How long should a video ad be on Meta, TikTok and YouTube? (2026)

TikTok recommends 21 to 34 seconds, Meta a 15-second maximum for in-stream, YouTube 6-second bumpers. Every ad length limit and recommendation from the platforms.

Vidova team

October 27, 20267 min read

Last updated October 27, 2026

Two frames of a Vidova perfume ad: glass letters over a petal in grey, and the gold perfume bottle under the name Aurum

The short answer

Plan most video ads at 15 to 34 seconds, plus a 6-second cut for YouTube bumpers. TikTok says 21 to 34 seconds performs best for in-feed ads. Meta recommends a 15-second maximum for Facebook in-stream ads and plays Stories ads of 15 seconds or less in full. YouTube recommends skippable ads under 3 minutes. The hard limits are far longer: Meta Reels ads can run 15 minutes.

Key takeaways

Meta: Facebook Feed ads up to 241 minutes, Instagram Reels ads up to 15 minutes, Facebook Reels ads with no maximum. Meta recommends 15 seconds at most for in-stream ads.
TikTok: in-feed ads up to 10 minutes. TikTok's guide says 21 to 34 seconds performs best.
YouTube: bumpers are 6 seconds, non-skippable ads 15 to 60 seconds, and skippable ads have no maximum, with under 3 minutes recommended.
Cut several lengths from one ad and let your results pick the winner.

Video ad length by platform and placement

Allowed length and each platform's own recommendation, checked October 2026
Placement	Allowed length	Platform recommendation
Facebook Feed	1 second to 241 minutes	None stated
Facebook Reels	No maximum	None stated
Facebook Stories	1 second to 3 minutes	15 seconds or less plays in full
Facebook in-stream	5 seconds to 10 minutes on mobile, 5 to 15 seconds on desktop	15 seconds at most
Instagram Feed	1 second to 60 minutes	None stated
Instagram Stories	1 second to 60 minutes	Under 16 seconds plays in full
Instagram Reels	0 seconds to 15 minutes	None stated
TikTok in-feed, non-Spark	Up to 10 minutes	21 to 34 seconds for most ads
TikTok Spark Ads	No restriction	21 to 34 seconds for most ads
YouTube skippable in-stream	No maximum	Under 3 minutes
YouTube non-skippable in-stream	15 to 60 seconds, by campaign subtype	None stated
YouTube bumper	6 seconds, 5 seconds minimum	None stated
YouTube in-feed	No maximum	None stated
YouTube Shorts	None stated	Under 60 seconds

Sources: Meta's Ads Guide pages for each placement, Meta's help page on video length, TikTok's in-feed ad specs and video advertising guide, and Google Ads Help on YouTube video ad formats.

Facebook Stories has two numbers. The Ads Guide says 1 second to 3 minutes, and Meta's help page on video length says 1 to 120 seconds. Plan for the shorter one.

Meta: what Facebook and Instagram say

Meta's help page on video length says different placements allow different lengths, although shorter videos are usually more engaging on mobile. Its only number is for in-stream ads: Meta's video ads page says in-stream ads can be 5 seconds to 10 minutes long, though it generally recommends a 15 second maximum.

Stories split long ads. On Facebook Stories, ads of 15 seconds or less play in full, and longer ones are split into cards, with 1 to 3 cards shown before a Play Full option. On Instagram Stories, ads under 16 seconds play in full, and longer ones may be split into one to three cards.

Short ads loop on Facebook. Meta's page on looping says Facebook videos of 30 seconds or less loop for up to 90 seconds, sometimes up to 180 seconds, and longer videos do not loop. Instagram videos of every length loop while they are on screen.

For Reels ads, Meta reports on format. Its Reels ads page reports a 34.5% lower cost per result for 9:16 video ads with audio and key messages in the safe zone, compared with image ads, from a meta-analysis of 15 split tests.

TikTok: 21 to 34 seconds

TikTok allows in-feed video ads up to 10 minutes. Spark Ads, which run an organic post as an ad, have no length restriction (TikTok Auction In-Feed Ads, updated June 2026). TikTok's video advertising guide describes in-feed ads as up to 60 seconds, though 21 to 34 seconds performs best, and recommends 21 to 34 seconds for most ads.

The number comes from TikTok's own data. In a December 2021 post, TikTok said a machine learning model analyzed thousands of auction ads, and ads of 21 to 34 seconds had a 280% lift in conversion compared with shorter or longer ads. The post gives no sample size for this result, and it is TikTok measuring its own platform.

The same guide says to hook viewers in the first three seconds and to export 9:16 video at 1080 × 1920 or higher.

YouTube: from 6 seconds to no limit

Google Ads Help lists the YouTube video ad formats and their lengths. Skippable in-stream ads have no maximum length, with under 3 minutes recommended, and viewers can skip after 5 seconds. Non-skippable in-stream ads run 15 to 60 seconds, depending on the campaign subtype. Bumper ads are 6 seconds, with a 5-second minimum. In-feed ads have no maximum. For Shorts, under 60 seconds is recommended.

A skippable ad must earn its first 5 seconds. Show the product or the problem before the skip button appears.

Our advice: cut several lengths from one ad

Platforms recommend ranges, and your own results decide. We suggest you make each ad in these lengths and test them:

6 seconds: one product shot, one line and the logo. For YouTube bumpers and as a test of the hook.
15 seconds: the problem, the product and the offer. For Stories and Facebook in-stream, where 15 seconds plays in full or is Meta's recommended maximum.
21 to 34 seconds: a short demo or a customer story with the offer at the end. For TikTok, Reels and the feeds.
60 to 90 seconds: a full demo or testimonial for people who already know you, for example in retargeting.

Put the product and the offer early in every length. Keep text out of the areas the app covers. The sizes and margins are in Meta and TikTok video ad specs.

Make every length in one request with Vidova

Vidova's AI agent edits your own footage on a timeline. It has a product ad skill and templates for UGC product ads, product launches and testimonials. It previews frames of its own work and runs a quality check before it hands a cut over.

Example brief

From this 40-second ad, make three versions: 6 seconds for a YouTube bumper, 15 seconds for Stories and 30 seconds for TikTok and Reels. Show the product and the price in the first 3 seconds of each. Keep the logo and the offer out of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side.

Vidova keeps versions of a project, so you can export each length and test them side by side. You can start free. Paid plans start at $19 a month, remove the watermark and export up to 4K at 60 fps.

Sources

All pages checked in October 2026.

Key takeaways

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