- Instagram Feed ads run best at 4:5 ratio and 1440×1800 px recommended resolution.
- Stories and Reels use 9:16 vertical, but Reels has a larger bottom safe zone: ~35% vs ~20%.
- Feed carousel ads support 2–10 cards, each at minimum 1080×1080 px.
- All Instagram image ads cap at 30 MB and accept JPG or PNG only.
- Designing at one ratio then cropping to others loses key content — resize intentionally per placement.
- Coinis Revise Smart Resize converts one creative to every Instagram placement spec in one click.
Why Instagram Ad Dimensions Matter
Wrong dimensions cost you impressions, not just aesthetics. Instagram crops or rejects ads outside accepted specs automatically.
Impact on visibility and engagement
Instagram crops ads that fall outside accepted aspect ratios. Your headline or product can vanish entirely. The right dimensions keep your full visual intact and your message visible.
Preventing unwanted cropping and safe zones
Each placement overlays UI elements on your image: profile icons, CTA buttons, captions. If key content sits in those zones, Instagram covers it. Safe zones mark exactly where to keep text and logos clear.
Optimizing for different device sizes
Feed, Stories, and Reels render differently across phones. A square image looks fine in Feed. That same square in Stories leaves empty bars top and bottom. Vertical formats fill the screen and hold attention longer.
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Instagram Feed Ad Dimensions
Feed is where most advertisers start. Get this placement right first.
Recommended 4:5 aspect ratio and pixel specifications
Meta's Ads Guide recommends 4:5 for Instagram Feed image ads. That means 1440 × 1800 px at the recommended resolution. The taller crop takes up more screen real estate than square or landscape options. More screen space means more attention.
Supported aspect ratios (1.91:1 to 4:5)
Instagram Feed accepts a range from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 4:5 (portrait). Per Meta's documentation, the aspect ratio tolerance is 3%. Images outside this range get automatically cropped. Stick to 4:5 when possible. If your brand relies on landscape visuals, 1.91:1 works, but you give up vertical screen coverage.
Carousel ad specifications for Feed
Feed carousels run between 2 and 10 cards per ad. Each card should be at least 1080 × 1080 px, using a 4:5 ratio per card. Per Meta's Ads Guide, each image card allows up to 30 MB. Video cards support up to 4 GB and run from 1 second to 240 minutes, though shorter durations perform better in feed environments.
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Instagram Stories Ad Dimensions
Stories are fullscreen and immersive. Every pixel matters.
Recommended 9:16 aspect ratio and pixel specifications
Per Meta's Business Help Center, 9:16 is the recommended aspect ratio for Instagram Stories ads. The recommended resolution is 1080 × 1920 px. The minimum is 600 × 1067 px. Images display for 5 seconds by default. Max file size is 30 MB.
Safe zone requirements for text and logos
Meta's documentation defines clear safe zones for Stories. Keep the top approximately 14% of the image (roughly 250 px at recommended resolution) free from text and logos. Keep the bottom approximately 20% (roughly 340 px) clear. Profile icons and CTAs sit in those zones. Overlap them and your message gets covered.
Dynamic ads alternative specifications
Dynamic catalog ads on Stories work best at 1.91:1 (landscape). That ratio lets the system mix in product catalog items without cropping. If you run catalog-based retargeting in Stories, plan a separate 1.91:1 version of your creative.
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Instagram Reels Ad Dimensions
Reels fill the entire screen. The safe zones are wider than Stories.
9:16 aspect ratio and pixel specifications
Reels image ads use a 9:16 aspect ratio. Per Meta's Ads Guide, the recommended resolution is 1440 × 2560 px. Max file size is 30 MB, the same as all Instagram image placements.
Safe zone considerations for Reels
Reels carry more overlaid UI than Stories. Keep the top approximately 14% of the image clear. Keep the bottom approximately 35% clear. Keep approximately 6% on each side free from text and logos. That is a significantly larger bottom safe zone than Stories requires.
Difference from Stories safe zones
Stories require about 20% clear at the bottom. Reels require about 35%. The extra space covers Reels-specific UI: account name, caption, share icons, and the audio strip. Design your Reels creative with a tighter active content zone than you would for Stories.
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Instagram Explore Ad Dimensions
Explore ads appear when users browse the discovery tab. They follow Feed formatting.
Aspect ratio recommendations
Instagram Explore uses the same format as Feed ads. A 9:16 aspect ratio is recommended for Explore placements per Meta's Ads Guide for that placement.
Minimum pixel specifications
Explore ads require at least 1080 × 1080 px. That minimum maintains image quality as the platform scales to different screen sizes.
Placement-specific design notes
Explore users are in discovery mode. They are not following your account. Clean visuals with a clear focal point work better than text-heavy layouts. Meta does not publish separate safe zone specs for Explore. Follow Feed safe zone best practices as your baseline.
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File Requirements Across All Placements
These rules apply to every Instagram image ad placement.
Maximum file size and acceptable formats
All Instagram image ads cap at 30 MB per image, per Meta's Ads Guide. Accepted formats are JPG and PNG. PNG preserves sharpness for text-heavy graphics. JPG compresses better for photographs.
Minimum width and aspect ratio tolerance
For Instagram Stories, the minimum resolution is 600 × 1067 px (minimum 600 px wide). Meta applies a 3% aspect ratio tolerance across Instagram placements. Images slightly outside a spec may still run. Images far outside will be cropped or rejected at review.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Designing at 1:1 square and then scaling to vertical is the most common mistake. Text gets cut. Products disappear at the edges. Instead, design at 4:5 for Feed and 9:16 for Stories and Reels from the start. If you only have one creative, resize it for each placement before uploading.
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How to Resize Your Ads Efficiently
Rebuilding an ad four times wastes hours. You do not have to.
Using the Revise tool to auto-resize for placements
Coinis Revise includes Smart Resize. Upload your creative once. Resize it to any Instagram placement spec in one click. Feed 4:5, Stories 9:16, Reels 9:16, all without re-exporting from a design tool. The AI maintains composition and keeps your key visual centered.
Maintaining quality across different dimensions
Smart Resize does not just crop blindly. It recalculates composition to keep your focal point and messaging inside the active zone of the target placement. For low-resolution source files, AI Upscale in Revise brings images up to recommended spec before resizing.
Testing ads before final launch
Run a preview check after resizing. Confirm text stays inside safe zones. Confirm logos clear the overlay areas. Review the output in Coinis before you publish to make sure every placement looks right.
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Or skip the steps.
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No design skills. No Photoshop. One click.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct aspect ratio for Instagram Feed ads?
Meta recommends 4:5 (portrait) for Instagram Feed image ads, at 1440 × 1800 px. Instagram Feed accepts a range from 1.91:1 (landscape) to 4:5, with a 3% tolerance. The 4:5 ratio maximizes vertical screen space and is the best default for most advertisers.
What are the safe zones for Instagram Stories ads?
Per Meta's Business Help Center, keep the top ~14% (~250 px at recommended resolution) and bottom ~20% (~340 px) of a Stories ad free from text and logos. Profile icons and CTA buttons sit in those zones and will cover any content placed there.
How are Instagram Reels safe zones different from Stories?
Reels require a larger bottom safe zone: approximately 35% vs ~20% for Stories. Both share ~14% at the top. Reels also require ~6% clear on each side. The larger bottom zone covers the account name, caption, and share icons specific to Reels.
What file formats and sizes does Instagram accept for image ads?
Instagram accepts JPG and PNG for image ads, with a maximum file size of 30 MB across all placements. For Stories specifically, the minimum resolution is 600 × 1067 px. For best quality, upload at or near the recommended resolution for each placement.