UGC Video Format for TikTok, Reels and Shorts: Length, 9:16 and Safe Zones

UGC videos for TikTok, Reels and Shorts are best shot vertically in 9:16, with text, product and face in the middle area of the frame. The maximum lengths run to several minutes. Shorter limits apply as well: in the Shorts feed, only the first 60 seconds play, and organic reels used for ads must stay under 90 seconds. The safe zones matter at least as much, because at the edges the interface and the call to action cover the picture.

As of 6 October 2026, checked against the help pages of TikTok, Meta and Google.

Most of the figures below come from the specifications for ads. For organic Shorts, YouTube gives its own values, and they are shown separately. This guide does not cover the specifications for organic posts on TikTok and Instagram. If you want to use a UGC video as an ad later, it makes sense to plan according to the ad specifications from the start.

Short answer: the values at a glance

Platform	Aspect ratio	Length	Source
TikTok (In-Feed, without Spark)	9:16 recommended, at least 540 x 960 px	up to 10 minutes	TikTok Ads Help
TikTok Spark Ads	not specified	help pages contradict each other, safe under 10 minutes	TikTok Ads Help
Instagram Reels (ad)	9:16, 1,440 x 2,560 px	0 seconds to 15 minutes	Meta Ads Guide
YouTube Shorts (ad)	9:16 fits best	up to 3 minutes, the first 60 seconds play in the feed	Google Ads Help

What all three platforms have in common is the vertical full screen. A video in 9:16 therefore fits all three channels.

TikTok

According to TikTok, the vertical 9:16 format with at least 540 x 960 pixels is recommended for In-Feed ads without Spark Ads. Horizontal (16:9) is possible with at least 960 x 540 pixels, square (1:1) with at least 640 x 640 pixels. The permitted file types are .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp and .avi. The video can be up to ten minutes long and the file at most 500 MB, and the bitrate is at least 516 kbps.

According to TikTok, the ad text appears in white font that cannot be customized. Clickable links, @ and hashtags cannot be used in it.

Spark Ads work differently. According to TikTok, the caption comes from the organic video, and at most four lines of it are shown, emojis included. The format is .mp4 or .mov. On length, two TikTok help pages contradict each other: the video specifications list no limit for Spark Ads, while the Spark Ads help page gives a maximum of ten minutes. Staying under ten minutes is the safe choice. How the process with the code works is covered in Spark Ads With UGC.

TikTok does not give fixed percentages for the safe zones. According to TikTok, they depend on the format, the length of the caption and any additional formats used. TikTok provides downloadable templates for this. It is worth placing the matching template over the preview before the shoot instead of relying on a rule of thumb alone.

Instagram Reels

For Instagram Reels, Meta’s ads guide specifies the 9:16 aspect ratio at a resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels. The video can be between 0 seconds and 15 minutes long and at most 4 GB in size. The format is MP4 or MOV with H.264, the audio stereo AAC at 128 kbps or more.

Meta gives exact figures for the safe zone in this guide: at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side should stay free of text, logos and other key design elements, so that nothing is covered by the profile icon and the call to action. Meta gives these values for Instagram Reels. They do not automatically apply to TikTok and Shorts.

In its developer documentation, Meta describes Reels as a full-screen format. There it also advises keeping the bottom 35% of the 9:16 frame free of text, logos and other key elements. In addition, Meta recommends designing for sound, meaning with music, voiceover or sound effects. According to Meta, organic reels that are to be reused as ads must be shorter than 90 seconds. How an ad runs through the creator’s account is covered in Setting Up Partnership Ads.

YouTube Shorts

According to Google Ads, vertical videos in 9:16 are the best fit for Shorts. Video ads can be up to three minutes long, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed. Google recommends ads under 60 seconds, in line with how people watch Shorts. The CTA button appears after three seconds for Performance Max, App and Demand Gen campaigns, and after ten seconds for Video View and Video Reach campaigns. After 50 seconds, YouTube shows an overlay through which viewers can watch the rest on the watch page.

For organic Shorts, according to YouTube Help: Shorts can be up to three minutes long, and videos in square or vertical format of up to three minutes are classified as Shorts.

The two time specifications lead to one conclusion: in the Shorts feed, only the first 60 seconds of an ad play, and from second 50 the overlay appears. The core of the message belongs in the first 50 seconds, not at the end.

What this means for the shoot and the briefing

Some recommendations can be derived from the specifications. They describe how a video fits the specifications and do not promise any particular effect.

Shoot vertically. Because all three platforms recommend or specify 9:16, a vertical video in high resolution is a good starting point for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Horizontal or square versions are separate variants and should be agreed in advance.

Key elements in the middle. Keep on-screen text, the product and the face out of the bottom 35% of the frame. That is Meta’s specification for Instagram Reels. TikTok and Google give no percentage, and there the Meta value serves as a precaution. It is not a specification of those platforms.

Keep the top area and side edges clear. Leave space at the top and on the sides as well. According to Meta, something will otherwise get cut off, be covered by the profile icon or call to action, or sit too close to the edge on devices with screens taller than 9:16.

Think about sound. Meta recommends designing for sound. Speaking directly to the camera or a voiceover meets this.

Set the length in the briefing. If the video is also meant to run as an ad, the target platform belongs in the briefing, because the limits are far apart, from 60 seconds in the Shorts feed to 15 minutes for Reels. Which other details belong in it is shown in the briefing template.

Use the platform’s templates. Where the platform offers a template, as TikTok does with its downloadable templates, place it over the preview before the shoot. On TikTok this is especially helpful, because there are no fixed percentages there.

More on this topic

• A UGC Briefing That Works: A Template to Copy
• UGC Video for Brands: Authentic Ad Videos Instead of Polished Spots
• Spark Ads With UGC: How the Ad Runs Through the Creator’s Account
• Setting Up Partnership Ads: Running UGC Ads Through Instagram and Facebook
• Having a Product Video Made: Deliverables, Costs, Process