YouTube Ad Specs: Video Sizes, Lengths and Text Limits
Every YouTube ad starts as a video on YouTube, but the size, length and text you can use change with the format and the campaign type. This guide puts Google's published figures in one place: resolutions and ratios, lengths per format, headline and call-to-action limits, thumbnails, companion banners and safe zones.
Every figure here comes from Google Ads Help: About video ad specs, Video ads specs and format requirements, About video ad formats and the format pages for skippable in-stream, non-skippable in-stream and in-feed video ads, plus the other pages linked where they are used. Checked on 12 November 2026. What each format is, how you pay, campaign setup and ad review are in our YouTube video ads guide; image and video assets for Demand Gen campaigns are in Google Ads Demand Gen.
The video lives on YouTube
You do not upload a file to Google Ads for an in-stream or in-feed ad. Google's format pages say the video must be uploaded to YouTube and set as public or unlisted to use in an ad
, and you then add its YouTube URL. Unlisted works, with one catch from the skippable in-stream page: Unlisted videos used as advertisements won't display the YouTube channel logo, name, or information.
If you want your channel shown next to the ad, use a public video or accept the plain version. Setting up a channel for this is in our YouTube channel for business guide.
Resolution, ratio and file specs
Google lists the same core specs for all YouTube formats and campaign types. It also says YouTube dynamically adjusts your video to fit the viewer's device without stretching or cutting off your content
.
| Orientation | Ratio | Recommended (1080p) | Minimum (720p) | Minimum SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal | 16:9 | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 720 | 640 x 480 (4:3) |
| Vertical | 9:16 | 1080 x 1920 | 720 x 1280 | 480 x 640 (2:3) |
| Square | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 | 480 x 480 | 480 x 480 |
- Other ratios: the general specs page also accepts 4:3 (SD) horizontal and 2:3 and 4:5 vertical. Google does not recommend SD
For optimal quality
. - File types: .MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4) is recommended; .WMV, .AVI, .MOV, .FLV, .MPEG-1, .MP4, .MPEGPS, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm and HEVC (H.265) are accepted. Audio-only files such as MP3, WAV or PCM are not.
- File size: up to 256 GB.
- Masthead: 16:9 at 1920 x 1080, any length; the featured video autoplays without sound for up to 30 seconds at the top of the Home feed.
- 30-second non-skippable on TV: the non-skippable page says
30-second video assets must be horizontal
; square or vertical versions will not run.
Length by format
Length is where the formats differ most. From the format pages and the comparison on About video ad formats:
| Format | Allowed length | Google's suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| Skippable in-stream | Any length; 12 s to 6 min for Reservation | Awareness and action 15-20 s; consideration 2-3 min; under 3 min overall |
| Non-skippable in-stream | 7-15 s standard; 16-30 s on connected TV | 15 s, or 30 s for TV |
| Bumper | Up to 6 s (5 s minimum) | 6 s |
| In-feed video | Any length | Awareness 15-20 s; consideration 2-3 min |
| Shorts | See below | Under 60 s |
| Masthead | Any length | More than 10 s |
Three length thresholds matter in practice. A non-skippable video of 6 seconds or less will run as a Bumper
. Views only add to your public YouTube view count if the ad is 10 seconds or longer. And for in-feed ads, Google says the video must be 12 seconds or longer to build remarketing lists and use YouTube Analytics.
The 30-second non-skippable length runs on connected TV only; how ads look and work on TV screens (ad pods, QR codes, co-viewing) is in our YouTube ads on TV screens guide.
For Shorts, the Video reach campaign specs recommend 6 to 60 seconds for vertical video, and Performance Max asks for at least one vertical video of 10 to 60 seconds for Shorts eligibility. How Shorts ads serve and which campaigns reach them is covered in our YouTube Shorts ads guide.
Headlines, descriptions and calls to action
| Where | Headline | Description | Call to action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skippable and non-skippable in-stream | 15 characters | 15 characters (skippable) | 10 characters |
| In-feed video | 2 lines of 40 characters | 2 lines of 35 characters | - |
| Video action campaigns | 30 (long headline 90) | 90 characters | 10 characters |
| Masthead | 40 or fewer | 60 or fewer | 15 or fewer |
Not every line shows everywhere. For in-feed ads, a headline over 25 characters may be shortened on some devices
; headlines are left out of the desktop and TV watch page, and descriptions do not appear on the desktop watch page or on TV. Put the essential words first. The final URL can be anything, but the display URL must match the domain people actually land on.
