Vertical Video Specs for TikTok & Meta (2026)

Keep text and faces in the center 80%. TikTok UI overlays bottom and right edges.

The 2026 standard for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and Meta vertical placements is 9:16 aspect ratio at 1080x1920 pixels. Upload lower resolutions and platforms upscale with quality loss that degrades reaction clip fidelity — visible in close-up face shots where detail matters.

H.264 codec in MP4 container remains the universal standard. H.265 (HEVC) is supported on some platforms but inconsistently — stick with H.264 for maximum compatibility across TikTok Ads Manager, Meta Ads Manager, and YouTube Shorts from a single export.

Frame rate: 30fps for most UGC ad content. 60fps is unnecessary for talking-head reaction clips and doubles file size. CapCut exports at 30fps by default, which matches platform expectations for short-form advertising content.

UGCBundle clips ship as 9:16 MP4 at 1080p — ready for upload without reformatting. Download from UGCBundle, edit in your timeline, and export at the same specs to avoid generational quality loss from unnecessary transcoding.

TikTok ads support 5 to 60 seconds, but direct-response UGC ads perform best at 15 to 30 seconds total. Reaction hook occupies 2 to 3 seconds, demo body 10 to 20 seconds, CTA 3 to 5 seconds. Shorter ads often win on completion rate metrics.

Meta Reels placements accept up to 90 seconds but the same 15 to 30 second sweet spot applies. Feed placements tolerate slightly longer content, but vertical-first creative optimized for Reels works across all Meta video placements in 2026.

File size limits: TikTok accepts up to 500MB per video. Meta accepts up to 4GB. UGC reaction clips are typically 2 to 5MB for a 3-second hook — well within limits. File size becomes a concern only when combining multiple high-bitrate clips in long composites.

Audio specs: AAC codec, 128kbps minimum. Reaction clips with natural audio (gasps, exclamations) should preserve the original audio track. Add music beds at -12dB below voice to avoid drowning the reaction sound that contributes to authenticity.

Keep faces and critical text within the center 80% of the frame. TikTok UI overlays cover approximately 130 pixels at the bottom (caption area, buttons) and 100 pixels on the right (engagement buttons). Meta Reels has similar overlay zones.

Reaction hooks work best with close-up face framing centered in the safe zone. Medium shots that place the face in the upper third get partially covered by platform UI on some devices. Tight framing also maximizes emotional impact on small mobile screens.

Text overlays should sit in the center-middle band — roughly 30% to 70% from the top of frame. This zone remains visible across TikTok, Meta Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat without platform-specific repositioning. One export serves all channels.

Preview ads on an actual phone before scaling spend. Desktop preview in Ads Manager does not show UI overlays accurately. A hook that looks perfectly centered on your monitor may have text covered by TikTok's like button on a six-inch screen.