# Create Facebook Video Ad
Facebook video ads run across Feed, Stories, Reels, In-Stream, and Marketplace. Get the specs right, write copy that hooks fast, and you have a strong foundation. This guide covers every step.
---
Overview: Facebook Video Ad Placements & Objectives
Facebook video ads reach users across more surfaces than most advertisers expect.
Which placements support video
Per the Meta Business Help Center, video ads are supported across Facebook Feed, Stories, Reels, In-Stream, Marketplace, and Instant Articles. Instagram Feed, Stories, and Explore are available within the same campaign. Each placement has its own creative requirements.
Supported campaign objectives
As documented in the Meta Business Help Center, video ads support seven objectives: Awareness, Traffic, Conversions, Video Views, App Installs, Engagement, and Leads. Not every objective works with every placement. Ads Manager filters available placements automatically based on your objective selection.
Why video works for different campaign goals
Awareness campaigns benefit from Reels and In-Stream, where full-screen formats dominate attention. Traffic and Conversion campaigns perform well in Feed, where users click through easily. Video Views campaigns use ThruPlay or 2-second view bidding, which can keep costs lower on cold audiences.
---
Video Specifications by Placement
Wrong specs mean cropped creatives, rejected ads, or wasted budget. Use these directly from Meta's Ads Guide.
Feed video ads: 1:1 and 4:5 ratios
Feed video ads should use 1:1 (1440x1440px) or 4:5 (1440x1800px) ratios. The 4:5 ratio fills more of the mobile screen. That extra real estate matters when you are competing against organic content.
Reels video ads: 9:16 vertical format
Reels require a 9:16 ratio at 1440x2560px. Design for full-screen mobile from the start. Meta's Ads Guide specifies safe zones for Reels: 14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides. Keep your text and logo inside those boundaries or the UI will cover them.
Stories: 1-120 seconds with safe zones
Stories support video from 1 to 120 seconds. Instagram Stories follow the same limit. Apply the same safe zone logic as Reels to protect text and branding from interface overlays.
Technical requirements
Per Meta's Ads Guide, all Facebook video ads require:
- File type: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Codec: H.264 compression
- Pixels: Square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan
- Audio: Stereo AAC at 128kbps or higher
Avoid edit lists and special boxes in file containers. Meta's policy flags these as a common cause of upload errors and rejected ads. Export using standard settings from your video editor.
File size limit
Maximum file size is 4GB. Most short-form ads land well under that ceiling.
---
Step-by-Step: Create a Facebook Video Ad in Ads Manager
Step 1: Choose campaign objective
Open Ads Manager and click Create. Select your objective first. For direct video performance, choose Video Views. For sales, choose Sales or Conversions. Your objective controls which placements and bid strategies are available downstream.
Step 2: Select ad placement(s)
At the ad set level, choose Manual placements to control where your video appears. Advantage+ placements distribute across all eligible surfaces automatically. If your creative is only cut for Feed, exclude Reels and Stories to avoid awkward cropping.
Step 3: Define audience and budget
Set targeting at the ad set level. Define location, age, gender, detailed targeting, and custom audiences. Set your daily or lifetime budget, then confirm your campaign dates.
Step 4: Upload video asset and set custom thumbnail
At the ad level, click Add Media and upload your file. Set a custom thumbnail. The auto-selected frame is rarely your best frame. Choose one that communicates your hook before a single second of video plays.
Step 5: Write ad copy
Fill in primary text, headline, and description. Character limits vary by placement. This step has an outsized impact on performance. (Full copy guidelines in the next section.)
Step 6: Add call-to-action button
Select a CTA button from Meta's dropdown. Options include Shop Now, Learn More, Sign Up, Download, and Book Now. Match the CTA to your objective. A "Shop Now" button on a brand awareness campaign with no product page is a friction point, not a conversion driver.
Step 7: Review and publish
Use the Ad Preview panel to check every selected placement. Confirm text and logos sit inside safe zones on Reels and Stories. Then click Publish.
---
Best Practices for Video Ad Creative
Specs get your ad approved. Creative quality gets results.
