How to Make a Facebook Video Ad (Step-by-Step)

What Are Facebook Video Ads?

Facebook video ads deliver moving content across the Facebook ecosystem. They run in feeds, Stories, Reels, and in-stream placements on both Facebook and Instagram.

Why video ads matter on Facebook

Video stops the scroll. Motion grabs attention faster than static images. Meta's ad auction rewards video with competitive reach, making well-produced clips efficient at almost any budget level.

Where Facebook video ads appear

Video ads run across multiple placements:

• Facebook Feed (mobile and desktop)
• Facebook Reels
• Instagram Feed
• Instagram Stories
• Instagram Reels
• In-stream video (within other videos)

Each placement has its own spec preferences. Facebook Feed is the most common starting point.

How video ads drive different campaign objectives

Video ads work across Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, and Conversions objectives. Per Meta's documentation, Awareness objectives (Maximize reach, Maximize impressions, Maximize engagement) will not display the ad footer on mobile Feed placements. That means no headline, description, or CTA button on mobile. Choose your objective before building your creative.

---

Facebook Video Ad Specifications and Requirements

Per Meta's Ads Guide, these are the confirmed specs for Facebook Feed video ads.

Supported file formats

Facebook accepts MP4, MOV, and GIF. MP4 with H.264 compression is the safest choice for compatibility and file size. Avoid edit lists or special boxes in your file containers. Meta flags those at upload.

Aspect ratios and dimensions

| Placement | Aspect ratio | Recommended resolution |

|---|---|---|

| Facebook Feed (square) | 1:1 | 1440 × 1440 px |

| Facebook Feed (vertical) | 4:5 | 1440 × 1800 px |

| Facebook Reels | 9:16 | 1080 × 1920 px |

Minimum dimensions are 120 × 120 px, but anything below the recommended sizes will look soft on modern screens. Start at 1440 px on the short edge.

Video duration and file size limits

Duration can range from 1 second to 241 minutes for Facebook Feed. Facebook Reels caps at 60 seconds. Shorter almost always wins. Most Feed placements respond well to 15 to 30-second videos.

Maximum file size is 4 GB. A well-compressed 1080p MP4 typically lands under 500 MB.

Audio, captions, and codec requirements

Use H.264 compression with stereo AAC audio at 128 kbps minimum. Both captions and sound are optional per Meta's Ads Guide. That said, Meta recommends both. Add captions. Most mobile viewers watch with sound off, and captions keep your message intact.

---

Prepare Your Video: Best Practices Before Upload

Good preparation prevents rejected submissions and weak results.

Choosing the right length for your placement

Match your video length to where it will run. 15 seconds covers most Feed placements cleanly. Reels cap at 60 seconds, but 6 to 15 seconds holds attention better. Front-load your core message. Viewers can scroll away at any moment.

Adding captions for mobile viewing

Meta recommends captions for all video ads. Ads Manager has a built-in automatic captioning tool. Use it. Always review the auto-generated text before publishing. It misses brand-specific terms and product names regularly.

Optimizing for sound-off viewing

Show the value in the first 3 seconds without relying on audio. Use bold text overlays, strong visual sequences, and on-screen product demonstrations. Design for silence first. Treat sound as an enhancement.

File naming and organization

Name files by placement and variant. Something like `launch-feed-1x1-v1.mp4` works well. Clear naming saves significant time when uploading multiple variations in Ads Manager and keeps your asset library manageable.

---

Step-by-Step: Creating a Facebook Video Ad in Ads Manager

This is the native workflow inside Meta Ads Manager.

Access Ads Manager and start a campaign

Go to business.facebook.com/adsmanager. Click Create. The campaign wizard opens immediately.

Select your objective and targeting

Choose an objective. Awareness, Traffic, Engagement, Leads, and Conversions all support video. Remember that Awareness objectives hide the footer CTA on mobile Feed. Set your audience, budget, and schedule at the ad set level before moving to the ad.

Choose video as your ad format

At the ad level, select Single video under the Format section. Carousel formats also support video per card, but single video is the standard starting point for most campaigns.

Upload or select your video file

Click Add video. Upload from your computer or pull from your existing Meta asset library. The file must be MP4, MOV, or GIF with a maximum size of 4 GB. Ads Manager runs a spec check automatically and flags dimension or format issues before you proceed.

Add text, headline, and call-to-action

Fill in these fields:

• Primary text: 50 to 150 characters is recommended per Meta's current documentation
• Headline: 27 characters recommended
• Description: optional supporting context
• CTA button: pick from options like Shop Now, Learn More, or Sign Up

Write the headline first. It has the tightest character limit and the most visible placement on desktop.

Set placement preferences

Choose Manual placements to control exactly where your ad appears. For a standard campaign, enable Facebook Feed, Facebook Reels, and Instagram Feed. Verify your video dimensions match each placement's spec. Ads Manager flags mismatches with a yellow warning before you publish.

Review and launch your ad

Click Review to check for policy violations, spec errors, and billing details. Fix any flagged issues. Click Publish. Meta reviews most ads within 24 hours. You will receive a notification when the ad is approved and delivering.

---

Optimizing Your Video Ad Copy and Design

Writing headlines that convert

Lead with the outcome. "Get your order in 2 days" beats "Fast shipping available." Stay under 27 characters. Test two or three headline variants from the start. It costs nothing to create and reveals which angle resonates.

Crafting primary text for mobile viewers

Write primary text for someone scrolling at full speed. The first sentence carries the full load. Use plain language and a direct value statement. Keep it between 50 and 150 characters for best display. Longer text gets cut off behind a "See more" tap.

Selecting effective call-to-action buttons

Match the CTA to the objective. Shop Now for product-focused campaigns. Learn More for consideration or content-driven pages. Sign Up for lead generation. On Awareness-objective campaigns, the CTA button does not display on mobile Feed. Factor that into your creative design.

Testing variations for performance

Create at least two video variants before launch. Change one element per test. The opening frame, the headline, or the CTA button. Meta's A/B test tool in Ads Manager splits traffic cleanly. Give each test 5 to 7 days and sufficient impressions before drawing conclusions.

---

How Coinis Accelerates Video Ad Creation

Using Image Ads to generate video-ready creatives

Creating video assets is the hardest part of the workflow above. Coinis Image Ads removes that bottleneck. Paste a product URL. Coinis pulls your product images, generates ad creatives using premium AI models, and produces assets sized for every placement. 1:1, 4:5, and 9:16 included. You skip the design phase entirely and arrive at Ads Manager with upload-ready files.

Ensuring consistent branding with Brand Profile

Brand Profile stores your logo, brand colors, fonts, and tone of voice. Every creative Coinis generates draws from Brand Profile automatically. You do not re-enter brand guidelines for each new campaign. Every variation looks and sounds like your brand, not a generic template.

Scaling variations for A/B testing

Building two or three video variants manually takes hours. Coinis generates multiple variations in one session. Different visual styles, different headlines, same brand consistency throughout. Export the assets, upload to Ads Manager, and run your A/B test the same day.

---

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.

Start free →

15 AI tokens a month. No credit card.