercial Music Library (CML) music does not play on TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) placements, so a carousel with CML music runs silent there. Uploading your own music avoids it.
The 100 KB suggestion is small. Images with a lot of Thai text break up at the edges of the letters if compressed too hard, so cut the amount of text on the image before cutting file quality.
Common rejection reasons tied to specs
TikTok's Common Reasons Ads Fail Review page (updated July 2025) has sections on image and audio quality and on text that map directly to production work:
- Low-resolution and blurry video or images
- Part of a video or image covered by black bars or pixelation
- No audio at all, or audio so poor it is hard to understand
- Incomplete text in videos or pictures, or text and logos covered by stickers or mosaic
- Spelling and grammar mistakes, symbols in place of letters (such as "S@le") and distracting capitalization
Several of these come from careless ratio conversion: dropping a 16:9 video into a 9:16 frame and leaving black bars top and bottom, or zooming a small image until it pixelates. "Incomplete" text often comes from placing copy so close to the edge that it gets cut off on a screen with a different ratio. Using the safe zone file during editing prevents most of the second problem.
Common mistakes and what they cost
- Uploading the YouTube export as-is: a 16:9 video whose main subject shrinks on a vertical screen, possibly with black bars, which appear on the rejection list.
- Exporting at exactly the minimum resolution: it passes the system check but may look blurry on high-resolution phones.
- Reusing the In-Feed file for TopView: if the bitrate is under 2,500 kbps, it fails the TopView spec, and you lose time on a new export and another review.
- Putting the price or offer at the very bottom of the screen: the caption and CTA button cover it, so viewers miss the most important information.
- Assuming you can edit a Spark Ad caption later: the caption comes from the organic post and cannot be edited in Ads Manager.
- Choosing CML music for a carousel that runs on TikTok Ad Network: the ad is silent on that placement.
What this means for Thai-language ads
Thai has vowels and tone marks above and below the line, so Thai text stands taller than English at the same font size. When subtitles or headlines sit near the edge of the safe zone, the upper or lower marks leave the frame first. Give Thai text blocks more top and bottom margin than you would give English, and check every line against the safe zone file.
A Non-Spark display name can be 20 characters in Thai. Long Thai brand names may be cut, so prepare a short version in advance. Spark Ad captions show up to 4 lines, and Thai captions written without spaces between words may wrap in unexpected places, so preview on a real phone before launch.
If you run creator videos as Spark Ads and a creator's video shows a price or promotion that has expired, the caption cannot fix it. Agree with the creator at the brief stage which messages must appear in the video and which to avoid.
What to measure after launch
Correct specs get an ad through review and displayed in full, but they do not tell you whether the creative works. After launch, compare versions in your account on metrics such as completion rate, 2-second and 6-second views, click-through rate and cost per result. If you test 9:16 against 1:1, change only the ratio and keep the content the same, so you know where the difference came from.
Worked example (illustrative numbers to show how to read results, not a benchmark): if the 9:16 version has a 1.2% click-through rate and the 1:1 version has 0.8% on the same budget and audience, check that impressions are high enough to draw a conclusion before you move budget.
Frequently asked questions about TikTok video size
What TikTok video size should I use for ads?
TikTok recommends vertical 9:16 at 540x960 pixels or higher for In-Feed ads. Exporting at 1080x1920 gives more headroom for sharpness and is still 9:16.
What is the maximum file size for a TikTok video ad?
Non-Spark In-Feed and TopView video files must be 500 MB or smaller, according to the TikTok Ads Manager help pages. Carousel images have a suggested size of 100 KB or less per image.
How many pixels is the TikTok safe zone?
TikTok does not give a fixed pixel size on its In-Feed Ads page, because the safe zone depends on the video dimension and the caption length. Download the safe zone files from the help page and overlay them in your editor instead.
Do Spark Ads follow the same specs as Non-Spark ads?
No. The Spark Ads page says organic videos have no restrictions on ratio, resolution or file size, but the video must be 10 minutes or shorter and the caption cannot be edited in Ads Manager.
Are the specs in this guide permanent?
No, TikTok updates its ad specs from time to time. The numbers here were checked against the TikTok Ads Manager help pages on the date of writing, so compare them with the current help page before you produce or upload a live ad.
Getting help with campaigns and creative
If you want help structuring the account, installing the TikTok Pixel and managing campaigns day to day, see our TikTok Ads service. For producing many versions in several ratios on a short timeline, see the AI video service, and if your campaigns run across several platforms at once, see social ads management.