Thumbnails and companion banners
- Thumbnails: 16:9, 1280 x 720 recommended (1280 x 640 minimum), JPG, GIF or PNG under 2 MB for videos. For in-feed ads you can choose one of 4 thumbnails taken from the video, or make a custom one in YouTube Studio.
- Companion banners: 300 x 60 pixels (5:1), JPG, GIF or PNG, 150 KB at most, shown next to the ad on desktop only. You can upload your own or let Google Ads build one from your channel banner.
Safe zones
Buttons, calls to action and overlays sit in different places depending on format, campaign and screen. Google publishes transparent PNG safe zone templates for horizontal, vertical and square video, and asks you to keep your logo, product and on-screen text inside the safe area so they are not covered.
Performance Max video assets
The Performance Max video assets page uses the same resolutions and asks for at least 10 seconds per video, with up to 15 videos per asset group and one of each orientation (horizontal, square, vertical) recommended. If you add none, Google may auto-generate videos from your other assets, and it may turn horizontal videos into square or vertical versions so they can serve on Shorts. If you care how the brand looks, upload all three orientations yourself. More on asset groups is in our Performance Max guide.
Upload encoding
Because the ad is a YouTube video, YouTube's own recommended upload encoding settings apply. In short: an MP4 container with the moov atom at the front, no edit lists, H.264 progressive video, AAC-LC or Opus audio at 48 kHz, and the frame rate it was recorded at. For SDR 1080p, YouTube suggests a video bitrate of 8 Mbps at 24-30 fps or 12 Mbps at 48-60 fps.
Where Google's pages differ
- Non-skippable length: About video ad formats says non-skippable ads
are 60 seconds or shorter
and lists 15-60 seconds depending on the campaign subtype, while the non-skippable page itself says the adshould be 30 seconds (or shorter)
. Google's ad requirements (see our YouTube video ads guide) allow up to 30 seconds in the auction and 60 in reservation, which reconciles them. - In-feed headline: the in-feed page's asset list says
100 characters max
, while its spec table and the specs-and-requirements page give 2 lines of 40 characters. Write to 2 lines of 40 and keep the key words in the first 25. - Shorts length: 6-60 seconds in Video reach campaigns, 10-60 seconds for Performance Max Shorts eligibility. A 10-60 second vertical cut fits both.
- Vertical 2:3: listed as SD on the format pages but as an accepted vertical ratio on the general specs page.
How we prepare YouTube ad files
This is our own practice, not Google's guidance:
- We cut one master at 1920 x 1080 and make 9:16 and 1:1 versions from it rather than letting Google flip the video.
- For skippable ads we show the brand and the offer in the first 5 seconds, and we keep a 6-second bumper and a 15-second cut from the same footage.
- We check each version against Google's safe zone PNG for its orientation before upload.
- We upload ad videos to the brand's own channel, then add UTM tags to the final URL (see UTM tracking links) and send the click to a fast page that matches the ad.
Frequently asked questions
What resolution should a YouTube ad be?
Google recommends 1080p: 1920 x 1080 for horizontal 16:9, 1080 x 1920 for vertical 9:16 and 1080 x 1080 for square. The 720p minimums are 1280 x 720, 720 x 1280 and 480 x 480.
What is the maximum file size for a YouTube ad?
256 GB. Google recommends .MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4) and also accepts formats such as .MP4, .MOV, .AVI, WebM, ProRes and HEVC, but not audio-only files.
Can a YouTube ad video be unlisted?
Yes. The video must be public or unlisted on YouTube. Google notes that unlisted videos used as ads do not show the YouTube channel logo, name or information.
What size is a YouTube companion banner?
300 x 60 pixels, JPG, GIF or PNG, up to 150 KB. It shows next to the video ad on desktop only, and Google Ads can generate one from your channel banner instead.
How many characters can a YouTube in-stream ad headline have?
15 characters for skippable and non-skippable in-stream ads, with a call to action of up to 10. In-feed ads take 2 lines of 40 characters for the headline and 2 lines of 35 for the description.
For audiences and placements, see YouTube ads targeting. Image and video specs for Demand Gen campaigns are in our Demand Gen ad specs guide. Specs for other platforms are in our Meta, TikTok and Pinterest ad specs guides.
Want landing pages that match your ads and load fast on mobile? See our website development service and all our services, or email [email protected].