Reels ads
Reels ads are full-screen, vertical ads shown between reels, the short videos in the Reels tab on Instagram and Facebook. People can like, comment, share and skip them like any reel. They run at 9:16, as a video up to 15 minutes long or as an image, with the app's profile row, caption and buttons laid over the bottom of the frame.
How does Meta describe Reels ads?
Meta's page on creating Instagram Reels ads:
Ads can appear in the Reels tab on Instagram and are inserted in between other reels. Similar to organic reels, people can comment, like, view, share and skip reels ads.
Its creative rules: "Your video creative can be up to 15 minutes and should be in the fullscreen, vertical format." It recommends "music or sound to better fit the Reels placement", and it sets hard limits: "Your Instagram Reels cannot use licensed music", and the media "shouldn't contain face and camera effects, GIFs or product tags."
Reels is one placement among many. With Advantage+ placements on, an ad can run there whether or not it was designed for it.
What size is a Reels ad?
From Meta's ads guide, for Instagram Reels:
| Spec | Image | Video |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | 9:16 | 9:16 |
| Resolution | 1440 × 2560 | 1440 × 2560 |
| Length | — | 0 seconds to 15 minutes |
| Primary text | 44 characters | 44 characters |
| Minimum width | 500 px | 250 px under 30 seconds, 500 px at 30 seconds or longer |
The full spec pages are Reels image and Reels video. Most spec sheets print 1080 × 1920, which is the same aspect ratio at a smaller size; the Reels ad size post covers the difference. Keep text out of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% of each side: that is the safe zone Meta states for Reels.
Are "ads on Reels" the same as Reels ads?
No. Meta sells other placements with Reels in the name:
- Ads on Facebook Reels are overlay ads, which "appear as banners on a creator's reels". Meta's About ads on Reels page says that "Starting in November 2025, post-loop ads on Reels will no longer be available", so post-loop ads on Reels have ended; overlay ads remain.
- Ads on Instagram Reels "appear at the top of publicly shared Instagram Reels from eligible accounts", and creators can earn a share of the revenue (Meta's page).
- Reels trending ads buy "the ad slot immediately after top trending creator-made Reels content on Instagram", available through your Meta sales representative (Meta's page).
Each has its own spec. A 9:16 full-screen video is right for the Reels tab and wrong for a banner on top of someone else's reel.
What it means for your ads
- Make a native 9:16. A 4:5 feed ad stretched to fill the screen puts its headline under the caption.
- Add sound, and keep the message readable without it. Meta calls sound "Optional, but strongly recommended" for Reels, and its Instagram page says most people watch with sound off.
- Write to 44 characters. Reels has the tightest primary text in Meta's guide.
- Use original or royalty-free audio. Licensed music is not allowed.
Common mistakes
- Reusing an old organic reel. Meta says your ad "shouldn't use Instagram Reels published before October 15th, 2021."
- Treating 15 minutes as a target. It is the ceiling. For watch metrics on Reels, see ThruPlay.
Sources
- Create Instagram Reels ads in Meta Ads Manager — Meta Business Help Center: where Reels ads appear, the creative specs, sound and licensed-music rules, the 2021 cutoff and effects (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- About ads on Reels — Meta Business Help Center: overlay ads and the end of post-loop ads (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- About Ads on Instagram Reels — Meta Business Help Center: ads at the top of creators' reels and revenue sharing (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- About Reels trending ads in Meta Ads Manager — Meta Business Help Center: the ad slot after trending reels and booking through sales (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- Meta Ads Guide: image ads on Instagram Reels — Meta: 1440 × 2560 and the safe zone (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16); 44-character primary text and 500 px minimum width (accessed 2026-09-19)
- Meta Ads Guide: video ads on Instagram Reels — Meta: 0 seconds to 15 minutes, the tiered minimum width, sound "strongly recommended" (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
- Best practices for Instagram video ads — Meta Business Help Center: "Most users watch with sound off" (rendered in a browser, accessed 2026-10-16)
Meta's help pages are client-rendered and show no date; they were read in a real browser on 16 October 2026. The ads guide figures are reused from this site's Reels and safe-zone posts. Meta revises these pages without notice.
Terrads makes Reels ads as their own 9:16 ads, image or video, and can show the 14% / 35% / 6% margins over any vertical ad before you download.