What size should a car video ad be for Instagram, TikTok and Facebook?

The three sizes

Which to make first

9:16. It is the native format of every short-video surface, and it is where car buyers under fifty spend their scrolling time. The same file uploads unchanged to Reels, TikTok, Facebook Reels and Shorts.

Make 4:5 second, for the feed post that sits next to the Reel. Make 16:9 only if you have a place to put it: a YouTube channel, the listing page on your own site, or a screen on the lot.

Keep the important things in the safe zone

Every platform lays its own buttons and captions over the video. On 9:16, the bottom fifth and the right edge are covered. Put the price, the logo and the dealer card in the middle 60 % of the frame, and never in the bottom corner.

Export settings that work everywhere

• MP4, H.264 video, AAC audio.
• 30 frames per second.
• 1080 pixels on the short side.
• Under 100 MB.

VroomVideo exports all three sizes of the same car from one listing; the 9:16, 4:5 and 16:9 versions are re-cuts of the same footage, so they take about a minute each and are included in the $9.

Questions

Can one video work everywhere?

The 9:16 one nearly can. Reels, TikTok, Shorts and Facebook Reels play it full screen. The feed crops it to 4:5, which cuts the top and bottom, so keep the price and logo in the middle or export a 4:5 version.

How long should the video be?

Fifteen to twenty-five seconds. Long enough for the car, one number, the price and the dealer; short enough that the price is on screen before people swipe.

Does the file size matter?

Under 100 MB is safe on every platform. An H.264 MP4 at 1080 × 1920 and 20 seconds is usually 10–30 MB.