Video specs across five placements
Updated 2026-08-15 · Risk-term list version 2026-08-15c
Four of the five take 9:16. Amazon Sponsored Brands video is 16:9 only — the single exception in this table, and the one people trip over. Among the vertical four the differences are safe area and length: Meta is tightest (14% top, 35% bottom, 6% each side), TikTok allows the longest cut (up to 10 minutes), and Shorts plays only the first 60 seconds.
So the practical rule is two lines: shoot 9:16, keep key elements inside the middle 50% of the height, export a 1:1 (that covers the vertical four); and cut a genuine 16:9 for Amazon rather than padding with bars, which its spec page explicitly prohibits.
The last column counts how many fields on each page came from an official source. Nobody publishes that number, and it is what decides whether you should spend money on the table.
| Platform | Aspect | Max length | Safe area | Officially sourced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok / TikTok Shop | 9:16 | 60s | Leave roughly 130px clear at the top and 480px at the bottom; the interaction rail on the right takes about 140px | 7/8 |
| Meta (Reels and Feed) | 9:16 as the main cut, with a 1:1 delivered as backup | 30s | Keep text, logo and key elements out of roughly the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side | 5/5 |
| Temu on-platform | 1:1 and 3:4 | 30s | About 8% margin on all four sides | 0/3 |
| Amazon Sponsored Brands | 16:9 — the spec page says "only"; there is no vertical option | 45s | Keep text and key elements out of the bottom-right corner; no black, colour or blurred bars | 12/13 |
| YouTube Shorts | 9:16 | 60s | Keep the bottom 15% clear of the title bar | 5/6 |
Beyond specs: each platform words the claims rules differently
This is where shapewear sellers get caught: the same asset gets rejected by TikTok and Meta for different reasons.
- TikTok’s misleading-content policy names before-and-after comparisons that give a distorted impression, using an instant weight-loss promise as its example.
- Meta’s health and wellness standard actually permits general before-and-after transformation for 18+ targeting, but bars “statements of inferiority about physical appearance” and a “close up on specific body area by pinching fat”.
- Meta also has a separate personal-attributes standard: ads must not assert or imply personal attributes, explicitly including physical or mental health. A second-person body question is far riskier than a first-person account.
- Do not collapse these into “no before-and-afters anywhere.” That throws away a format that works on one of the two platforms.
Before-and-after: two different rulebooksScan your copy
FAQ
Why is Amazon 16:9 on its own?
Amazon Ads documents Sponsored Brands video as "16:9 (square pixel) only" with no vertical option, and separately requires you to avoid black, colour or blurred bars — so you cannot pad a vertical cut into it. It is the only aspect-ratio exception in this table and the boundary of the "one cut everywhere" idea.
Why is the Temu page all experience-based?
We found no publicly available official video-spec page for third-party Temu sellers in this pass. Semi-managed sellers do not buy ads anyway — for them, scanning the listing copy matters more than the spec.
What happens if a spec is wrong?
Most platforms block it at upload, so it costs time rather than money. The expensive mistakes are claims: the asset clears the spec check, runs, and then gets pulled — sometimes two days in.
Can one shoot really serve every placement?
The footage can. The copy cannot. The same SKU says “it did not roll after a full day” on TikTok, talks fabric and sizing on Amazon, and only needs a product-video script on Temu. That is why one plan ships four delivery specs.
Sources
- TikTok auction in-feed ads — creative specs (page self-dated June 2026) （checked 2026-08-15）
- Meta ads guide · Facebook Reels video ad specs （checked 2026-08-15）
- Google Ads Help · YouTube Shorts ad creative specs （checked 2026-08-15）
- TikTok advertising policies · misleading and false content (page self-dated April 2026) （checked 2026-08-15）
- Meta advertising standards · health and wellness （checked 2026-08-15）