TikTok ad specs: what we checked and what to verify

What this page covers and what it does not

Founders searching for TikTok ad specs usually want a table: dimensions, file size, length, formats. We could produce a table from memory or from third-party blogs, but we would not be able to stand behind it. Platform specifications are revised, and different ad types such as in-feed ads and other placements can have different requirements.

On 3 October 2026 our initial read exposed only navigation, so we did not assert technical figures then. On 5 October 2026 we successfully read the technical section of the official auction in-feed article: “Vertical (recommended): 9:16, more than or equal to 540*960px.” This confirms the dated specs tool's listed vertical video floor for that format. It does not independently certify all accepted ratios, file limits, objectives or interface safe areas. Read the current TikTok Ads Help article on in-feed ads (opens in a new tab) and the specifications in the chosen upload screen before publication.

This is a deliberate choice. A guide that is honest about what it has not checked is more useful than a confident table that quietly goes stale.

What you can safely plan around

Even without numbers, some principles are widely applicable to short-form vertical video placements.

Design for vertical, full-screen viewing

The experience is a phone held upright, with the video filling the screen. Plan shots in vertical from the start instead of cropping a landscape video, which tends to leave the subject small and unreadable. Confirm the required ratio in Ads Manager.

Respect interface overlays

On-screen interface elements, such as the profile name, caption, buttons and progress indicators, cover parts of the frame. Leave margins around text and the product. Use the story and reel safe zone tool as a general guide to the idea, then check TikTok's own preview, since each platform's interface differs.

Make the first seconds do the work

Viewers decide quickly whether to keep watching. Put the problem, the product or a surprising specific detail at the start. The write first three second ad hooks and ad hooks guides provide structures.

Support sound-on and sound-off

The platform is known for sound-on viewing, but you should not assume it. Add captions and make sure the core idea survives with the sound off. Check automatic captions for errors, especially in product names and numbers.

Look native, but stay truthful

Content that feels like the platform, a real person demonstrating a real product, often fits the setting. That does not license invented claims or fake testimonials. See AI UGC ads for the risks of synthetic presenters, and apply TikTok's current advertising policies.

A workflow for specs you cannot memorise

• Open the official source. Use the TikTok Ads Help centre and the upload screen in Ads Manager, which usually states requirements for the chosen format.
• Write them down with a date and a link. Keep a spec sheet that records the source and the day you checked.
• Shoot with margins. Frame with space around the subject so that small ratio differences do not damage the shot.
• Export at the highest quality allowed. Avoid unnecessary compression.
• Preview in Ads Manager. Look for overlaid interface elements covering text.
• Re-check monthly or on any rejection.

A hypothetical example

A store selling compact desk plants plans three short vertical videos. The first opens with a hand placing a plant beside a laptop and a text line, "Desk too bare?". The second opens on a close-up of the pot being watered with a line about how often it needs it, which is a detail the founder has verified. The third opens with a question from a customer email, paraphrased and anonymised. The founder frames each with room around the plant, adds captions, and checks the upload requirements in Ads Manager on the day. One clip is flagged for format reasons and re-exported. Because the founder recorded the requirements and the check date, the next batch takes minutes. This is an invented scenario with no technical figures, by design.

Creative testing on TikTok

Short-form creative can fatigue and vary widely between creators, openings and edits. Plan to test several, and change one element at a time where possible. The ad hooks and ad creative fatigue guides help. Judge results against profit, using break-even figures from the ROAS guides, rather than views or likes alone. Remember that attribution on any platform is imperfect, and that results from a few orders do not prove a style works.

Differences from Meta placements

Interface layouts and recommended practices differ between platforms, so do not assume a Meta asset can be uploaded unchanged. Our Meta ad sizes guide describes the equivalent approach for Meta, and ad sizes across platforms compares them. The ad size specs tool lists the specifications we maintain and the dates they were reviewed, and the image resizer can help with stills. Always prefer the official source over any summary, including ours.

Policies and claims

Advertising policies cover misleading claims, restricted products and, increasingly, synthetic or altered media. Read them in the official TikTok advertising policies before you publish, particularly if you sell supplements, skincare, finance or anything with health claims. Keep a record of the evidence for each claim.

Common mistakes

• Repurposing landscape video without recomposing.
• Placing text where interface elements cover it.
• Trusting a third-party spec table without checking the date.
• Making claims that cannot be supported.
• Judging creative on engagement without looking at purchases.

Scope note

We have intentionally not stated numeric specifications on this page. When a number matters, take it from TikTok Ads Manager or the official help centre on the day you build the ad.

A pre-upload checklist that does not rely on remembered numbers

Because we do not list figures, here is a checklist you can follow with the live upload screen open. Open Ads Manager and begin creating the ad you intend to run. Read the requirements shown beside the upload control for your chosen format and note them in your sheet with the date. Confirm the video orientation and the accepted file types. Check the duration limits for your format and the file size limit, and compare them with your exported file. Check the text limits for the ad text and any display name, and compare them with your draft. Preview the ad as the interface shows it, and look for anything covering your text or product. Confirm that your landing page loads quickly on a phone and matches the promise in the ad.

If any item fails, fix the file, not the checklist. Then keep the corrected values in your sheet so the next batch starts from verified information.

Working with creators on TikTok

Because the platform leans towards creator-style content, many founders brief creators instead of producing everything in-house. Be specific about requirements: tell them the orientation, the maximum length you want, the sound-on and sound-off expectations, and any on-screen text. Ask for the raw footage as well as the edit if you may want to cut variations, and agree usage rights in writing for paid advertising. Ask creators to avoid claims you cannot support and to speak only from real experience. Share the official specification page, and tell them to export at the highest quality available. When clips arrive, run them through the same checklist as any other ad, and keep records of what each creator was asked to say. If you plan to run creator content as ads, check TikTok's current guidance on branded content and disclosure, as the requirements and tools change.

Metrics to read once the ad is live

After launch, read a small set of signals together. Watch how many people keep viewing past the opening seconds, since that tells you whether the hook works. Look at click-through rate for interest, cost per click for efficiency, and then cost per purchase for the outcome that matters. Compare platform purchases with store orders, and use UTMs so your own analytics can confirm site behaviour. Expect numbers to differ between sources. Because short-form creative can tire quickly, watch frequency and the trend in click-through rate, and keep new openings in reserve. The ad creative fatigue guide explains how to read the trend, and the UTM parameters for ads guide shows how to tag the links.

TikTok technical status reconciliation

The specs tool and this guide agree on the specific checked floor and date. Other limits and formats remain unverified here.

Common questions

What are the current TikTok ad specs?

They are listed in TikTok's Ads Help centre and shown when you upload in Ads Manager. We deliberately do not reproduce numbers we could not confirm.

Why does this page not include a table?

The part of the official page we could read did not confirm technical figures, and numbers copied from elsewhere may be out of date.

Should my TikTok ad be vertical?

Short-form placements are designed for vertical viewing, but confirm the required ratio for your chosen format in Ads Manager.

Do I need captions?

They are strongly advisable. Many people watch without sound, and captions also help accessibility. Check them for errors.

Can I reuse my Meta Reels creative?

Often as a starting point, but check overlays and requirements, and recompose if needed.

How do I know when specs change?

You usually will not be told. Re-check monthly, and whenever an ad is rejected or the upload screen shows something new.