Facebook has emerged as one of the most powerful platforms for advertising for the past couple of years, providing businesses with expansive reach and targeting capabilities. 

There’s a misconception that it might have lost its popularity because a huge part of the young audience has moved to other social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

But, with businesses moving to digital platforms, to sustain themselves, they need to run ads online and Facebook couldn’t be a better option.

Ask why?

• With Facebook advertising, you can potentially reach 2.11 billion people, while Instagram and Twitter can only reach 849.3 million and 544.5 million people, respectively.
• As of 2023, Facebook has more than 10 million active advertisers.
• In video marketing, 84% of marketers use Facebook as a promotional tool.

Click here to learn more facts on Facebook ads insights.

However, to maximize the effectiveness of your Facebook ads, it's crucial to understand the various ad sizes and specifications offered by the platform. 

In this blog post, we will take you through different Facebook ad sizes and specs and provide essential information to create interesting and visually appealing ads in 2024.

Facebook feed ads

Facebook feed ads are the oldest form of Facebook advertising and the most popular. It can be a single image or video ad you find when you scroll down through your Facebook feed. Besides that, audiences are more captivated by video ads because they are most engaging. These ads seamlessly blend in with organic content, allowing advertisers to reach a wide audience and engage with users directly in their news feeds.

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Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1.
• Minimum image size: 600 x 600 pixels.
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 27 characters.

Video specs 

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Video aspect ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile-only ads).
• Minimum image size: 120 x 120 pixels.
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4, MOV, or GIF.
• Video length: Anywhere between 1 second and 241 minutes.
• Adding video captions and sound is optional but best recommended.
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 27 characters.

Facebook video feed ads

Besides the video that appears on your news feed, when you click on a video that you want to watch, you are directed to your video feed or Facebook Watch. The ads you find there are video feed ads that you will see while scrolling from one suggested video to another. These ads auto-play within the video feed and can be up to 241 minutes long. Advertisers can leverage video feed ads to showcase their brand, products, or services, and effectively communicate their message through the power of video.

Video specs

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Video aspect ratio: 4:5.
• Minimum image size: 120 x 120 pixels.
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4, MOV, or GIF.
• Video length: Anywhere between 1 second and 241 minutes.
• Adding video captions and sound is optional but advised.
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.

Facebook carousel ads

Carousel Ads enable you to showcase multiple images or videos within a single ad unit. Users can swipe through the carousel to view each card individually, providing an interactive and immersive experience. This format is ideal for highlighting different products, features, or storytelling in a visually engaging manner.

Carousel ads can be included in:

• Facebook Feed (Image and Video)
• Facebook Right Column
• Facebook Marketplace
• Facebook Instant Articles

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1:1.
• Number of cards: 2 to 10.
• Minimum image size: 600 x 600 pixels
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 32 characters.

Video specs 

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Video aspect ratio: 1:1
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4, MOV, or GIF.
• Video length: Anywhere between 1 second and 241 minutes.
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 32 characters.
• Add the landing page URL.

Facebook right column ads 

Facebook right column ads are the smaller version of the news feed ads that appear on your right side. This is optimized for mobile use and features only still images (landscape). While they may receive less visibility compared to feed ads, right column ads can still reach a targeted audience and are often cost-effective.

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1:1.
• Minimum image size: 254 x 133 pixels.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.
• Add the landing page URL.
• Images should not contain more than 20% text. (But it’s best to avoid including text in the images since it appears small on your feed).

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Facebook in-stream ads 

You might be likely to mistake a Facebook in-stream ad for a Facebook feed video ad, but there’s a vast difference between the two. While the video ads on your Facebook feed stream separate, the in-stream ad appears in the middle of a video when you’re watching, just like YouTube ads. It usually appears for 5-15 seconds after one minute into the main video. The trick behind this is that an interesting video will entice users to keep watching despite a short ad that appears during the video. This provides an opportunity for advertisers to reach engaged viewers with their video content.

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Video specs 

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above. Use the highest resolution video if possible.
• Video aspect ratio: 1:1
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4, MOV, or GIF.
• Video length: 5 to 15 seconds on desktop and 5 seconds to 10 minutes on mobile. The viewer can only view the first 15 seconds of your ad shown in the preview, for the rest they will need to click "Continue Watching".
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.

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Bonus tip: Use the highest resolution video possible that also meets the ratio requirements.

Facebook marketplace ads

Not only can you list your products on the marketplace but you can use it to run ads to promote your product. Since only Facebook users have access to the marketplace, your ads are more likely to be seen by people looking to buy or sell items, so you can target the right audience.

