Ad creative that runs right the first time.
Formats, safe zones, copy limits and judgment calls for running ads on Google, Meta, TikTok, ChatGPT, X, LinkedIn and Reddit. Plus one prompt per platform so your AI can review your assets against these rules.
Review your assets with your AI
- 01
Pick the platform
Each section has its own prompt with that platform's specs, safe zones and character limits.
- 02
Copy the prompt
Or open it straight in ChatGPT or Claude.
- 03
Attach the asset
The AI tells you what passes, what fails and how to fix it.
Missing a format? Scalemage, the tool we built at Zenda, adapts your asset to each platform's specs with AI. Then review it with the prompt. Try Scalemage →
General rules
They hold for any asset on any platform. Each platform's specs are in its own section.
- 01
Design for the phone
Almost every impression is mobile. If the text can't be read with the phone in your hand, it's too small.
- 02
Hook in the first 3 seconds
Product, problem or result from the first second. The full message, before second 6.
- 03
Assume no sound
Every video with voice carries synced subtitles, no exceptions. On TikTok sound helps, but the subtitles still go in.
- 04
One message per asset
If there are three benefits to tell, that is three assets.
- 05
The brand shows up, but does not open
Logo or product visible within the first 5 seconds, with no animated logo intro.
- 06
Deliver every format
If a format is missing, the platform crops or stretches the one it has and it almost always looks wrong, or the asset never reaches every placement.
- 07
Respect the safe zones
Text, logo, price and CTA clear of whatever the interface covers. Each app covers different areas: the measurements are in each platform section.
- 08
Export properly
PNG or JPG in sRGB. Video as MP4 with H.264 and AAC audio. No black borders and no watermarks from another app.
- 09
Name files consistently
Brand_Campaign_Platform_Format_v1. It saves hours when there are 40 files in the folder.
Google Ads
Google builds ads by combining loose assets: images, logos, videos and text, each uploaded separately. The same image can show up in a 300 x 250 banner, in Gmail, in Discover or on YouTube.
| Format | Recommended | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape 1.91:1 | 1200 x 628 | 600 x 314 |
| Square 1:1 | 1200 x 1200 | 300 x 300 |
| Portrait 4:5 | 960 x 1200 | 480 x 600 |
| Square logo 1:1 | 1200 x 1200 | 128 x 128 |
| Landscape logo 4:1 | 1200 x 300 | 512 x 128 |
Max file size: 5120 KB. Up to 20 images and 5 logos per asset group: aim for that maximum.
| Campaign | Formats | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Max | Optional. One per orientation recommended: 16:9, 1:1 and 9:16. Up to 15 | 10 seconds or more |
| Demand Gen | Optional. 16:9, 9:16 or 4:5, and 1:1. Up to 3 per orientation | 10 to 60 seconds |
| Video Reach | 16:9 and 9:16 of 15 s (in-stream and in-feed), 6 s bumper, Shorts 9:16 or 1:1 | 15 s · 6 s (bumper) · 6 to 60 s (Shorts) |
| Video Views | Recommended: one long 16:9, one 15 s 16:9 and one 9:16 | 60 s to 3 min · 15 s · 10 to 60 s (min. 5 s) |
If PMax has no video, Google generates one from the images and it usually looks bad, so upload your own. Video Action campaigns were moved to Demand Gen in 2026.
| Field | PMax | Demand Gen |
|---|---|---|
| Headline | 30, one of 15 or fewer. 3 to 15 | 40, one of 30 or fewer. Up to 5 |
| Long headline | 90. 1 to 5 | N/A |
| Description | 90. 2 to 5 | 90. Up to 5 |
| Business name | 25 | 25 |
| CTA | Automatic or from a list | Automatic |
Google combines headlines and descriptions in any order. Each one has to work on its own.
- Google shows images in very small slots. Overlaid text can't be read and can end up hidden under the headline Google lays on top.
- Ideally, no text in the image. If you need some, keep it under 20% of the surface: Google rejects or limits images with more.
- No fake buttons, arrows or large overlaid logos. The logo is uploaded separately.
- Product or person in the center on a clean background, so it reads as a thumbnail.
- On YouTube the ad can be skipped at 5 seconds. Brand and message have to land before that.
- The 6-second bumper cannot be skipped: one message, no intro.
- Google recommends video with sound, because much of YouTube is watched with audio on. Subtitles are still needed for Shorts, Discover and Gmail.
- Google's ABCD framework: attract with a strong opening, brand early and often, connect with people and emotion, and direct with a clear CTA.
