Guide · formats

Video ad length: what each platform recommends

The right video ad length depends on the platform and your goal. Google recommends 15 to 20 seconds on YouTube for awareness or action, 10 to 30 seconds for an action-focused Shorts ad, and TikTok recommends 9 to 15 seconds for its reservation In-Feed ads. Meta only gives limits. Here is the detail, source by source.

Video ad length by platform

Two different things: the technical limit, what the platform accepts, and the recommendation, when it gives one. Everything comes from official help pages read on 24 October 2026.

Platform and format	Technical limit	Length recommended by the platform
TikTok, auction In-Feed	Up to 10 minutes for non-Spark Ads, no limit for Spark Ads	None on the spec page
TikTok, reservation In-Feed	5 to 60 seconds, except Spark Ads Pull	9 to 15 seconds
Instagram Reels (Meta, Awareness objective)	0 seconds to 15 minutes, 9:16	None on the spec page
Facebook Feed (Meta, Awareness objective)	1 second to 241 minutes, 4:5	None on the spec page
YouTube Shorts	Up to 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed	Under 60 seconds, 10 to 30 seconds for action-oriented ads
YouTube skippable in-stream	No maximum, skippable after 5 seconds	15 to 20 s for awareness and action, 2 to 3 min for consideration, under 3 min overall
YouTube non-skippable in-stream	15 to 60 seconds depending on campaign subtype	None beyond the limit
YouTube bumper	6 seconds, at least 5	None beyond the limit

The Meta spec pages read are the Awareness ones; limits can change by objective and placement. Check in your ads manager before exporting.

Which length for which goal

Google is the only platform read that ties length to a goal, and only for YouTube. Its guidelines are a sensible starting point elsewhere, as long as you test them.

Getting known: 15 to 20 seconds for a skippable YouTube ad according to Google, or a 6-second bumper if you only have one idea to land.
Making people think before they buy: 2 to 3 minutes, recommended by Google for consideration on YouTube. It is the only case where a long ad is recommended.
Getting action (visit, trial, purchase): 15 to 20 seconds for YouTube in-stream, 10 to 30 seconds on Shorts, according to Google.
On TikTok reservation buys, 9 to 15 seconds, whatever the goal.

When the platform recommends nothing

Meta and TikTok auction ads only set a limit, and a wide one: 15 minutes on Instagram Reels, over four hours on Facebook Feed. A limit is not a target.

In those cases, let the script decide: the time it takes for a hook, a problem, your solution and a call to action, and not a second more. A simple offer often fits in the short version; an offer that needs explaining deserves the long one, and you compare both on your own results.

Remember what length does not fix: a skippable YouTube ad can be skipped after 5 seconds, and TikTok recommends introducing your proposition in the first 3. A long ad with a weak opening will not be watched for longer.

One story, three lengths

The simplest approach is to write one story and adapt it. The 15-second version keeps the hook, the solution and the call to action. The 30-second one adds the customer's problem and a proof. The one-minute version lets each beat breathe and shows more shots.

Rewrite each version rather than chopping the long one at random: a line cut mid-sentence shows straight away. And keep the same hook in all three, so you are comparing length and nothing else.

Do this in 20 minutes

adkix produces a vertical 9:16 ad of 15 seconds, 30 seconds or one minute from your website address, your Instagram account or a one-line idea. You pick the length, approve the angle, the style and the script, then it records the voice-over, generates the shots, composes the music and adds word-by-word captions.

In about 20 minutes you get an MP4 ready for TikTok, Reels and Shorts, with no avatar and no shoot.

Ads made with adkix

Vertical examples to watch with a length in mind.

« Quarante minutes de pause, et encore un sandwich triste ? »
Joe's Pastainstagram.com
« Ton SaaS est en ligne, et personne ne vient. »
adkixadkix.ai
« Vous êtes coiffeur, vous n'avez pas le temps ? »
SNAPSSsnapss.io
« Tu relis ton mail pour la quatrième fois ? »
Corrigoocorrigoo.io
« Samedi matin, trente équipes, et ton tableau Excel plante. »
Padel Kompetpadelkompet.com
« Fondateur, tu repousses encore la prospection ? »
Le Bureau du Calllebureauducall.fr
« Cinquante messages envoyés hier soir, zéro réponse ce matin. »
BeReachbereach.ai
« T'as tout livré, et toujours pas payé ? »
Dealokrdealokr.com

Where these lengths come from

Read on October 24, 2026

Frequently asked questions

What is the best length for a TikTok ad?

TikTok recommends 9 to 15 seconds for its reservation In-Feed ads. For auction ads, its spec page recommends none and accepts up to 10 minutes for non-Spark Ads.

How long can an Instagram Reels ad be?

Meta's Awareness spec page accepts 0 seconds to 15 minutes in 9:16. It gives no recommended length.

How long should a YouTube Shorts ad be?

Google recommends under 60 seconds, and 10 to 30 seconds for an ad aiming at an action. Only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed.

Is a long ad a bad idea?

Not necessarily. Google recommends 2 to 3 minutes on YouTube when the goal is consideration, but 15 to 20 seconds for awareness and action.

Which lengths can adkix make?

15 seconds, 30 seconds or one minute, in vertical 9:16. You choose the length before production.

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Updated October 24, 2026