--- title: 'Meta ad image specs: sizes, crops and a preflight checklist' description: 'Prepare square, portrait and vertical ad images. Compare working canvases, check crops and review Meta placement requirements before publishing.' canonical: https://plainrouter.com/library/meta-ad-specs published_at: 2026-09-19 format: Guide last_updated: 2026-09-19 --- # Meta ad image specs: sizes, crops and a preflight checklist **Choose the placement before choosing the image size.** A square export, a portrait feed composition and a full-height composition need different crops. Start with a high-resolution original, keep the headline and logo away from likely interface overlays, then inspect each selected placement in Meta Ads Manager. Use the free [Meta ad image checker](/tools/meta-ad-checker) to read a JPEG or PNG locally, compare its dimensions with a working canvas and inspect a center crop. It does not upload your image or approve an ad. ## Which image size should you start with? These are **working canvases for preparing artwork**, not a list of Meta's minimum dimensions or acceptance limits. They give you clean versions of three useful shapes. Confirm the supported format, ratio and resolution for your actual placement and objective in [Meta's Ads Guide](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide). | Composition | Aspect ratio | Example working canvas | What to check | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Square | 1:1 | 1440 × 1440 px | Whether the message still reads in a compact crop | | Portrait | 4:5 | 1440 × 1800 px | Whether moving from square cuts the sides or needs a new layout | | Full height | 9:16 | 1440 × 2560 px | Space for captions, buttons and other placement controls | A larger canvas cannot restore detail missing from a small source. Keep editable text and logos in your design file, export from the original, and inspect the result at approximately the size someone will see on a phone. For the current platform requirements, use Meta's [Facebook Feed image guide](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/image/facebook-feed), [Instagram Feed image guide](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/image/instagram-feed) and [Instagram Stories image guide](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads-guide/image/instagram-story). These pages may require a Meta login. Requirements can differ by placement and objective; a single universal size table hides those differences. ## What happens when an image is cropped? Consider a **fictional 1440 × 1440 square image** filling a 1440 × 1800 portrait canvas. A center crop keeps 1152 pixels of the original width and loses 144 pixels from each side. That removes 20% of the original image area. A logo near an edge can disappear even though the original file is large enough. The checker models that centered fill. It does not reproduce Meta's automatic creative adjustments, placement rendering or your manually chosen crop. When a crop cuts the message, rearrange the source design for the new shape instead of shrinking every element until it becomes unreadable. ## How should you handle safe zones? Safe zones concern **where essential content sits**, not just the file's width and height. Captions, account information, calls to action and controls can cover artwork. Meta's [Reels guidance](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/facebook-instagram-reels-ads) emphasizes vertical creative and keeping key messages in the safe zone; use the placement's own guide and preview for coverage. The checker's shaded areas are **custom review margins**. They start at 10% on each edge so you can inspect spacing, but that is a design aid, not an official Stories or Reels safe zone. Adjust them to your design brief. An exported SVG contains only those margins; hide it before exporting the actual ad. Do not reuse one overlay as a guarantee across Facebook, Instagram, organic posts and paid placements. Inspect the actual placement with its caption and call to action. ## Image preflight before you publish 1. **Confirm the file.** Open the final export, not only the editable design. The checker accepts JPEG and PNG up to its own 20 MiB processing limit; this is not Meta's maximum file size. 2. **Compare the ratio.** Choose the intended working canvas and inspect any crop. Review each selected placement separately. 3. **Check source resolution.** Avoid enlarging a small raster image. A matching aspect ratio does not mean there are enough pixels for your working canvas. 4. **Read the message on a phone-sized preview.** Make the main promise, product cue and next step understandable without zooming. 5. **Inspect interface coverage.** Review captions, logos, buttons and placement overlays in Meta's native preview. 6. **Check the destination.** Keep the offer consistent with the landing page and use a [campaign URL](/tools/utm-builder) you can distinguish from other creative variants. 7. **Review the change.** Confirm account, creative and intended delivery state before approval. File checks do not establish ad-policy compliance or campaign eligibility. ## Where Plainrouter fits Plainrouter's checker is a local preparation tool. [Actions](/product/actions) supports governed creative proposals, including supported image-upload and paused-copy workflows. That is separate from this tool's preview: choosing a file here does not create a proposal, upload it to Meta or launch a campaign. For message ideas, study the [SaaS ad examples](/library/saas-ad-examples). If an existing creative performs worse, use the [ad-fatigue diagnosis guide](/library/facebook-ad-fatigue) before assuming that a new crop will fix it. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is 1080 × 1080 always the correct Meta ad size? No single size describes every placement. It is a square canvas, while portrait and full-height compositions use other ratios. Check the current placement guide and the quality of the source rather than treating one familiar export size as a universal requirement. ### Can the checker validate Reels videos? No. It reads JPEG and PNG images. Video duration, codecs, audio and delivery rules need their own review. A 9:16 image preview is not a video validation. ### Does passing the dimension check guarantee approval? No. Dimensions are one preparation check. The tool does not assess policies, claims, landing pages, account restrictions or Meta's final rendering.