Common Knowledge | Wondering something?
Ad Spec Design Guide
What are those pesky ad specs?
Meta
Ad Types:
In-Feed:
| File Types: | JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV or GIF |
| Min Time | 3 Seconds |
| Max Time | 60 Minutes |
| UI Overlay? | No |
Carousel:
2-10 images. Cover can be a .gif
Story:
| File Types | JPG, PNG, MP4, MOV or GIF |
| Min Time | 3 Seconds |
| Max Time | 15 Seconds |
| UI Overlay? | Yes |
Reels:
| File Types | MP4 or MOV |
| Min Time | 3 Seconds |
| Max Time | 30 Seconds |
| UI Overlay? | Yes |
Best Practices / misc notes about styling:
- Optimize for mobile
- Keep it simple
- Clear CTA
- Build for sound-off, but delight with sound-on
- Show branding + product quickly – within 3 seconds
- Messaging should be action-oriented
What works for mid-funnel:
- Strong text overlays
- Vertical video + swipe up for action
- Carousel units for multi-product collection display
- Collection units for new catalog product releases
What works for low-funnel:
- Strong call to action
- Text overlay
- Promotional + limited time messaging
- Product-focused
Ad Types:
Display and Discovery:
You need 1 square (1:1) and 1 landscape (1.91:1) image. A logo isn’t required, but it’s recommended. Google auto generates ads using photos and copy inputted by Google Buyer. It will create all sorts of ads, run them against each other and give the Google buyer guidance on what has worked. The ads are displayed across Google’s various platforms (Google, Gmail, YouTube, etc.). Adding all recommended aspect ratios is highly recommended.
4:1 | 1200 x 300)
1:1 | 1200 x 1200
Ad Types:
Standard Pins – Static and Video:
| File Types | PNG, JPG, MP4, MOV or M4V |
| Min Time | 4 Seconds |
| Max Time | 15 Minutes |
| UI Overlay? | No |
Max. Width Video Ads:
Video ads that expand in landscape
| File Types | MP4, MOV or M4V |
| Min Time | 4 Seconds |
| Max Time | 15 Minutes |
| UI Overlay? | No |
Carousel Pins:
2-5 images per carousel.
Collection Pins:
One main image above three smaller images. 2:3 is recommended for Hero image, 1:1 is recommended for secondary images.
TikTok
Ad Types:
In Feed:
| File Types: | MP4, MOV, MPEG, 3GP, or AVI |
| Min Time | 3 Seocnds |
| Max Time | 60 Seconds |
| UI Overlay? | Yes |
Best Practices / misc notes about styling:
Organic, UGC, mashables are going to perform the best. Sound is very important. TikTok is one of the few platforms that the user always has the volume up. As far as I can tell (according to my research *insert Dorthy Ann voice) all sounds and music can be used for ads. That might change in the near future so keep an eye out. You can also work in the “stich feature” as well if you find a popular video that is frequently being stitched by other users. You basically want to trick the user into thinking its organic content so they are hooked by the time they realize it is an ad.
Snapchat
Ad Types:
Standard:
| File Types | JPG, PNG, MP4, or MOV |
| Min Time | 3 Seconds |
| Max Time | 3 Minutes |
| UI Overlay? | Need |
Stories:
Reach Snapchatters by placing a branded tile in Snapchat’s Discover section that taps into a series of 3-20 Single Image or Video Ads.
| File Types | JPG, PNG, MP4, or MOV |
| Min Time | 3 Seconds |
| Max Time | 3 Minutes |
| UI Overlay? | Need |
Commercials:
Standard Commercials are non-skippable 3 to 6 second ads, whereas Extended Play Commercials are 3 to 180 seconds, and only the first 6 seconds is non-skippable.
| File Types | MP4 or MOV (H.264 encoded) |
| Skippable? | After 6 seconds |
| Min Time | 3 Seconds |
| Max Time | 3 Minutes |
| UI Overlay? | Need |
Filters:
Still artistic overlays that appear after you take a Snap and swipe left or right. Take part in Snapchatters’ conversations as they visit neighborhoods, parks, restaurants, shops, and during key holidays.
- Mandatory text, logos and legal disclaimers may not be placed within 310px of the top or bottom of the canvas
- Requires a visible brand logo or brand name
Lenses:
A powerful and memorable way to connect with consumers using augmented reality. Create memorable, interactive moments that Snapchatters can play with and send to friends.
Best Practices / misc notes about styling:
- 3 – 5 seconds is the sweet spot for video length to drive action
- Provide an offer message if available within second 2 or 3
- Snap ads are not allowed to have borders of any kind
- Ads imitating organic Snaps or tools are not allowed
- Do not place logos or other graphic elements within 150px of the top and bottom of creative
- Silent or still Snap Video Ads are restricted (i.e. must include sound)
- Headlines that feature all capital letters are prohibited
- Content must be approved for ages 13 and up
- Average users are aged 13-24
YouTube
Ad Types:
Display Ads:
| File Types | GIF, JPG, PNG or HTML5 |
| Max Time | 30 Seconds |
| File Size | 150KB Max |
Overlay Ads:
| File Types | JPG or PNG |
| File Size | 150KB Max |
Sponsored Cards:
| File Types | GIF, JPG or PNG |
| Max Time | 15 – 20 seconds |
| File Size | 2MB Max |
Skippable, Non-Skippable and Bumper Video Ads:
Skippable ads give you an advantage over Non-Skippable because you get to see exactly how long a viewer allows the ad to play before clicking skip. This gives us more to analyze, we can see exactly where a viewer loses interest. If they let the whole ad play out, the creative is working.
| File Types | AVI, ASF, MOV, MP4 or MPEG |
| Min Time | 12 Seconds (Recommended) |
| Max Time | 3 Minutes (Recommended) |
| File Size | 1GB Max |
| UI Overlay? | Yes – Need |
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