YouTube Shorts ads specs
YouTube Shorts ads should be 9:16 vertical at 1080x1920, under 60 seconds (up to 3 minutes is allowed, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed), with sound, a 40-character headline and a 90-character description.
From YouTube's own ads documentation, checked 2026-10-26.
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended; anything from 16:9 to 9:16 is accepted, but horizontal plays with blurred bars |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080x1920 recommended; at least 720p |
| File types | Uploaded to YouTube (public or unlisted). MP4, MOV, WebM, MPEG and others accepted |
| Max file size | 256 GB |
| Length | Up to 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed. Google recommends under 60 seconds, and 10 to 30 seconds for action-focused ads |
| Headline | 40 characters recommended |
| Description | 90 characters max |
| Sound | Recommended: music, voiceover or both |
| CTA button | Appears at 3 seconds for Performance Max, App and Demand Gen; at 10 seconds for video view and reach campaigns |
Safe for text and faces
288px672pxGoogle shows the Shorts safe area as a template image without numbers. These margins are third-party readings of that template.
Things that get ads rejected or hidden
- The ad must be uploaded to a YouTube channel first; Google Ads links to the video rather than taking a file.
- Put the offer before the 3-second mark if you run Demand Gen or Performance Max, since the CTA button appears then.
Sources
- Google Ads: YouTube Shorts ad asset specs
- Google Ads: about video ad specs
- Google Ads: square and vertical video
Platforms change specs without notice. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it and update the date.