TikTok video specs
Published 28 September 2026. Every figure checked against TikTok's own help centre and TikTok Ads Manager help on 28 September 2026; TikTok changes these often, so follow the links in Sources before you rely on one.
Short answer: make TikToks vertical, 9:16, at 1080 × 1920. TikTok's help centre says videos recorded in the app can be up to 10 minutes and uploaded videos up to 60 minutes. For in-feed ads, TikTok recommends 9:16 at 540 × 960 or larger, up to 10 minutes and 500 MB. TikTok doesn't publish safe-zone numbers; it offers downloadable templates instead.
| Spec | Organic post | In-feed ad (non-Spark) |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | Not published on the help page we checked | 9:16 recommended; 16:9 and 1:1 accepted |
| Resolution | Not published | 9:16 at 540 × 960 or more; 16:9 at 960 × 540 or more; 1:1 at 640 × 640 or more |
| Length | Up to 10 minutes recorded in the app; up to 60 minutes uploaded | Up to 10 minutes |
| File | Not published | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi; up to 500 MB; bitrate 516 kbps or more |
| Frame rate | Not published | Not stated |
| Safe zone | Not published | Depends on shape, caption length and extra formats; downloadable templates |
| Captions | Auto-captions available in the editor | Ad caption in a fixed white font; no clickable links, @ or hashtags |
How long can a TikTok be?
TikTok's help page on camera tools says videos you record in TikTok can be up to 10 minutes long, and videos you upload can be up to 60 minutes. If you choose a sound before recording, the sound's length sets the video's length. Those are ceilings, not targets, and a launch video has no reason to go near them; we'd make it 15 seconds, or 30 if the product needs showing in use.
TikTok has changed these limits several times over the years, so if a number matters to you, check it in the app on the day you post.
Size and shape
TikTok's consumer help pages don't state a resolution or aspect ratio for ordinary posts. The ads specs do: vertical 9:16 is recommended at 540 × 960 pixels or more, with horizontal 16:9 (960 × 540 or more) and square 1:1 (640 × 640 or more) also accepted. Since the app is full-screen vertical, 9:16 at 1080 × 1920 is the sensible choice for both.
Ad specs
TikTok Ads Manager's page on in-feed ads splits them in two. Spark Ads boost an existing organic post, so the post's own video is used, with no duration restriction and up to four lines of its caption shown. Non-Spark in-feed ads take an uploaded file: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 10 minutes, no more than 500 MB, at a bitrate of at least 516 kbps. The ad caption appears in white in a fixed font, and it can't include clickable links, @ mentions or hashtags.
Safe zones
TikTok doesn't give a percentage, which is a shame, because a number is easier to design to than a template. Its ads help says the safe zone depends on the shape, the length of the ad caption and any extra formats used, and offers downloadable safe-zone files. For organic posts there's nothing official at all. So where do the platform's own buttons sit? The username, caption and sound name sit along the bottom and the like, comment and share buttons down the right, so keep words out of the bottom third and away from the right edge. Meta's published Reels margins (14% top, 35% bottom, 6% sides) are a reasonable starting point; see our Instagram Reels specs.
Captions and sound
TikTok added auto-captions to the editor in 2021, and viewers can turn creator-added captions off. Sound matters on TikTok, but a video should still make sense silently, because not everyone watches with the sound on.
Where the official pages are vague
- Organic resolution, shape, file size and frame rate aren't on the TikTok help pages we could check. The ad figures above are the closest official guidance.
- Frame rate for ads isn't stated on TikTok's in-feed ads page. Figures you'll see elsewhere don't come from that page.
- Safe zones are published as template files, not numbers, so any single percentage you read for TikTok is someone's estimate.
- Length limits have changed more than once; TikTok's own 2021 announcement mentioned three minutes, and the help centre now says 10 and 60.
How Launch Video Maker's formats map to TikTok
Our vertical format is 9:16 at 1080 × 1920, exported as MP4 (H.264 video, AAC audio) at 30 frames per second, well above TikTok's ad minimum of 540 × 960. Every reel is checked so its essential words sit inside a safe area of 60 pixels on the left, 120 on the right, 220 at the top and 360 at the bottom. That keeps them away from the right-hand buttons and the bottom strip where the account name and caption start; a long caption can climb higher, so keep yours short. Our files are MP4 and far under the 500 MB ad limit. The music and sound effects are generated for each video, so you can post it as an ad without licensing a track.
A 15-second vertical reel is the Short, £9. For 30 or 60 seconds, the Reel is £29.
Questions
- How long can a TikTok video be?
- TikTok's help centre says videos recorded in the app can be up to 10 minutes and uploaded videos up to 60 minutes. In-feed ads (non-Spark) can be up to 10 minutes.
- What size should a TikTok video be?
- Vertical 9:16, ideally 1080 × 1920. TikTok's ad specs ask for at least 540 × 960 for vertical video and also accept 16:9 and 1:1.
- What is the file size limit for TikTok ads?
- 500 MB for non-Spark in-feed ads, in .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, with a bitrate of at least 516 kbps.
- Does TikTok publish a safe zone?
- Not as numbers. Its ads help says the safe zone depends on the shape, the caption length and any extra formats, and offers downloadable templates. There's no official safe zone for organic posts.
Sources
All checked on 28 September 2026.
- TikTok Help Center: Camera tools (10 minutes recorded, 60 minutes uploaded, sound sets the length)
- TikTok Ads Manager: Auction in-feed ads (shapes, resolutions, length, file types, size, bitrate, captions, safe zone templates)
- TikTok Newsroom: Introducing auto captions (April 2021)
- TikTok Newsroom: Longer videos (the three-minute limit in July 2021, now superseded)