Every Instagram Ad Size You Need in 2026

Running Instagram ads with the wrong dimensions is like printing a billboard at postcard resolution — you are burning money on something that looks bad. Instagram crops, compresses, or rejects images that do not meet its specs, and blurry or awkwardly cropped ads tank your click-through rate before your copy gets a chance.

This reference covers every Instagram ad size for 2026, organized by format. Bookmark it, resize your creatives to the exact pixel dimensions, and stop guessing.

Master Reference: All Instagram Ad Dimensions

Use PNG or JPG for images. H.264 MP4 for video. Instagram accepts other formats but recompresses them, which degrades quality.

Feed Ads: Square and Portrait

Feed ads appear in the main scroll — the highest-traffic placement on Instagram. You get three aspect ratio options, but two matter:

Square (1080 × 1080, 1:1) — The safe default. Works in feed, Explore, and carousel. Every device displays it consistently.

Portrait (1080 × 1350, 4:5) — Takes up more vertical screen space than square, which means more visual real estate in the feed. For single-image ads focused on conversions, portrait outperforms square in most A/B tests because it pushes competing content further down the screen.

Landscape (1080 × 566, 1.91:1) — Rarely worth it for Instagram. It wastes vertical space and looks small on mobile. Use landscape only if you are repurposing a Facebook link ad creative and cannot reshoot.

Recommendation: Default to 1080 × 1350 portrait for feed image ads. It maximizes screen real estate and gives your headline and CTA more room. Use square only when the same creative needs to run in carousel or Explore placements.

For feed video ads, the same logic applies. Shoot at 1080 × 1350 (4:5) for maximum impact. Keep the first three seconds visually arresting — Instagram auto-plays without sound, so your opening frame is the ad.

Story Ads

Stories fill the entire screen at 1080 × 1920 (9:16). This is the most immersive Instagram ad format — no distractions, no competing posts.

Specs:

• Resolution: 1080 × 1920 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16 (full-screen vertical)
• Image file size: under 30 MB
• Video length: up to 120 seconds (keep it under 15 for best completion rates)

Safe zones matter here. Instagram overlays your profile picture, name, and "Sponsored" label at the top (~14% of the screen) and a swipe-up CTA or "Learn More" button at the bottom (~10%). Keep critical text and focal points in the middle 76% of the canvas — roughly between 250px and 1670px from the top.

Story ads that look like organic stories outperform polished studio creatives. Match the visual style users expect: full-bleed images, bold text overlays, and direct language.

Reel Ads

Reel ads share the same 1080 × 1920 (9:16) canvas as Stories but appear in the Reels tab and Explore feed. The key difference: Reels ads can run up to 90 seconds and appear between organic Reels, so they compete directly with entertainment content.

Specs:

• Resolution: 1080 × 1920 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Video file size: under 250 MB
• Duration: up to 90 seconds

Reel ads that feel like Reels perform best. Skip the corporate intro. Start with motion, a hook, or a visual pattern interrupt. If your first frame looks like an ad, users swipe past it in under a second.

For more on organic Reel dimensions, see our Instagram Reel size guide.

Carousel Ads

Carousel ads display 2–10 cards that users swipe through. Each card is 1080 × 1080 (1:1 square). You cannot mix aspect ratios within a carousel — Instagram forces all cards to match the first card's ratio, and square gives you the most consistent cross-card experience.

Specs per card:

• Resolution: 1080 × 1080 pixels
• Aspect ratio: 1:1
• Image file size: under 30 MB per card
• Video: up to 60 seconds per card, under 250 MB

Carousel ads consistently deliver the highest engagement rates among Instagram ad formats. Use them to tell a sequential story, compare before-and-after results, or showcase multiple products. The swipe mechanic creates active engagement — users who swipe are already invested.

Design tip: Make card 1 compelling enough to trigger a swipe. Use a visual cliffhanger, a partial reveal, or a numbered sequence ("1 of 5 mistakes..."). Do not put your CTA on card 1 — put it on the last card after you have built the case.

Explore Ads

Explore ads appear in the Explore grid and when users tap into Explore content. They follow feed ad specs — 1080 × 1080 (1:1) is the standard.

