TikTok ad specs for an auction In-Feed video, the ad that plays between organic posts in the For You feed, are 9:16 vertical at 540x960 pixels or more, up to 10 minutes, up to 500 MB and a bitrate (video data per second) of at least 516 kbps. Other formats set their own limits.
This reference is part of the TikTok and Snapchat ads hub and covers four more formats. Auction ads are bought by bidding, while reservation In-Feed is the same feed placement booked in advance through Reach & Frequency, TikTok's reservation buying type; TopView is a reservation ad that opens full screen when the app starts, Spark Ads turn an existing organic TikTok post into an ad, and Carousel is a swipeable image ad with music.
The specs follow TikTok's Business Help Center as of November 2026 (the auction In-Feed spec page was last updated in June 2026). The short recommendation: export every video at 1080x1920 and above 2,500 kbps, cut it to 9 to 15 seconds, add sound and keep text inside the safe zone, the part of the 9:16 frame that TikTok's caption, account name, call to action and side buttons do not cover. That one export meets the limits of every TikTok video format. Snapchat has its own sizes, covered in the Snapchat ads guide.
What are the TikTok ad specs for each format?
TikTok ad specs differ by format: auction In-Feed ads accept the widest range of files, TopView and reservation In-Feed ads demand shorter and sharper video, Spark Ads inherit the organic post, and Carousel ads use images with required music. The table lists the limits TikTok publishes for each format as of November 2026.
The figures below come from TikTok's pages for auction In-Feed, TopView, reservation In-Feed, Spark Ads and Carousel.
| Spec | Auction In-Feed (non-Spark) | Spark Ads | TopView | Carousel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1 | Set by the organic post | 9:16 only | 1.91:1, 1:1 or 9:16 images |
| Minimum size | 540x960, 960x540 or 640x640 px | No restriction | 540x960 px | 1200x628, 640x640 or 720x1280 px |
| Duration | Up to 10 minutes | Up to 10 minutes per the Spark Ads page | 5 to 60 seconds, 9 to 15 recommended | 2 to 35 images |
| File size | Up to 500 MB | No restriction | Up to 500 MB | 100 KB or less suggested |
| File types | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi | No restriction (organic post) | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp | JPG, JPEG or PNG |
| Bitrate | 516 kbps or more | No restriction | 2,500 kbps or more | Not applicable |
| Caption | No links, @ or hashtags; 4 lines on reservation | From the organic post | Up to 100 characters | One caption for all images |
| Audio | Not listed as required | From the organic post | Required, not purely verbal | MP3 music of 2 seconds or more required |
Reservation In-Feed ads (Reach & Frequency) share TopView's 5 to 60 second window and 2,500 kbps floor but also allow 16:9 and 1:1.
Which TikTok video ad specs only prevent rejection, and which change performance?
TikTok video ad specs fall into two groups: limits that only decide whether the file is accepted, such as file type, file size and minimum bitrate, and choices that change how the ad performs, such as aspect ratio, resolution, the first 3 seconds, sound and safe zone placement. The Pass or Perform check sorts every spec into one group.
The Pass or Perform check is a two-column rule for creative prep. A Pass spec has a hard limit and a binary outcome: the file uploads or it does not. A Perform spec has a minimum that TikTok accepts and a higher bar that TikTok's own creative best practices (updated June 2025) recommend.
- Pass: file type, file size, minimum bitrate, duration ceiling, caption symbols. Meet the number and move on: TikTok's spec pages list no benefit for staying far under a limit.
- Perform: resolution. TikTok accepts 540x960 but recommends shooting at "at least 720P resolution". Export at 1080x1920.
- Perform: aspect ratio. 16:9 and 1:1 pass for auction In-Feed ads, but TikTok recommends "orienting vertically at 9:16".
- Perform: opening seconds and sound. TikTok advises introducing the proposition, what the ad offers, "in the first 3 seconds" and "using sound/ music".
- Perform: safe zone. Text under the interface passes upload but cannot be read.
Put the Pass column in an export preset.
How long should a TikTok In-Feed ad be?
A TikTok In-Feed ad bought in the auction can be up to 10 minutes long, while reservation In-Feed and TopView ads must run 5 to 60 seconds, with 9 to 15 seconds recommended. The opening matters more: TikTok wants the hook, the moment that stops the scroll, within 6 seconds and the offer within 3.
The 10 minute ceiling comes from the auction In-Feed page. The 5 to 60 second window and the 9 to 15 second advice come from the reservation In-Feed page and the TopView page. TikTok publishes no recommended length for auction ads.
TikTok's creative best practices give two timing rules: "Prioritize your hook in the first 6 seconds" and "Introduce your content proposition in the first 3 seconds". For on-screen text, TikTok suggests 5 to 10 words per second.
A practical default for auction campaigns is a 9 to 15 second cut, the same length TikTok recommends for reservation buys. It lets one edit run in both buying types. Longer cuts suit demos and tutorials, and they still need the product inside the first 3 seconds. Test short against long cuts in a clean split, with the methods from the A/B testing guide, before you settle on one length.
What are the TikTok ad copy specs for captions and account names?