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1:1.
• Minimum image size: 600 x 600 pixels
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.

Facebook collection ads 

Collection Ads are interactive ad formats that combine images or videos with product catalogs. When users click on a collection ad, they are directed to a full-screen instant experience where they can browse through a selection of products and seamlessly transition to a retailer's website or app for purchase. This format is highly effective in driving product discovery and conversions.

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1:1.
• Minimum image size: 600 x 600 pixels
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.
• Images should not contain more than 20% text.

Video specs 

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Video aspect ratio: 1:1
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4 or MOV.
• Video length: Less than 2 minutes.
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.
• Add the landing page URL.

Facebook instant articles ads

A relatively new feature of Facebook is Instant Articles, where you can create an article and share it instantly with readers through the Facebook and Messenger apps. Advertisers can use instant article ads to deliver their brand message to a highly engaged audience consuming content on the Instant Articles platform.

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1:1.
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.
• Link description: Upto 20 characters.

Video specs 

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above. Use the highest resolution video if possible.
• Video aspect ratio: 16:9.
• Minimum image size: 120 x 120 pixels.
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4, MOV, or GIF.
• Video length: Anywhere between 1 second and 241 minutes.
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.

Facebook stories ads

Facebook stories ads are full-screen vertical ads that appear in the Stories section of the Facebook app. Similar to popular features on other platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, story ads allow advertisers to deliver visually captivating content to users. These ads can include images, videos, or carousels, and offer a great opportunity to engage with users in a more authentic and immersive way.

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 9:16.
• Minimum width: 500 pixels.
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Image display time: 5 seconds
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters will appear on the preview. To read more, the viewer has to click on “more”.
• Headline: Upto 40 characters.

Video specs 

• Recommended video resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Video aspect ratio: 9:16.
• Minimum width: 500 pixels.
• Maximum video file size: 4 GB.
• Video file format: MP4 or MOV.
• Video length: Less than 2 minutes.
• Video thumbnail images should not contain more than 20% text.

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Bonus tip: Leave about 14% (250 pixels) of the image/video free from text and logos to avoid covering your profile image or call-to-action.

Facebook Messenger ads

Facebook Messenger ads contain two types of image-only ad placements:

1. Messenger inbox ads

These ads appear in between the Messenger conversations (currently not available to audiences in the US, Australia, Canada, and France). Users can click on the ads to view more details within the app itself.

Image specs 

• Recommended image resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels and above.
• Image aspect ratio: 1:1.
• Minimum width: 254 x 133 pixels.
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Primary text: Upto 125 characters will appear on the preview. To read more, the viewer has to click on “more”.
• Headline: Upto 25 characters.

2. Sponsored messages

Sponsored messages allow advertisers to send targeted messages directly to users and also re-engage them on Messenger through offers, promos, or updates.

Image specs 

• Minimum image size: 1200 x 628 pixels.
• Image aspect ratio: 9:16 to 16:9.
• Maximum file size: 30 MB.
• File types: JPG or PNG. 
• Text Greeting: Up to 300 characters.
• Image Title: Up to 80 characters.
• ‍Image Subtitle: ​​Up to 80 characters.

Best practices for Facebook ads

In addition to adhering to the recommended sizes and specifications, here are some practices to consider when creating Facebook ads:

a. Use high-quality visuals: Ensure your images and videos are clear, well-lit, and visually appealing to capture users' attention.

b. Keep text minimal: Facebook has guidelines regarding the amount of text in ad images. It's best to keep text minimal to maintain engagement.

c. Mobile optimization: With a significant portion of Facebook users accessing the platform via mobile devices, ensure your ads are mobile-friendly and visually appealing on smaller screens.

d. A/B testing: Experiment with different ad formats, images, videos, and copy to identify the most effective combination for your target audience.

e. Monitor ad performance: Regularly review the performance of your ads, analyze metrics, and make adjustments as needed to improve results.

Wrapping up

Understanding the different ad sizes and specifications offered by Facebook is essential for creating visually appealing and effective advertisements. By following the recommended dimensions, optimizing for mobile, and following best practices, you can increase the chances of your ads capturing the attention of your target audience and achieving your marketing objectives. 

Artwork Flow’s creative automation platform can help you refine your Facebook ad strategies for optimal results by allowing you to experiment continuously. This AI-powered tool can enhance and scale your Facebook ads for a better reach, allowing you to test which ad gives you the best conversions, personalize them to meet your audience's needs, and keep the brand consistent. With Artwork Flow, you can save time and money while still making the most of your available resources. For an error-free Facebook ad production, book a demo with our experts. 

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