Explore audiences are in discovery mode, not scrolling their curated feed. They are more open to new brands but also more likely to scroll past anything that does not grab attention immediately. Use vibrant visuals and clear product shots. Lifestyle imagery outperforms flat lays in Explore placements.

Text Overlay Rules

Instagram no longer enforces the old 20% text rule through automated rejection, but its algorithm still penalizes text-heavy images with reduced delivery. Ads with minimal text get better reach at lower cost per impression.

Practical guidelines:

• Keep text to a short headline and one supporting line
• Use the caption for detailed copy — do not cram it into the image
• Ensure text is legible at mobile size (minimum 24px equivalent on a 1080-wide canvas)
• High-contrast text on a semi-transparent background bar reads better than text directly on a photo

Design Tips for Higher CTR

Use the right Instagram ad size from the start. Resizing a landscape image to portrait by stretching it is visible and unprofessional. Start with the target dimensions or resize cleanly with Pixotter to avoid distortion.

Contrast wins the scroll. Feed ads compete with organic content. Bold colors, sharp edges, and high contrast stop the thumb. Muted, desaturated aesthetics look great on a portfolio but disappear in a feed.

One focal point per ad. If a viewer cannot identify what the ad is about within two seconds, you lose them. One product, one face, one graphic — not all three.

Match the placement to the creative. A story ad cropped from a feed ad looks lazy. Design natively for each placement, or at minimum, verify your creative works at the target aspect ratio before publishing.

Compress before uploading. Instagram recompresses every image. If you upload a 25 MB PNG, Instagram's compression is aggressive and introduces artifacts. Compress your image first and you control the quality tradeoff instead of letting Instagram decide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best image size for Instagram feed ads?

1080 × 1350 pixels (4:5 portrait) for single-image feed ads. It occupies more screen space than square and gives your creative maximum visibility in the scroll. Use 1080 × 1080 square if the same creative runs across carousel or Explore placements.

What size are Instagram Story ads?

1080 × 1920 pixels at a 9:16 aspect ratio. This fills the entire screen on most smartphones. Keep essential content away from the top 14% and bottom 10% of the canvas where Instagram overlays UI elements.

Can I use different aspect ratios in a carousel ad?

No. Instagram forces all carousel cards to match the first card's aspect ratio. If your first card is 1:1, every card becomes 1:1. Plan your carousel with a consistent aspect ratio — 1080 × 1080 square is the standard.

What file format should I use for Instagram ads?

JPG or PNG for images, H.264 MP4 for video. PNG preserves sharper text and graphics. JPG is better for photographs where file size matters. Avoid uploading HEIC, TIFF, or BMP — Instagram converts them with unpredictable quality loss.

Does Instagram still have a 20% text rule for ads?

The hard 20% text limit is gone, but Instagram's delivery algorithm still favors images with less text. Ads with minimal or no text overlay get better reach and lower CPMs. Keep text short and use the caption for detail.

How do I resize an image to exact Instagram ad dimensions?

Drop your image into Pixotter's resize tool, enter the target dimensions (like 1080 × 1350 for a portrait feed ad), and download the result. The resize happens in your browser — your image never leaves your device. For a complete guide to all Instagram image sizes beyond ads, see our Instagram image size reference.

What resolution should Instagram Reel ads be?

1080 × 1920 pixels at 9:16. Same as Story ads. Shoot or export at this exact resolution — upscaling a lower-resolution video is immediately noticeable on high-density mobile screens.

How many images can a carousel ad have?

Between 2 and 10 cards. Each card can be an image or video (up to 60 seconds per video card). Most high-performing carousel ads use 3–5 cards — enough to tell a story without losing attention.

Sizing Checklist Before You Publish

Before submitting your Instagram ad creative:

1. Verify pixel dimensions match the format (see the master table above)
2. Check file size is under the limit (30 MB for images, 250 MB for video)
3. Confirm text does not overlap safe zone areas on Story and Reel placements
4. Preview on a mobile device — not just your desktop monitor
5. Compress the image to control quality before Instagram recompresses it

Getting the Instagram ad size right is the cheapest way to improve ad performance. Wrong dimensions signal carelessness, reduce delivery, and waste your ad spend. Right dimensions let your creative and copy do the actual work of converting.

For more platform-specific guides, check our social media image sizes reference.