You have one great product video. Now you need to put it everywhere: TikTok, Instagram Reels, Instagram Feed, Facebook Ads, Amazon listings, your website. The problem? Each platform has its own specs — different aspect ratios, different time limits, different rules about what you can say.
Get it wrong and the platform crops your product out of frame, mutes your video, or penalises your reach. Get it right and the same video works across every channel you run.
Here's the complete platform guide.
The Universal Rule: Shoot for 1:1, Export for Everything
Before the platform-by-platform breakdown, here's the most important tip: if you're shooting original video, frame it in square (1:1) format. A 1:1 frame can be cropped to vertical 9:16 (TikTok, Reels) or horizontal 16:9 (YouTube, website) without losing your product to the edges. It's the most flexible starting point.
If you're working from existing footage or a VideoQraft-produced video, we deliver all three aspect ratios as part of your package — so you're covered regardless.
Platform Specs: The Complete Guide
TikTok Organic + Ads
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical (full screen). Never letterbox. |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920px minimum |
| Length | Up to 10 minutes organic; best performance at 7–15 seconds for product content |
| File format | MP4 or MOV |
| Safe zone | Keep all key visuals away from bottom 20% (UI overlay) and top 10% |
| Sound | Trending audio dramatically boosts reach. Subtitle all dialogue — 85% watch without sound |
| Hook rule | The first 1.5 seconds determine everything. Product must be visible in frame 1. |
TikTok tip: TikTok's algorithm rewards watch-through rate above all else. A 7-second video watched completely outperforms a 30-second video watched halfway. For product videos, shorter is almost always better.
Instagram Reels Organic + Ads
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical. 4:5 also works but 9:16 fills the screen on mobile. |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920px |
| Length | Up to 90 seconds; best performance at 15–30 seconds for product content |
| File format | MP4 or MOV, H.264 codec |
| Safe zone | Keep product away from bottom 25% (action buttons) and top 10% |
| Sound | Auto-plays with sound in Reels feed. Captions still recommended. |
| Cover image | Set a custom cover — it's your thumbnail in the profile grid |
Instagram Feed & Stories Organic + Ads
| Feed aspect ratio | 4:5 portrait (best for feed, takes up most screen) or 1:1 square |
| Stories aspect ratio | 9:16 full screen vertical |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1350px (4:5), 1080 × 1080px (1:1) |
| Feed length | 3–60 seconds. Under 15 seconds gets most loop plays. |
| Stories length | Up to 60 seconds per Story card; auto-splits at 15s |
| Sound | Feed plays muted by default. Always add captions or text overlays. |
Facebook Ads Paid Only
| Aspect ratio | 1:1 square (works in feed + right column + Messenger). 4:5 for mobile feed. |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1080px minimum |
| Length | Up to 240 minutes; optimal 15–30 seconds for product ads |
| File format | MP4, MOV, or GIF |
| Text rule | Keep text in video under 20% of frame to avoid delivery restrictions |
| Sound | Muted by default in feed. Captions essential. Add audio for Stories placements. |
Amazon Product Listings
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 landscape (preferred) or 1:1 square |
| Resolution | 1920 × 1080px minimum (1080p) |
| Length | 6 seconds to 9 minutes; 30–90 seconds is the sweet spot |
| File format | MP4 or MOV, under 500MB |
| Autoplay | Plays silently on product pages. No voiceover required — visual-first content works best. |
| Compliance | No promotional pricing claims ("Best deal!"). No competitor references. No customer reviews read aloud. |
YouTube Shorts Organic
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical only. Horizontal video won't appear in Shorts feed. |
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920px |
| Length | Under 60 seconds for Shorts (up to 3 minutes as of 2024) |
| File format | MP4 preferred |
| SEO | Title + description matter on YouTube. Include product keywords and use chapters for longer cuts. |
Website: Your Product Page
Your own site gives you the most control — and the most direct conversion impact. For product pages:
- Use 16:9 or 1:1 format (matches most gallery/carousel layouts)
- Keep file size under 10MB — ideally under 5MB. Compress with H.264 at CRF 28.
- Autoplay muted, looping — this is the most effective placement. Visitors see motion without having to click.
- Host on your CDN or directly on Shopify/WooCommerce — don't embed from YouTube (it adds loading overhead)
- Use the
<video>tag withautoplay muted loop playsinlineattributes
The Smart Workflow: One Video, Every Platform
You don't need a separate video for each platform. You need one great source video, formatted correctly for each destination:
- Source: 1:1 square, 1080 × 1080px, 10–15 seconds, no text overlays
- TikTok/Reels/Shorts export: Crop to 9:16, add captions, keep under 15s
- Facebook/website export: Use 1:1 or letterbox to 16:9 with blurred background fill
- Amazon export: Expand to 16:9 with product context shots, 30–60s cut
VideoQraft delivers all three aspect ratios (1:1, 9:16, 16:9) as part of every Professional and Premium order — so you're platform-ready from day one.