Claymation Videos · 9 minute read
Instagram Reels Ad Size 2026: Meta's Specs and Safe Zone
Instagram Reels ad size, from Meta: 9:16 at 1440 x 2560. See Reels, Stories and Feed side by side, the safe zone, and a quick check before you upload.
Why listen to us? We have been making video ads since 2012. That is 16,000+ videos for 13,500+ businesses, from plumbers to dentists.
Here's the odd thing about a Reels ad. You make a tall video, and the part you're meant to write on is roughly a square.
The Instagram Reels ad size, per Meta's Ads Guide page for Reels video ads, is a vertical 9:16 video at 1440 x 2560 pixels, as an MP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB. Meta also asks you to "consider leaving at least 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side" clear of text and logos.
Do that math on 1440 x 2560 and your words get a box about 1,267 pixels wide and 1,306 tall. That's our math, not Meta's. And look: it's nearly a square, sitting in the middle of a tall video.
Everything outside it belongs to Instagram's own buttons and words.
So the size is the easy part. The hard part is a pitch short enough to fit that square.
Writing it is the part we do. 30 Second Ad Factory is the done-for-you ad team from 30 Second Productions. We make a 30-second claymation ad about your business, vertical for Reels, with every word on screen. You fill in a 2-minute form, then approve every word and every scene before we make it.
It's $97, often half price in our holiday sales.
This one is a sample for a plumber we made up.
Picture your business in clay? Start your clay ad.
Instagram Reels ad size vs Stories and Feed
Instagram has three spots where a tall ad can play: Reels, Stories and Feed. Meta keeps a separate Ads Guide page for each. Here's what each page said when we read them on November 11, 2026.
| Spec | Reels | Stories | Feed | Our clay ad (30 Second Ad Factory) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shape (aspect ratio) | 9:16 | 9:16 | 9:16 | Vertical |
| Pixels | 1440 x 2560 | 1440 x 2560 | 1080 x 1920 | Vertical size for social media ads, ready to upload |
| Length | 0 seconds to 15 minutes | 1 second to 60 minutes | 1 second to 60 minutes | 30 seconds, or 60 if you choose |
| Biggest file | 4 GB | 4 GB | 4 GB | n/a |
| Smallest width | 250 pixels under 30 seconds, 500 pixels at 30 seconds or more | 250 pixels | 250 pixels | n/a |
| Keep words out of | 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side | Roughly 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side | Same as Reels and Stories for 9:16, per Meta's safe zone help page | You check it in your preview |
| Primary text (recommended) | 44 characters | 125 characters | 125 characters | You type it when you set up the ad |
A 30-second Reels ad falls on the 500-pixel side of that width row, so that's the number to check.
Primary text is the line you type in Ads Manager that shows with your video.
Meta recommends 44 characters on Reels. "Leaky tap? We fix it today. Call Dave's." is 40 (Dave's is made up). That's your lot.
One note on Stories. Meta's Stories page says video ads 16 seconds or longer "may be split into separate Stories cards," with one, two or three shown. So on Stories, the first card has to sell on its own.
Want help picking a length, not just the limits? Our Instagram video length guide covers that.
Three pages, one shape. Not one size, though.
Get a claymation ad made for your business → We write your story, make every scene out of clay and add a calm, friendly voice. You approve every word and every scene.
Is 1080 x 1920 wrong for a Reels ad?
No. 1080 x 1920 is the same 9:16 shape as Meta's 1440 x 2560 and is well above Meta's 500-pixel minimum width for a 30-second ad, by our reading. But Meta's Reels page lists 1440 x 2560, so export that if you can.
The guides mostly copy the smaller number. Hopper HQ and Landingi both give 1080 x 1920 for Reels ads. Landingi also lists a 250 MB cap, while Meta's Reels page says 4 GB. Influencer Marketing Hub matches Meta's split: 1080 x 1920 for Feed video, 1440 x 2560 for Reels and Stories.
So when a blog and Meta disagree, go with the Meta page for the spot you're paying for.
Which part of the screen do you actually get?
You get the middle. Meta's Reels page asks you to keep text, logos and other key parts out of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side. Meta's help page calls the clear part in the middle the Safe Zone.
The bottom 35% is the one that bites. That's where you'd naturally put your phone number.
The bottom of a Reels ad is like the bottom drawer in your kitchen. Stuff goes in. Nobody sees it again.
Exporting at 1080 x 1920 instead? Then the box is about 950 pixels wide and 979 tall, by our math. Still a square.
Two more lines from that help page are worth knowing:
- Disclaimers. "If you're including disclaimers on your Reels ads, you should leave the bottom 40% of your ad free from text, logos and other key creative elements."
- Taller phones. On screens taller than 9:16, Meta says it "may either zoom the creative to better fill the whole screen (which can crop areas outside the Safe Zone), or show the creative in its original 9:16 aspect ratio and use a black background."
So the edges aren't only covered. Sometimes they're cut off.
What fits in the Reels safe zone?
Not much. A few short lines, one idea per ad.
Here are three clay ads we wrote for this post, for made-up businesses. They aren't real ads and have no results behind them.
The plumber
Your shower's been cold since Tuesday.
