- Facebook Story ads are fullscreen 9:16 vertical ads appearing between organic Stories on mobile.
- Three formats are available: single image, video, and carousel (images only, no video in carousel).
- Use 1440×2560px for image and video ads. Keep the top 14% and bottom 20% free of text and logos.
- Create in Meta Ads Manager: choose a compatible objective, select manual Stories placement, upload, and launch.
- Show your brand or product within 3 seconds. Keep primary text under 125 characters.
- Coinis Image Ads generates Stories-ready vertical creatives from a product URL, no resizing needed.
TL;DR: Facebook Story ads run fullscreen at 9:16 (1440×2560px). Build them in Meta Ads Manager by choosing a compatible objective, selecting Stories as a manual placement, uploading a safe-zone-compliant creative, and hitting Publish. Nail the specs first. Everything else is copy and targeting.
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What Is a Facebook Story Ad?
Facebook Story ads are fullscreen vertical ads that appear between users' organic Stories. They fill the entire screen at 9:16. Over 4 million advertisers run Stories ads monthly, per Meta's own data. They are fast, immersive, and skippable. Your hook needs to land in 3 seconds or less.
Facebook Story Ad Formats: Choose Your Best Option
Three formats are available. Pick based on your goal and existing assets.
Single Image Story Ads
The simplest option. One static image fills the screen. Fast to produce and easy to test. Works well for product shots, promotional offers, and brand awareness pushes.
Video Story Ads
Video drives deeper engagement. Videos 10 seconds or shorter play in full. Longer videos automatically split across multiple Story cards. H.264 compression and stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps or higher are required, per Meta's video ad specs.
Carousel Story Ads
Show multiple images in sequence. Viewers tap through cards manually. Use 3 to 10 cards per ad. Important: video is not supported in carousel format for Stories. Images only.
Facebook Story Ad Dimensions and Specifications
Getting specs wrong wastes budget. Meta will reject or distort non-compliant creatives. Here is what you need, per Meta's Ads Guide.
Image ads:
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- Recommended resolution: 1440×2560px
- File types: JPG or PNG
- Max file size: 30 MB
Video ads:
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- Recommended resolution: 1440×2560px
- File types: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Max file size: 4 GB
- Compression: H.264, stereo AAC at 128 kbps+
Carousel ads:
- Recommended aspect ratio: 1:1
- Minimum resolution: 1080×1920px
- File types: JPG or PNG
- Max file size: 30 MB per card
- Cards: 3 to 10
Safe zone (all formats):
Keep the top 14% (about 250px) and bottom 20% (about 340px) free of text and logos. The CTA button sits in that bottom zone. Text placed there gets hidden behind UI elements. Build everything important in the middle.
Meta applies a 1% aspect ratio tolerance. Stay close to the recommended ratios to avoid cropping.
Step-by-Step: How to Create a Facebook Story Ad
Step 1: Open Ads Manager and Create a Campaign
Go to Meta Ads Manager. Click "Create." This opens the campaign setup flow.
Step 2: Select Your Campaign Objective
Not every objective supports Stories placement. Compatible options include Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, App Promotion, and Conversions. Pick the one that matches your goal before moving forward.
Step 3: Choose Stories as Your Placement
Under Placements, select "Manual placements." Deselect everything except Facebook Stories. This sends your full budget to Stories and ensures your creative displays fullscreen. Advantage+ Placements can auto-mix Stories with other formats, but manual gives you spec control.
Step 4: Upload Your Creative Asset
Upload your image or video. Meta flags resolution, ratio, or file-size issues immediately. Fix any errors before moving forward. A pre-checked creative saves time here.
Step 5: Add Ad Copy and Call-to-Action
Primary text appears above the Story frame. Keep it short. Recommended length is 125 characters. The headline runs below the CTA button at 40 characters maximum. Choose a CTA that matches the action you want: Shop Now, Learn More, or Sign Up.
Step 6: Review and Launch
Check the preview on a mobile screen. Confirm all text and logos sit within the safe zone. Set your budget and schedule. Hit Publish. Meta typically reviews ads within 24 hours.
Design Best Practices That Drive Results
Good specs get your ad approved. Good design gets it clicked.
Lead with your brand. Show your product or logo within the first 3 seconds. Viewers swipe fast. Per Meta's research, 52% of people prefer Story content that is quick and easy to understand. Do not bury the lead.
Use bold, readable text. Small text disappears on phone screens. Keep font sizes large and contrast high.
Design for sound-off. Many users watch without audio. On-screen text should carry the full message on its own.
One clear message. A Story ad has one job. Pick the single action you want the viewer to take. Build everything around that action.
Shoot vertical. Creative made natively for Stories outperforms landscape or square content repurposed to fit the format.
Make Story Ad Creation Faster with Coinis
Designing to spec takes time. Checking safe zones, resizing, and writing copy all add up.
Coinis Image Ads generates Stories-ready vertical creatives from a product URL. Enter your URL, select vertical format, and get multiple on-brand options sized to the right dimensions automatically. No manual resizing. No guesswork on safe zones.
Once your creatives are ready, store and organize them in the Creative Library. Pull the right asset when you need it, no folder hunting required.
Pair that with AI Copywriting to write primary text and headlines that match your brand voice. Then launch directly to Facebook using Campaign Launcher. One platform, start to publish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What size should a Facebook Story ad be?
Facebook Story ads should be 9:16 aspect ratio at a recommended resolution of 1440×2560px. The minimum file size is subject to Meta's approval standards, and the max file size is 30 MB for images and 4 GB for video. Keep text and logos out of the top 14% and bottom 20% of the frame to avoid UI overlap.
Can you use video in a Facebook Stories carousel ad?
No. Video is not supported in the carousel format for Facebook Stories. Carousel Story ads are image-only, using JPG or PNG files. If you want to run video in Stories, use the single video ad format instead.
How long can a Facebook Story video ad be?
There is no hard maximum duration listed in Meta's current specs for Stories video ads, but videos 10 seconds or shorter play in full. Longer videos automatically split across multiple Story cards. For best engagement, keep your video under 15 seconds.
Which campaign objectives support Facebook Stories placement?
Compatible objectives include Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, App Promotion, and Conversions. Not all objectives support Stories placement. Always verify placement availability at the ad set level in Meta Ads Manager after selecting your objective.