Optimal video length: 5-15 seconds for highest engagement
Five to fifteen seconds is the recommended range for engagement on cold audiences. Longer formats can work for retargeting and education. For top-of-funnel placements, shorter is almost always better.
Include captions
Meta recommends captions for Feed and Reels. Many users scroll with sound off. Captions keep your message working for every viewer, regardless of audio settings.
Front-load your key message
You have roughly 3 seconds before a user scrolls past. Open with your strongest hook. Show the product. State the offer. Do not build up to the point.
Test different aspect ratios
A 4:5 Feed ad and a 9:16 Reels ad can tell the same story, just framed differently. Test both formats. Let performance data determine where your budget goes.
Avoid edit lists and special file containers
Meta's documentation specifically lists these as causes for ad rejection. Export with standard settings and you will not run into this issue.
---
Writing Ad Copy That Converts
Your video earns the view. Your copy earns the click.
Primary text and headline character limits
Per Meta's Ads Guide, Feed primary text performs best at 50-150 characters. Reels primary text is capped at 40 characters. Feed headlines are limited to 27 characters. Reels headlines allow 55 characters. Write tight. Every word needs to earn its place.
Crafting compelling CTA text
The CTA button is the last thing a viewer reads before deciding to click. Match it to the action you want. "Get 20% off today" in the primary text pairs naturally with "Shop Now" on the button. Mismatched intent kills conversions.
How Brand Profile keeps copy consistent across variations
Running multiple video ad variations is standard practice. Keeping tone and messaging consistent across all of them is harder. Coinis Brand Profile analyzes your brand voice and feeds that context into every headline, primary text, and CTA that AI Copywriting generates. All copy stays on-brand across dozens of variations without manual style guide checks. The brand context travels with every creative.
---
Launch and Monitor Performance
Publishing is step one. Optimization is where results compound.
Setting bid strategy
Choose your bid strategy at the campaign or ad set level. CPM suits awareness campaigns. Cost-per-view suits Video Views objectives. oCPM optimizes delivery toward a specific action like purchase or lead form submission.
Budget allocation
Start with a daily budget you can sustain for at least 7 days. Meta's learning phase requires enough data to optimize delivery. Avoid heavy edits in the first 7 days after launch or you reset the learning phase.
Using Campaign Launcher to streamline deployment
Once your creative and copy are ready in Coinis, Campaign Launcher connects directly to your Meta account. Set your audience, budget, and placements from within Coinis. Publish to Facebook and Instagram without switching between tools. The setup steps in Ads Manager drop significantly.
Key metrics to track
Watch these from day one: 3-second video views, ThruPlay rate, cost-per-view, click-through rate, and cost-per-result. The Advertise page in Coinis surfaces live performance data from your Meta campaigns so you can act on what is working without digging through Ads Manager reports.
---
Or let Coinis do it.
From a product URL to a live Meta campaign. AI-generated creatives. On-brand copy. Direct publish to Facebook and Instagram. Real performance reporting. All in one platform.
Start free. Upgrade when you're ready.
15 AI tokens a month. No credit card.
Frequently Asked Questions
What video format does Facebook require for video ads?
Facebook video ads require MP4, MOV, or GIF files. The codec must be H.264 with square pixels, a fixed frame rate, and progressive scan. Audio should be stereo AAC at 128kbps or higher. Maximum file size is 4GB.
What is the best aspect ratio for a Facebook video ad?
It depends on placement. Feed ads perform best at 4:5 (1440x1800px) because they take up more mobile screen space. Reels require 9:16 (1440x2560px). Stories also use 9:16. If you are running across multiple placements, create separate cuts for each.
How long should a Facebook video ad be?
For cold audiences, 5-15 seconds is the recommended range. Feed supports videos up to 240 minutes, and Stories cap at 120 seconds, but shorter videos consistently outperform longer ones at the top of the funnel. Front-load your key message in the first 3 seconds.
Do Facebook video ads need captions?
Captions are not required but Meta strongly recommends them for Feed and Reels placements. A large portion of users scroll with sound off. Captions ensure your message lands regardless of audio settings.