Meta Static Ad Specs: Sizes, Ratios & Requirements (2026)

Meta static ad specs: 1080×1350 (4:5) for feed, 1080×1920 (9:16) for Stories/Reels, 1080×1080 (1:1) fallback, JPG/PNG under 30MB, plus safe-zone rules.

Meta static ad specs come down to three placement sizes — 1080×1350 (4:5) for feed, 1080×1920 (9:16) for Stories and Reels, and 1080×1080 (1:1) as a universal fallback — uploaded as JPG or PNG under about 30MB. Get those right and your single-image ads render crisply and uncropped everywhere. Below is the full reference: dimensions and ratios by placement, file requirements, text fields, and the safe-zone rules that keep your message visible. (Zendux is independent and not affiliated with Meta; always confirm current limits in Meta’s official ad guide before a major launch.)

Key takeaways

  • 4:5 (1080×1350) — feed, the highest-impact single size.
  • 9:16 (1080×1920) — Stories and Reels (mind the safe zone).
  • 1:1 (1080×1080) — universal fallback.
  • JPG/PNG, under ~30MB, 1080px minimum on the short side.
  • No hard text limit, but less text still performs better.

Image size & aspect ratio by placement

PlacementAspect ratioRecommended pixels
Facebook Feed4:51080 × 1350
Instagram Feed4:51080 × 1350
Stories (FB & IG)9:161080 × 1920
Reels (FB & IG)9:161080 × 1920
Instagram Explore4:5 / 1:11080 × 1350
Marketplace1:11080 × 1080
Right column (desktop)1:11080 × 1080
Audience Network9:16 / 1:11080 × 1920

If you produce only one size, use 4:5 — it dominates the mobile feed where most impressions land. Full rationale in Facebook ad aspect ratios by placement.

File requirements

SpecRecommendation
File typesJPG or PNG
Max file size~30MB
Min resolution1080px on the shortest side
ColorRGB
When to use PNGCrisp text or transparency
When to use JPGPhotographic images

Export at the highest quality you have — Meta re-compresses on upload, so clean source in means cleaner rendering out.

Text fields (the copy around the image)

A Meta static ad also has text fields with practical display limits:

FieldPractical guidance
Primary textFirst ~125 characters show before “See more”
HeadlineKeep to ~27–40 characters so it isn’t truncated
Description~27 characters; often hidden by placement

These are display guidelines, not hard caps — front-load the important words.

The 20% text rule (retired, but the principle stays)

Meta removed the hard 20% image-text limit that used to throttle or reject text-heavy images. There’s no automatic penalty now — but image ads with minimal on-image text still tend to perform better. Treat it as a design guideline, not a rejection risk.

Safe zones (so the UI doesn’t cover your message)

For 9:16 Stories and Reels, keep critical text, logos, and CTAs in the central band:

  • Top ~14% — profile name and “Sponsored” label.
  • Bottom ~20% — captions, CTA button, interactive UI.
  • Middle ~60–70% — your safe zone; put everything important here.

For 4:5 feed, cropping risk is low, but design with a 1:1 “core” in mind in case a placement center-crops.

The real-world catch: producing every size

Covering placements properly means exporting each concept at 4:5, 9:16, and 1:1 — three files per creative, multiplied across every angle you test. Done by hand, that’s where launches stall. Two fixes:

  1. Design the master at 9:16 (the tallest) and crop down — you never invent missing pixels.
  2. Group creatives by ratio so each version routes to the placements it fits.

This is the step that feeds a fast bulk launch. For the format overview, see Meta static ad.

Hit every spec automatically

Getting specs right for every placement, for every variation, is tedious — and a single wrong size means cropped text or a rejected ad. Zendux generates static ad creative, sizes each version to the correct Meta spec per placement automatically, and bulk-launches the batch to your ad sets — so you never hand-export a 4:5, 9:16, and 1:1 again.

Auto-size your Meta static ads →

Frequently asked questions

What size should a Meta static ad be?
Match the size to the placement: 1080×1350 (4:5) for Facebook and Instagram feeds, 1080×1920 (9:16) for Stories and Reels, and 1080×1080 (1:1) as a universal fallback. Always upload at 1080px on the shortest side or higher so the image renders crisply; Meta compresses on its end, so start with clean, high-quality source.
What is the best aspect ratio for a Meta static ad?
4:5 is the highest-impact single ratio because it takes up the most mobile feed space without cropping. Use 9:16 for Stories and Reels, and 1:1 as a safe fallback across placements. If you only export one size, choose 4:5 for feed-first campaigns.
What file types does Meta accept for static ads?
Meta accepts JPG and PNG for static (single-image) ads. Keep files under about 30MB. Use JPG for photographic images and PNG when you need crisp text or transparency. Export at the highest quality you have, since the platform re-compresses uploads.
Is there a text limit on Meta static ad images?
Meta retired the old hard 20% image-text limit, so heavy text no longer triggers automatic rejection. However, the principle still holds — image ads with minimal text generally perform better, and you should keep critical text inside the placement's safe zone so the interface doesn't cover it.