Cold shower again? We fix water heaters. Same-day visits. [Your logo] Call [Your Number]
In clay: a little figure leaps out of an icy shower, then a clay plumber's van pulls up.
The dentist
That tooth won't wait for Monday.
Toothache tonight? Seen this week. New patients welcome. [Your logo] Book online
In clay: a clay face with a puffy cheek, then a friendly clay dentist waves from the door.
The roofer
One storm. One drip. One bucket.
Bucket on the floor? Free roof check. Local crew. [Your logo] Get a quote
In clay: a clay bucket goes plink, plink, then a clay crew climbs the ladder.
Each line is four words or fewer. Your logo and offer sit on the last scene. That's the whole trick, and it's the hardest part to write when it's your own business.
Here's a clay ad we made to sell our own AI SEO service, so you can see the look.
Watch the claymation ads we have made → Tap one to watch it with sound.
The two-minute file check
Before you upload, run down this list. Every number comes from Meta's Reels page or its safe zone help page.
- Shape: tall, 9:16.
- Pixels: 1440 x 2560 for Reels.
- File: MP4 or MOV, under 4 GB.
- Words: in the middle square. Leave the bottom 40% clear if you have a disclaimer.
- Sound and captions: Meta calls sound "strongly recommended" and captions "recommended."
- No extras: Meta's Reels page says no Instagram face filters or camera effects, no GIFs and no tagged products.
- Preview: in Ads Manager, "you can toggle on the Safe Zone guardrail." Your words should sit inside the yellow box. Meta says it may not show for everyone yet.
Don't skip that last one. It's the only one that shows you what a stranger will see.
Same ad going on Facebook or TikTok? Those guides have their numbers.
Who should make your Reels ad?
Now you know the box. Something short and sharp has to go in it.
| Way to get it | Cost to make | Who writes the short version | Your work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio stop motion | $1,000 to $10,000+ per finished minute, per Beverly Boy (2026) | The studio, with you | Briefs, calls, reviews |
| Your phone | Your time | You | Plan, film, edit, add words, export |
| AI clay tool, such as Morphic | Free plan up to 20 credits, then monthly plans | You | Write prompts, fix shots, add words, export |
| Marketplace gig | Varies by seller | Usually you, in the brief | A brief, then a lot of back and forth |
| 30 Second Ad Factory clay ad | $97 one-time | Our team, or your words | A 2-minute form, then approve |
A studio makes the real thing, at studio prices. A tool is cheap, but you become the writer, director and editor. Most roofers would rather be on a roof.
A marketplace gig sounds like a shortcut. In our view, the quality is often uneven, the messages pile up, and nobody on the other end is a marketing team.
Here's how ours works. We write the script, or use your words. We make a clay picture for each line, and you approve every word and every scene. You get 2 free rounds of changes to the scenes.
We make it with AI tools for the clay pictures, the movement and the voice. It isn't hand-made stop motion. Our team checks every video before it reaches you.
You own the video, so use it on Instagram, Facebook, your website, anywhere. Your order comes with your own Ad Factory dashboard, where you can order more ads any time.
This one sells our song ad service, also in clay.
Ready for one of your own? Get a clay ad made.
Frequently asked questions
What size should an Instagram Reels ad be?
Meta's Ads Guide page for Instagram Reels video ads lists 9:16 at 1440 x 2560 pixels, MP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB. Meta asks you to keep text and logos out of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side.
Do Reels ads need sound?
Meta's Reels page lists sound as "Optional, but strongly recommended" and captions as "Optional, but recommended." A clay ad from 30 Second Ad Factory has a voice and every word on screen.
Can I use one video for Reels, Stories and Feed?
Reels and Stories take the same file: Meta lists 9:16 at 1440 x 2560 for both. Feed's page lists 9:16 at 1080 x 1920, the same shape, and 9:16 Feed ads use the same safe zone per Meta's help page. Check each spot in the Ads Manager preview before you publish.
Will you put the ad live for me?
No. We hand you the finished video, and it's yours. Running it, and choosing the budget, stays with you or whoever manages your ads.
The short version
The Instagram Reels ad size is 9:16 at 1440 x 2560, MP4 or MOV, under 4 GB. Keep your words in the middle, clear of the top 14%, bottom 35% and 6% on each side.
That middle is roughly a square, and your whole pitch has to fit in it.
For a busy owner, our done-for-you team is the best option, because short is what we write. We keep each line tight, put every word on screen, and finish on your logo and offer. You just approve it.
A 30-second clay ad costs $97, and it's often half price in our holiday sales. If you're not happy within 30 days, we refund you in full.
Your ad gets a whole tall screen. Let us worry about the square.
Want a clay ad people stop to watch? Get your claymation ad, written and made for you, ready about a day after you approve your scenes. Love it or your money back.
Related Reading
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- Claymation Ad Cost: Real 2026 Prices for 5 Ways to Get One: Claymation ad cost in 2026: about $16 a month in AI tools, $97 done for you,…
- Claymation Ads →: A 30-second clay video ad about your business, made for you. You approve every scene.
Want a clay ad people stop to watch?
We write your story, make every scene out of clay and add a calm, friendly voice. You approve every word and every scene. Ready about a day after you say yes, with a money-back guarantee.
Get My Claymation Ad →
