Updated 2025 Social Media Ad Specs for Every Platform
With the digital landscape rapidly changing in 2025, social media advertising continues to be one of the best vehicles for brand awareness and engagement and lead generation. As businesses and marketers work to develop social media advertising strategies, it is crucial that they are aware of the specifications that constantly change from platform to platform. From ad image sizes, character limits, video lengths, and more, knowing the latest provides an advantage in working within the requirements for each social media platform to ensure they run the best campaigns that are compliant for that platform. For any company that utilizes a reputable social media marketing company in Abu Dhabi, simply staying up-to-date puts them one step ahead of their competition.
This guide provides a detailed breakdown of the updated 2025 ad specifications across major social media platforms—Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter (X), Pinterest, Snapchat, and YouTube. Whether you’re a brand owner, digital marketer, or part of a social media agency Abu Dhabi, this comprehensive overview will serve as a critical resource.
Facebook Ad Specifications for 2025
Like in years past, Facebook is still one of the best outcomes for a digital marketing advertisement campaign due to the number of users Facebook still has and the variety and ways to advertise on Facebook. Facebook’s advertisement specs in 2025 also continues to emphasize user experience, optimizing for mobile, and using more interactive formats for the ad.
Feed Ads Facebook ads have the feed ads as the primary ad type. This ad-populates feed ads appear directly in a user’s main feed and is therefore highly visible. The suggested size is 1080 x 1350 pixels (4:5 ratio) as it is made for mobile first. JPG and PNG formats are supported and the file size can be no larger than 30MB. The text specifications are 125 characters for the primary text (text that appears along with the image and headline), a headline with a maximum of 40 characters long, followed by a maximum link description of 30 characters long so concise messaging is key.
Video Ads Video ads are increasingly important. Facebook utilizes multiple aspect ratios starting with a 4:5 (vertical) ratio, a 1:1 (square) ratio, and a 16:9 (landscape) option. The minimum resolution is 1080 x 1080. There are longer videos which can run for up to 241 minutes, although shorter videos (around 30 seconds) tend to get more engagement. Supported formats include MP4 and MOV with a 4GB maximum size limit.
Stories Ads Stories ads are created specifically for vertical mobile screens. These ads are full-screen experiences that will play for 15 seconds or less per each slide. Recommended size is 1080 x 1920 pixels at a 9:16 ratio. Stories are suitable for time-sensitive offers and brief storytelling.
Carousel Ads Carousel ads allow you to showcase up to 10 images or videos as one ad, with each image or video having their own link respectively. Each card should be 1080 x 1080. The headlines in carousel ads should consist of 40 characters and 20 letters in the description. Carousel ads are great for showcasing a product lineup or to provide step-by-step information.
Collection Ads Collection ads have an image or video as a cover with the product catalog underneath. The recommendation is 1080 x 1080. The ad will link to an Instant Experience. Instant Experience is Facebook’s full-screen mobile interface when clicked on an advertisement. This interface should be more engaging for the end user.
Instagram Ad Specifications for 2025
Instagram remains an essential social media platform focused on visuals; key for brands and marketers focused on aesthetics and lifestyle marketing. As of 2025, August 2025 updates, Instagram will improve its support for vertical and immersive content.
Feed Ads Images should ideally be 1080 pixels by 1350 pixels with a 4:5 aspect ratio. Formats supported are JPG and PNG in files under 30MB in size. Instagram allows captions up to 2,200 characters long; however, it recommends to keep important information within the first 125 characters.
Video Ads Instagram supports video formats of 1:1, 4:5, or 16:9; at least 1080 pixels by 1080 pixels in resolution. Videos should be no longer than 60 seconds in duration, and the video formats supported will be mp4 or mov, up to 4GB in size.
Stories Ads Stories support increasing mobile screens to a 9:16 aspect ratio of 1080 pixels by 1920 pixels , length may be no longer than 15 seconds. Stories incorporate interactive features such as stickers, swipe up, and polls.
Reels Ads eels have similar formats to stories but are designed for a wider discovery. The specifications for a reel will be 1080 pixels x 1920 pixels and 9:16 aspect ratio. Reels should be no longer than 60 seconds with minimal text, good emphasis on visuals.
Carousel Ads Carousel ads work as a swipe through of 2 to 10 cards per ad. The specifications will be 1080 pixels x 1080 pixels per card. The captioned length will also be the same up to 2,200 characters; however, shorter text with punchier sentences will be suggested. Carousel ads are great for displaying several products or features in a single array.
LinkedIn Ad Specifications for 2025
LinkedIn remains the primary platform for B2B marketing. As of 2025, LinkedIn has been working to improve the site’s ad formats to facilitate professional messaging and connecting with users.
Sponsored Content For image ads, the dimensions must be 1200 x 627 pixels with a 1.91:1 aspect ratio. For text ads, the headline must be 150 characters or less and the description must be free of 70 characters or less.