TikTok ad copy specs depend on the ad type: non-Spark In-Feed captions use a fixed white font with no links, @ mentions or hashtags, TopView captions are capped at 100 characters, and Spark Ads use the organic caption. The account name shows on one line, up to 20 characters in most languages.
The auction In-Feed page states no character maximum or line limit for non-Spark captions, only the fixed white font and the ban on clickable links, @ and hashtags. The reservation In-Feed page shows up to 4 lines before a See more message and suggests keeping captions within 100 characters for most languages and 50 for Chinese, Japanese and Korean. On the TopView page, emojis count as 2 characters and "" is not allowed.
Per the auction In-Feed page, the account name (TikTok also says display name) shows one line with at most 20 characters, or 10 in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. The TopView page recommends 4 to 10 characters in most languages, and punctuation counts. For app ads the name is pulled from the App Store or Google Play.
The optional profile photo is 98x98 pixels, 1:1, in .jpg, .jpeg or .png, under 50 KB, with the key element inside the central 66x66 pixels. Spark Ads use the profile photo of the TikTok Spark Ads account behind the post.
Where is the TikTok safe zone, and what must stay out of it?
The TikTok safe zone is the area of a 9:16 frame that the app's interface does not cover: the caption, account name, call to action and side buttons sit around it. Logos, prices, subtitles and other key text must stay inside it, or they are hidden on the phone even though the file passes review.
TikTok does not publish the safe zone as pixel values. The auction In-Feed page says its size depends on the dimension, the caption length and any additional formats, and offers downloadable overlay files: a standard left to right version and an Arabic right to left version. TikTok notes that previews can differ slightly from live delivery.
TopView has two safe zones, one for the 3 second open screen and a stricter one for the In-Feed stage, per the TopView page. Both shrink as the caption gets longer or when Interactive Add-ons are used, the cards and stickers (such as Display Cards and Countdown Stickers) that TikTok layers over the video.
A longer caption therefore costs frame space. Write the caption first, then place text on the video with the overlay that matches that caption length.
What do TikTok carousel ad specs require?
TikTok carousel ad specs require 2 to 35 images in JPG or PNG at 1200x628, 640x640 or 720x1280 pixels, one caption, one call to action and one URL for the set, plus a music track. Music must be MP3 of at least 2 seconds; uploaded files can be up to 10 MB, as of November 2026.
The Carousel specifications page describes two versions. Standard Carousel uses 2 to 35 images, with a suggested file size of 100 KB or less per image. VSA Carousel, the version that pulls products from a product catalog, shows 2 to 20 product images, each linked to its own product URL, and supports uploaded music only.
The music rule has a placement catch. Carousel ads can run on TikTok and on TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle), TikTok's network of partner apps, but tracks from the Commercial Music Library, the music TikTok provides inside the ad tools, are not available on TikTok Ad Network, and ads that use them play silently there. Upload your own MP3 for both placements, or split TikTok and TikTok Ad Network into separate ad groups with matching music.
How do you check a TikTok ad before upload?
Check a TikTok ad before upload by confirming the format's hard limits first, then the performance choices: aspect ratio, resolution, opening seconds, sound, safe zone and caption. The checklist below works for auction In-Feed, reservation and TopView video, and takes a few minutes per creative.
- Open the spec page of the format. Duration and bitrate limits differ per format.
- Export at 1080x1920 in .mp4. It meets every size minimum and the 720p advice.
- Check length and bitrate. Keep reservation and TopView cuts at 5 to 60 seconds and above 2,500 kbps; auction ads need 516 kbps or more.
- Watch the first 3 seconds with sound on. The offer must show; TopView rejects silence and plain white there.
- Lay the safe zone overlay over key frames. Use the file that matches your caption length.
- Clean the caption and account name. No links, "" or non-Spark hashtags, and a name of 20 characters or fewer.
- Preview in TikTok Ads Manager. Ads Manager is TikTok's web tool for building campaigns; check every frame that carries text in its preview.
For the campaign setup, follow how to advertise on TikTok. Check assets the same way before TikTok Smart Creative recombines them.
Common mistakes with TikTok ad specs
Common mistakes with TikTok ad specs are rarely about file size or file type, because Ads Manager blocks those at upload. The costly ones pass review and still lose views: horizontal video, text under the interface, silent openings and a TopView cut that breaks the reservation rules after the buy is agreed.
- Uploading 16:9 because it is accepted. Auction In-Feed ads allow it, but TikTok recommends 9:16. Recut horizontal footage to vertical.
- Exporting at the 540x960 minimum. It passes, yet TikTok recommends at least 720p. Export at 1080x1920.
- Reusing an auction cut for TopView. TopView needs 5 to 60 seconds, 2,500 kbps or more, audio, and pre-approval with assets reviewed within 2 days per the TopView page. Build the TopView version first.
- Placing subtitles low in the frame. The caption and call to action cover the bottom. Keep text inside the safe zone overlay.
- Adding hashtags or links to a non-Spark caption. TikTok does not support them there. Put the message in the video and the link in the destination URL.
- Using library music on a Carousel that also runs on TikTok Ad Network. The ad plays silently there. Upload your own MP3 or split the ad groups.
