Ad specs / Instagram
Instagram Stories video ad size
An Instagram Stories video ad is 9:16 at 1440 × 2560 pixels and runs from 1 second to 60 minutes, up to 4 GB. The same 14/35/6 safe zones apply.
| File type | MP4, MOV or GIF |
|---|---|
| Recommended resolution | 1440 × 2560 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 |
| Video duration | 1 second to 60 minutes |
| Minimum width | 250 pixels |
| Aspect ratio tolerance | 1% |
| Maximum file size | 4 GB |
| Primary text | 125 characters |
| Encoding | H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, stereo AAC audio at 128kbps+ |
What the other guides get wrong
Stories video is routinely listed at “15 seconds per card”. That is how long one Story card plays, not what Meta accepts for an ad; the published range runs to 60 minutes.
Source: Meta Ads Guide — video ads on Instagram Stories. Every figure on this page was read there on 2026-09-19. Platforms revise specs without notice; check the source before you build a template on it.
Related reading
Terrads composes each placement for its own frame at this size, instead of cropping one master down to it.