- Images in 1.91:1, 1:1 and 4:5
- Little or no text in the image
- Logo uploaded separately
- Your own videos included, so Google does not generate them
- Brand and message before second 5
- Headlines and descriptions that work on their own
- Each side
- up to 5%
- Text over the image
- under 20%
Meta Ads
Feed, Explore, Stories, Reels, Marketplace, right column, search, Messenger, Threads and Audience Network. With Advantage+ placements (the default), Meta spreads the asset across all of them.
| Format | Size | Minimum | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | 500 px wide | Stories, Reels and video in Feed |
| Square 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 | 600 x 600 | Image and video Feed, Explore, Marketplace, carousel, right column |
| Portrait 4:5 | 1080 x 1350 | 600 x 750 | Optional. Depending on the placement, Meta crops it to 1:1 |
| Landscape 1.91:1 and 16:9 | 1200 x 628 (video 1920 x 1080) | 600 x 314 | Link ads in Feed, Messenger, Audience Network and in-stream video |
The minimum for Meta is 9:16 + 1:1. Meta's guide recommends 4:5 for Feed, but when you build the ad, Ads Manager recommends 1:1 and, depending on the placement, crops 4:5 to square. Uploading 1:1 means nothing gets cut. 4:5 works for organic, not as the base of an ad.
| Field | Recommended | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary text | 50 to 150 characters | Longer text is cut with "See more". The key point goes in the first line |
| Headline | 27 characters | Several placements show less. Lead with what matters |
These are the recommendations in Meta's ads guide, not hard caps: longer text is accepted but gets truncated.
| Type | Specs |
|---|---|
| Video | MP4 or MOV, up to 4 GB. In Reels and Stories, 15 seconds or less performs better |
| Image | JPG or PNG, up to 30 MB |
| Carousel | 2 to 10 cards, all in 1:1 |
- The 20% text rule is gone, but text-heavy images still tend to get less reach and a worse CTR. The copy goes in the text fields.
- In Reels, what looks native (a person on camera, shot on a phone, fast pace) beats polished ad video.
- Advantage+ creative enhancements can crop, expand or add music. Check every placement's preview and turn off the ones that break the asset.
- 9:16 and 1:1 delivered
- Nothing in the top 14% or bottom 35% of the vertical
- Primary text of 50 to 150 characters and a 27-character headline, leading with what matters
- Preview checked in every placement
- Top
- 14% · 270 px
- Bottom
- 35% · 670 px
- Each side
- 6% · 65 px
Ads Manager has a safe zone overlay in the preview. Turn it on and check every vertical asset before publishing.
TikTok Ads
Everything happens vertical and full screen. The like, comment and share buttons sit on the right edge, so the safe zone is asymmetric.
| Format | Size | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | 540 x 960 | The only one worth producing |
| 16:9 · 1:1 | - | 960 x 540 · 640 x 640 | Accepted, but they look small and letterboxed |
| Field | Specs |
|---|---|
| Video | MP4 or MOV, up to 500 MB and 10 minutes. For direct response, 9 to 20 seconds |
| Ad text | Up to 100 characters. No links, @ or hashtags. Up to 4 lines show |
| Account name | Up to 20 characters |
- The first second decides everything: motion, a face, the product or a strong visual change. No brand intro.
- It has to look like TikTok, not a TV spot. A person on camera, shot vertical, fast cuts, the app’s native text.
- Sound matters: music or voice-over, and subtitles anyway.
- With the creator’s permission you can run an organic post as an ad (Spark Ads), which usually beats an asset built as an ad.
- 9:16 at 1080 x 1920
- Nothing important at the bottom or on the right
- Looks like native content
- Has sound
- Top
- ≈13% · 254 px
- Bottom
- ≈37% · 707 px
- Right
- ≈22% · 242 px
- Left
- ≈11% · 122 px
TikTok doesn't publish percentages: these values are an approximate reference for vertical In-Feed, and the source to follow is TikTok's official templates, because the zone changes with caption length and extra formats. Product, logo, price and CTA never in the bottom right: that is where the buttons and the ad text stack up.
ChatGPT Ads
A card labeled "Sponsored" below ChatGPT’s answer, shown based on the context of the conversation. With a product feed, the card adds price and rating.
| Field | Recommended | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Title | 16 to 24 characters | 50 |
| Text | 32 to 48 characters | 100 |
| Image | Square 1:1, PNG or JPG | 1200 x 1200 (min. 256 x 256) |
| Logo | Favicon or logo, square | - |
| URL | The product or offer page, not the homepage | - |
- The image shows as a thumbnail: one object, clean background, no text inside.
