Instagram is a popular platform for promoting products and services. A visually oriented platform, this social network is built for maximum conversions. Instagram ads are catered to audiences who want quick and easily digestible information, apt in a marketing rat race. Unfortunately, some advertisers miss one crucial thing when advertising on Instagram—failing to follow Instagram ad requirements. If you want optimum sales and conversions, check if your images and videos adhere to these Instagram ad specs. 

Instagram Ad Specs for IMAGE Ads

Instagram advertising format

Image ads are excellent for showing off your products or services in one quality image. When your images are eye-catching, they deliver the right message to your target audience. This can raise awareness and tell people about your brand’s personality in a captivating way. Image ads are also an unobtrusive way to pitch your products and services. Here are some common Instagram placements for image advertisements. 

Instagram Profile Feed

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Recommended Ratio: 1:1 
  • All Supported Ratios: 1.91:1 to 4:5
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Maximum Number of Hashtags: 30

Technical Requirements

  • Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Minimum Width: 500 pixels
  • Minimum Height: 400 pixels
  • Min Aspect Ratio: 400 x 500
  • Maximum Aspect Ratio: 191 x 100
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Feed

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Ratio: 1:1 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Maximum Number of Hashtags: 30

Technical Requirements

  • Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Minimum Width: 500 pixels
  • Min Aspect Ratio: 400 x 500
  • Maximum Aspect Ratio: 191 x 100
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Stories

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Ratio: 9:16 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 

Technical Requirements

  • Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Min Width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Explore

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Ratio: 9:16 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 

Technical Requirements

  • Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Min Width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Explore Home

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG
  • Ratio: 1:1
  • Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters
  • Headline: 40 characters
  • Maximum number of hashtags: 30

Technical Requirements

  • Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Minimum Width: 500 pixels
  • Min Aspect Ratio: 400 x 500
  • Maximum Aspect Ratio: 191 x 100
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Ad Specs for VIDEO Ads

Instagram advertising format

Video ads tell your brand’s story uniquely and quickly. This type of format caters to audiences that want to absorb information about your product or service in detail quickly. Make sure to capture their attention by creating videos no longer than 15 seconds. 

Ensure that videos don’t have special boxes or edit lists in file containers. Also, leave approximately 14 percent (250 pixels) of the top and 20 percent (340 pixels) of the bottom of the videos empty from logos, text, and other design elements. This way, the call-to-action or profile icon doesn’t cover these design components. 

Instagram Profile Feed

Design Recommendations

  • File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Recommended Ratio: 4:5
  • All Supported Ratios: 1.91:1 to 4:5
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but recommended

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Maximum Number of Hashtags: 30

Technical Requirements

  • Video Duration: 1 second to 120 minutes
  • Maximum File Size: 250MB
  • Minimum Width: 500 pixels
  • Minimum Height: 500 pixels
  • Min Aspect Ratio: 4:5
  • Maximum Aspect Ratio: 1.91
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Feed

Design Recommendations

  • File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 4:5 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but recommended

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Maximum Number of Hashtags: 30

Technical Requirements

  • Video Duration: 1 second to 60 minutes
  • Maximum File Size: 250MB
  • Min Width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Stories

Design Recommendations

  • File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 9:16 
  • Video Settings: H.264 compression, fixed frame rate, square pixels, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but recommended

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters

Instagram Explore

Design Recommendations

  • File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 4:5 
  • Video Settings: H.264 compression, fixed frame rate, square pixels, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but recommended

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 

Technical Requirements

  • Video Duration: 1 second to 60 minutes
  • Maximum File Size: 250MB
  • Min Width: 500 pixels
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Reels

Design Recommendations

  • File Type: MP4, MOV
  • Ratio: 9:16
  • Video Settings: H.264 compression, fixed frame rate, square pixels, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+
  • Resolution: At least 500 x 888 pixels
  • Video Captions: Optional, but recommended
  • Video Sound: Optional, but strongly recommended

Reels ads should not contain:

  • Reels published before October 15, 2021.
  • Licensed music. We recommend using royalty-free music or original audio available in our Meta Sound Collection instead.
  • Media that has a face or camera effect.
  • Media with a GIF and product tags.
  • Videos that contain special boxes or edit lists in file containers.

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 72 characters 

Technical Requirements

  • Video Duration: 0 seconds to 15 minutes
  • Maximum File Size: 4GB

Instagram Ad Specs for CAROUSEL Ads

Instagram advertising format

If you need to highlight multiple features in one product, explain a process quickly, or lead people to various landing pages, carousel ads are your best bet. It lets you feature two or more videos or images in one ad. Each will have its description, headline, link, and CTA. 

Instagram Profile Feed

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Recommended Ratio: 1:1 
  • All Supported Ratios: 1.91:1 to 4:5
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
  • Other Design Recommendations: Upload the highest resolution image or video that meets ratio requirements. There is no maximum resolution.

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Maximum Number of Hashtags: 30
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

  • Number of Carousel Cards: 2 to 10
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Video Duration: 1 second to 2 minutes
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Feed

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 1:1 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Maximum Number of Hashtags: 30
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

  • Number of Carousel Cards: 2 to 10
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Video Duration: 1 second to 2 minutes
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Stories

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 1:1 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1920 pixels

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

  • Number of Carousel Cards: 2 to 10
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Video Duration: 1 second to 15 seconds
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 1%

Instagram Explore

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 1:1 
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 32 characters 
  • Description: 18 characters 
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

  • Number of Carousel Cards: 2 to 10
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Video Duration: 1 second to 240 minutes
  • Aspect Ratio Tolerance: 3%

Instagram Ad Specs for COLLECTION Ads

Instagram advertising format

This immersive Instagram ad format lets people discover, browse, and buy products and services from their mobile phones. It features a video or image cover from your Instant Experience’s first media asset. It also shows various products underneath it. When someone clicks on the ad, it opens a full-screen Instant Experience. You can use collection ads to increase product discovery, convert leads, show off product catalogs, and offer seamless mobile browsing. 

Instagram Feed

Design Recommendations

  • Image File Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels 

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

  • Instant Experience: Required
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Minimum Image/Video Width: 500 pixels
  • Minimum Image/Video Height: 500 pixels

Instagram Stories

Design Recommendations

  • Image Type: JPG or PNG 
  • Video File Type: MP4, MOV or GIF 
  • Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1
  • Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels

Text Recommendations

  • Primary Text: 125 characters 
  • Headline: 40 characters 
  • Landing Page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

  • Instant Experience: Required
  • Image Maximum File Size: 30MB
  • Video Maximum File Size: 4GB
  • Minimum Image/Video Width: 500 pixels
  • Minimum Image/Video Height: 500 pixels

Conclusion

Following these Instagram ad specs is crucial in advertising on this platform. Also, consider working with professionals for quality and compelling marketing visuals. Penji lets you request unlimited graphics and revisions at affordable monthly rates. Sign up now and get a limited 15 percent discount today!