Short answer: For an image ad in Facebook or Instagram Feed, Meta’s Ads Guide recommends 1,440 by 1,800 pixels, a 4:5 ratio. For Stories and Reels it recommends 1,440 by 2,560 pixels, a 9:16 ratio. Two versions of each picture, 4:5 and 9:16, cover the feeds, Stories and Reels.
Sizes by placement
| Placement | Ratio | Recommended size |
|---|---|---|
| Facebook Feed, image | 4:5 | 1,440 by 1,800 pixels |
| Instagram Feed, image | 4:5 | 1,440 by 1,800 pixels |
| Facebook and Instagram Stories, image | 9:16 | 1,440 by 2,560 pixels |
| Instagram Reels, video | 9:16 | 1,440 by 2,560 pixels |
| Facebook Feed, video | 4:5 | 1,440 by 1,800 pixels |
| Carousel in Facebook Feed | 1:1 | At least 1,080 by 1,080 pixels |
Images go in JPG or PNG up to 30 MB. Videos go in MP4 or MOV up to 4 GB, and Facebook Feed also takes GIF. Reels ads can run up to 15 minutes.
The Ads Guide lists 4:5 for Instagram Feed images, but Meta’s help page on aspect ratios recommends 1:1 for single-image ads there. Feeds support both ratios.
From Meta’s Ads Guide and the Meta Business Help Center, “Best practices for aspect ratios in Meta ads”, read November 2, 2026.
Minimum sizes
Meta’s help page gives recommended minimums. For Facebook Feed, they are 1,440 by 1,800 pixels for a 4:5 image and 1,080 by 1,080 for a square one. Instagram Feed, Stories and Reels start at 1,080 by 1,080, and the Facebook right column and Marketplace at 1,200 by 1,200.
The hard minimum in the Ads Guide is lower, 600 pixels wide for a Facebook Feed image, but Meta recommends the highest resolution you have.
From the Meta Business Help Center, “Recommended minimum image sizes for Meta ads”, and Meta’s Ads Guide.
Safe zones in Stories and Reels
Meta suggests leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and other key elements. Otherwise the profile icon or the call to action can cover them.
On a 1,440 by 2,560 image, that is about 358 pixels at the top, 896 at the bottom and 86 on each side.
From Meta’s Ads Guide, Instagram Stories, and our own calculation.
How much text fits
In Facebook Feed, Meta recommends 50 to 150 characters of primary text and a headline of 27 characters. In Instagram Feed, it recommends 125 characters and a headline of 40. Reels ads get 44 characters of primary text.
How to prepare your ad images
- Start from a photo with space on every side, so it can become both a 4:5 and a 9:16 version.
- Export the feed version at 1,440 by 1,800 pixels, in JPG or PNG.
- Export the Stories and Reels version at 1,440 by 2,560 pixels.
- In the 9:16 version, respect the safe zones: no text or logos near the edges.
- For a carousel, use 2 to 10 cards of at least 1,080 by 1,080 pixels, all at the same ratio.
- Upload both versions to the same ad: Ads Manager takes up to 10 images or videos for a single ad.
- Review every automatic crop before you publish, and use placement opt-outs if a version must not show somewhere.
Cropping alone doesn’t limit where an ad runs. Our guides on how to run Facebook ads and how to run Instagram ads cover the campaign setup.
From Meta’s Ads Guide and the Meta Business Help Center.
What our own images show
Every guide on our site has a header of 2,400 by 1,050 pixels and a share image of 1,200 by 630 pixels. On November 2, 2026, we measured 58 of these files.
The share image has a ratio of about 1.9 to 1. Instagram Feed accepts it, since its widest ratio is 1.91 to 1, but it is far from the 4:5 that Meta recommends.
The header, at about 2.3 to 1, is wider than Instagram Feed allows. To run one of these photos as an ad, we would export new 4:5 and 9:16 versions from the original.
Before you upload
- A 4:5 version at 1,440 by 1,800 pixels.
- A 9:16 version at 1,440 by 2,560 pixels.
- No text or logo in the margins of the 9:16 version.
- Images in JPG or PNG under 30 MB.
- Carousel cards all at the same ratio.
- Primary text and headline within Meta’s character counts.
RememberMake each picture in two versions, 4:5 for feeds and 9:16 for Stories and Reels, and keep text away from the edges.
If you want us to make and run your ads, see our Meta Ads management service.
Quick answers about Facebook and Instagram ad sizes
What size is a Facebook ad image?
Meta’s Ads Guide recommends 1,440 by 1,800 pixels, a 4:5 ratio, for an image ad in Facebook Feed. Use JPG or PNG up to 30 MB. For Facebook Stories, it recommends 1,440 by 2,560 pixels at 9:16.
Do Instagram ads use the same sizes?
Mostly. The Ads Guide lists 1,440 by 1,800 pixels at 4:5 for images in Instagram Feed, and 1,440 by 2,560 pixels at 9:16 for Stories and Reels. Meta’s help page on aspect ratios recommends 1:1 for single images in Instagram Feed.
How small can an image be for Meta ads?
Meta’s help page recommends at least 1,080 by 1,080 pixels for Instagram Feed, Stories and Reels, and 1,200 by 1,200 for the Facebook right column and Marketplace. The hard minimum in the Ads Guide for a Facebook Feed image is 600 pixels wide.
What happens if my image has the wrong ratio?
If you don’t provide every ratio, Ads Manager fills the gaps with padding, media expansion, cropping and AI features. Review the automatic crops before publishing, because text or a logo near the edge can be cut off.
Where should text go in a Stories or Reels ad?
Away from the edges. Meta suggests leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side free of text and logos. That way the profile icon and the call to action don’t cover them.
Sources
Read on November 2, 2026. Meta Ads Guide, image ads in Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories; video ads in Facebook Feed and Instagram Reels; carousel ads in Facebook Feed. Meta Business Help Center: Recommended minimum image sizes for Meta ads and Best practices for aspect ratios in Meta ads. Our own case: 58 of our guide images, measured on November 2, 2026.