Story and reel safe-zone checker
Place a visual overlay on a local image to inspect whether key creative elements sit near likely story or reel interface areas.
Last updated
Written by Madly team
PNG, JPEG or WebP. Your image stays in this browser; nothing is uploaded.
Illustrative overlay only. Reference snapshot: 28 September 2026; current interface not independently verified. Check the official placement guide and final Ads Manager preview.
Keep key copy and product details toward the center, away from the top and bottom interface areas.
Controls and cropping differ by platform, device, placement and account. Check your final creative in the destination platform before publishing.
How to use this tool
Story and reel interfaces can cover image edges with profile, caption and action controls. Upload your vertical creative and use this illustrative overlay as an early composition check; keep essential product details and words toward the middle.
The shaded regions are not official measurements. TikTok notes that its safe zone changes with the format, caption length and extra elements. Meta placements and devices can vary too. This tool cannot determine whether an ad is approved or actually visible on a given phone.
- Choose Story or Reel context and upload your image locally.
- Choose centre crop or contain; inspect the illustrative overlay.
- Check whether baked-in text or logos overlap possible interface areas. This tool does not reposition elements inside an image.
- If the source artwork needs changing, prepare a new file in your own editor. Check the final platform and device preview before launch.
Worked example
In an illustrative 9:16 composition, baked-in copy at the bottom overlaps the possible interface area. Contain may reveal the full artwork; centre crop can clip its edges. Neither option edits or repositions the caption. Revise source artwork outside this tool if needed, then verify the destination platform preview.
Illustrative example, not a benchmark, customer result or prediction.
Assumptions and review notes
A good safe zone layout keeps the message, the product and any text clear of interface elements on common phones. Margins are approximate and change with platform updates.
- Placement.
- Device differences.
- Platform interface changes.
- Text size.
- Putting text at the very edges.
- Assuming one guide fits every placement.
- Ignoring the call to action overlay.
- Not previewing on a phone.
A closer look
Common questions.
- What is a safe zone?
- An illustrative region less likely to overlap interface elements, not a visibility guarantee.
- Are the margins exact?
- No. They are guides and platforms change them.
- Does it apply to feed ads?
- Mainly to full screen vertical placements.
- Why might my caption be obscured?
- An interface overlay or crop may cover it. Check both fit modes and the official preview; edit the source file externally if necessary. There is no caption-reposition control here.
- Can I use it for TikTok?
- Check the platform guidance, as its overlays differ.