- Title and text go in the fields. Each variant has to say something different, not reword the same line.
- The landing page has to be open to OAI-AdsBot, the bot that reviews it: if it's blocked, the ad won't run. Allowing OAI-SearchBot is also recommended.
- There is no video format yet.
- Square image, one object, no text
- Title of 24 characters or fewer and text of 48 or fewer
- Landing page open to OAI-AdsBot
X Ads
The X timeline moves fast and video starts muted. What works is short, subtitled and written like a post, not a banner.
| Format | Recommended | Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Image 1:1 | 800 x 800 | PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB |
| Image 1.91:1 | 800 x 418 | Website card |
| Expanded ratios | 4:5 1440 x 1800 · 2:3 1080 x 1620 · 16:9 1920 x 1080 · 9:16 1080 x 1920 | Meta assets can be reused |
| Video | 16:9 · 1:1 · 9:16 | MP4 or MOV, H.264, up to 1 GB and 2:20. Best at 15 s |
| Carousel | 2 to 6 cards | All in the same ratio |
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Post | 280 characters. About 257 left with a link |
| Website card headline | 70 characters |
- Short videos, subtitled, with the message in the first seconds.
- What matters sits in the central 80% of the frame.
- A conversational, direct tone, like any other post. Anything that looks like a banner gets scrolled past.
- Video of 15 seconds or less, subtitled
- Content in the central 80%
- Margin per side
- 10%
- Key content
- central 80%
LinkedIn Ads
The audience is in work mode. The tone has to be peer to peer, and data, cases and concrete numbers work better than aspirational lines.
| Format | Size | Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Image 1:1 | 1200 x 1200 | The safest. JPG, PNG or static GIF, up to 5 MB |
| Image 1.91:1 | 1200 x 628 | Performs better on desktop |
| Vertical image | 628 x 1200 | Mobile only |
| Video | 16:9 · 1:1 · 4:5 · 9:16 | MP4, 3 s to 30 min, up to 500 MB. Best at 15 to 30 s |
| Carousel | 1080 x 1080 | 2 to 10 cards, up to 10 MB each |
| Document | PDF, PPT or DOC | Up to 300 pages and 100 MB |
| Field | Recommended | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Intro text | 150 (then cut with "see more") | 600 on image, 3000 on video |
| Headline | 70 | 200 (cut after 70) |
| Carousel card headline | 45 | 45 |
- For mobile video, 4:5 or 1:1. 16:9 ends up too small.
- Video starts muted: synced subtitles always, burned into the video or as an SRT file.
- Nothing important in the corners: that is where the "Promoted" label and the CTA button appear.
- In a carousel, every card has to make sense on its own. Most people never get past the second.
- In a document ad, the first page is the cover shown in the feed. Design it as an asset in its own right.
- Video in 4:5 or 1:1 for mobile
- Nothing in the corners
- First page of the document designed as a cover
- Corners
- label and CTA
Reddit Ads
Ads show up in the feed, in communities and between comments. They accept comments, so be ready to reply and moderate.
| Format | Size | Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Image 4:5 | 1080 x 1350 | The best converter according to Reddit's 2026 study |
| 1:1 · 4:3 · 16:9 | 1080 x 1080 · 1440 x 1080 · 1920 x 1080 | JPG, PNG or GIF, up to 3 MB |
| Video | 1:1 · 4:5 · 4:3 · 16:9 | MP4 or MOV, up to 1 GB, 5 s to 15 min. Best at 5 to 30 s |
| Carousel | 2 to 6 cards | Up to 20 MB per image. 50-character caption |
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Headline | Up to 300 characters. Stay under 100 (80 to show in full on mobile) |
- Visible logo+108%Conversion of images with a logo vs. without
- Headline variety+12,4%With at least one different headline every three ads
- Video subtitles+8,2%Average conversion with subtitles
- Text over image-13%Except urgency messages with a deadline
- Logo top left or bottom right. In video, in the first or last 3 seconds.
- Videos under 6 seconds had the biggest impact on conversion.
- Products in a real setting and with people beat studio shots.
- The tone has to sound like a Reddit user. Ad-speak gets rejected and draws negative comments.
- Bottom 20% clear
- Logo visible
- Headline under 100 characters, in a user’s voice
- Bottom
- 20% clear
- Key content
- top two thirds
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