Snapchat Ads

Snapchat Ads specs: single image or video

On Snapchat the Single Image or Video ad is full screen and vertical: images must be 9:16 and at least 720 × 1280 px. File, length and audio requirements, plus brand name and headline limits, are here.

Scope: Single Image or Video ads.

Image ad

File type
PNG, JPEG
Required ratio
9:16
Minimum size
720 × 1280 px
Full-screen canvas
1080 × 1920 px
File size
≤ 5 MB

The image is turned into a 5-second video. If an image or video is not 720 × 1280 px, you can crop it to fit when you upload it.

Video ad

Video format
.mp4, .mov
Encoding
H.264
Full-screen canvas
1080 × 1920 px · 9:16
File size
≤ 1 GB
Duration
3 seconds – 30 minutes (while the file stays within 1 GB)
Audio
2 channels (left, right) · target -16 LUFS · PCM or AAC · at least 192 kbps · 16 or 24 bit

A video under 3 seconds is looped to reach 3 seconds. Live action, motion graphics, stop motion, cinemagraphs, slideshows, GIF-like content and still images all work.

Text

Brand name
Up to 32 characters, spaces included
Headline
Up to 34 characters, spaces included

The brand name must reflect the advertiser paying for the ad and cannot be the same as the headline.

Safe zone

Safe zone
Check it with the Safe Zone toggle in Ads Manager

Each format has top, bottom and side buffers that keep key elements visible; Snapchat shows them in an image rather than as numbers.

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Mecrio prepares the vertical image and video to these specs, sets the campaign up and publishes it — and does the same on the other platforms.

Opening an account takes a couple of minutes.

Scope

Reading this table

  • The scope is the Single Image or Video ad. Other formats such as Story and Collection ads follow their own rules and are not mixed in here.
  • The pages disagree on video length: the detailed spec page says 3 seconds to 30 minutes (while the file stays within 1 GB), the same help center's overview page says up to 3 minutes and the Snapchat for Business pages say 3–180 seconds. The table follows the detailed spec page; to satisfy all of them, stay within 3 minutes.
  • Brand name has two numbers too: the help center says 32 characters, the Snapchat for Business pages say 25. The table follows the help center; staying within 25 satisfies both.
Questions

About Snapchat ads

What size should a Snapchat ad image be?

The ratio must be 9:16 and the image at least 720 × 1280 px; the full-screen canvas is 1080 × 1920 px. The image can be up to 5 MB and is turned into a 5-second video.

How long should the video be?

Snapchat's overview page recommends 3–5 seconds for video. On the maximum the pages disagree: the detailed spec page allows up to 30 minutes, while three other pages say up to 3 minutes (180 seconds). A video under 3 seconds is looped to reach 3 seconds.

Can the brand name and headline be the same?

No: the brand name must reflect the advertiser paying for the ad and must differ from the headline. The brand name can be up to 32 characters and the headline up to 34, spaces included.

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