Video Ads LinkedIn allows for various aspect ratios to include 16:9, 1:1, and 9:16. Video can be between 3 seconds and 30 minutes, but videos shorter than 30 seconds drive better results. The suggested resolution for videos is 1080 x 1080 pixels and best formatted as an MP4.
Carousel Ads Carousel ads allow for multiple ads in an ad. Each card should have a dimension of 1080 x 1080 pixels and can have up to 10 cards in carousel format. The headline on the card must be 45 characters or less, but the carousel format is great for storytelling or product education.
Message Ads Message Ads are sent to users as direct messages. The subject line is 60 characters or less, the message on the advertisement is 1500 characters or less, and you can customize a call to action button to drive as many clicks as possible.
Twitter (X) Ad Specifications for 2025
With its transformation into X, Twitter now emphasizes rich media content and longer-form posts.
Image Ads For sponsored content ads, the images must have a ratio of 16:9 and include dimensions of 1200 x 675 pixels. Tweeting can have ad text dimensions of 280 characters or less and allows for PNG or JPG file formats.
Video Ads The suggested specs for video ads are landscape —1920 x 1200 pixels– and for square video—1200 x 1200 pixels— video ads can be between 5 seconds and 2 minutes and 20 seconds long, but MP media play better.
Carousel Ads Carousels can have between 2–6 image or video cards, with each card being either 800 x 800 px (1:1 ratio) or 800 x 418 px (1.91:1 ratio). Copy will still be limited to 280 characters.
Snapchat Ad Specifications for 2025
Snapchat’s vertical storytelling remains highly engaging among younger audiences.
Single Image or Video Ads Use 1080 x 1920 pixels with a 9:16 ratio. Video length should be between 3 and 180 seconds. File formats: MP4 or MOV.
Collection Ads These include a main video/image and four tappable product tiles. Each tile should be 160 x 160 pixels. Great for eCommerce promotion.
Story Ads Multiple 10-second videos or images displayed in a series. Use vertical format and limit text overlay.
YouTube Ad Specifications for 2025
As the premier video platform, YouTube ads are indispensable for long-form content marketing.
Skippable In-Stream Ads These can run for any length but are skippable after 5 seconds. Use 1920 x 1080 pixels, with MP4 being the standard format.
Non-Skippable In-Stream Ads Limited to 15 seconds. Same resolution and format as skippable ads. Ideal for quick promotions.
Bumper Ads These are non-skippable 6-second ads. Highly effective for brand recall.
Overlay Ads Appear as banner text over the video (desktop only). Recommended size is 480 x 70 pixels.
Key 2025 Trends Influencing Ad Specs
Ad specs are increasingly influenced by user behavior and content trends. Here’s what’s shaping them in 2025:
- Vertical Video Dominance
All the platforms are going with a 9:16 aspect ratio, whether TikTok, Reels, or YouTube Shorts, 9:16 is king and vertical is more advantageous than horizontal when mobile engagement is a priority.
- Interactive & AR Ads
More and more brands are using enhanced, interactive features, such as polls and shopping tags, and camera effects are going to be favored. Specs need to provide enough room for CTA placements and tappable interactive features.
- Shorter Attention Spans
Ad lengths are going down. Brands are seeing more engagement from 6 second bumper ads, 15 second story ads, and ultra-short TikToks.
- AI-Driven Content
Smart cropping, auto captioning, and AI assisted graphics continue to be introduced and enhanced, namely because of platforms introducing tools that provide automation in creative.
Why Choosing the Right Social Media Partner Matters
Ad specs are only one part of the overall strategy. There are many issues that can cause a “great looking ad” to not be effective in the marketplace without targeting, creative testing, and management of an overall campaign. As a result, many enterprises are looking to contract the services of social media agencies in Abu Dhabi to help sort out the confusing ad channel in 2025.
An experienced agency is not only looking at specs but is optimizing performance, analyzing data and constantly adjusting creative based on platform changes and how the audience is engaging on various platforms.
If you are trying to improve your organization’s digital presence, consider looking for a reputable social media marketing company in Abu Dhabi to help you with the local marketplace and breaking down an Arabic/English audience.
For a broader reach, working with a top-tier social media marketing company in UAE provides regional and global expertise, scalable solutions, and multilingual creative capabilities.
Conclusion
In 2025, the success of any digital marketing campaign heavily depends on staying current with platform-specific ad requirements. Adhering to these guidelines ensures better performance, reduced rejection rates, and higher engagement.
Whether you’re working with a seasoned social media agency in Abu Dhabi or an emerging social media marketing company in Abu Dhabi, understanding and applying these updated specs can significantly enhance your campaign results. These changes also highlight the importance of partnering with reliable social media companies in Abu Dhabi that are proactive in adapting to evolving trends.
For businesses looking to scale their presence across the UAE, collaborating with a top-tier social media marketing company in UAE like Digital Links (/) can provide the expertise and tools necessary to stay ahead in this dynamic digital environment.
Stay ahead of the curve—your next great ad campaign starts with understanding the specs.
