Guide
Ad video formats: which goes where?
Updated: 2026-07-16
There are three core ad video formats: 16:9 (horizontal) for websites, YouTube and TV screens; 9:16 (vertical) for Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts; 1:1 (square) for feed ads. With most social ad spend running vertical in 2026, every campaign should ship at least 16:9 + 9:16 together.
The right format per platform
16:9 (1920×1080 / 4K 3840×2160): website hero videos, YouTube pre-roll, TV and in-store horizontal screens.
9:16 (1080×1920): Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts — the full-screen mobile experience.
1:1 (1080×1080): Instagram/Facebook feed ads; occupies more space in the feed.
Duration and resolution recommendations
For social ads the sweet spot is 15 seconds; the first 2 seconds must land the hook. For corporate/web use, 30–60 seconds works.
Taking delivery of a 4K master future-proofs every channel; even when platforms compress, the source quality holds.
Why both formats together?
Single-format delivery leaves half the campaign on the table: cropping a horizontal film to vertical breaks the composition. Admerd produces and delivers 16:9 and 9:16 as separate compositions in every project.