AI video27 min read13 October 2026

YouTube Ads Creative Specs (2026): Sizes, Lengths, Safe Zones and a Cutdown Checklist

YouTube ads creative specs come down to a short list: upload your video to YouTube as public or unlisted, deliver it at 1080p in 16:9 (1920 x 1080), 9:16 (1080 x 1920) or 1:1 (1080 x 1080), keep the file under 256 GB, and cut it to the length each format allows. Skippable ads have no maximum length, non-skippable ads run 7 to 15 seconds (or 16 to 30 seconds on TV screens, horizontal only), bumpers stop at 6 seconds, and Shorts ads should stay under 60 seconds.

The details are where campaigns go wrong. Thumbnails, companion banners, headline limits, Demand Gen images and safe zones all have their own rules, and Google's own help pages don't always agree with each other.

This guide puts every format in one place, flags the limits that vary, and ends with the deliverables checklist our editors use to turn one master into every cutdown. It's a spec sheet, so for the creative thinking behind the edit, pair it with our format-by-format YouTube creative build guide.

YouTube ad specs at a glance: the master table

Start here. This table covers the video formats you'll actually produce for, with the numbers taken from Google Ads Help. Where Google's pages give different figures, we show the range and explain it further down.

Skippable in-stream: Aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1; Recommended resolution: 1920 x 1080, 1080 x 1920, 1080 x 1080; Length: No maximum (under 3 minutes recommended); Skippable?: Yes, after 5 seconds; Where it shows: Before, during or after YouTube videos and on Google video partners
Non-skippable in-stream: Aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 (30-second ads: 16:9 only); Recommended resolution: Same as above; Length: 7 to 15 seconds standard; 16 to 30 seconds on connected TV; Skippable?: No; Where it shows: Before, during or after videos
Bumper: Aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1; Recommended resolution: Same as above; Length: Up to 6 seconds; Skippable?: No; Where it shows: Before, during or after videos
In-feed video: Aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1; Recommended resolution: Same as above; Length: No maximum; Skippable?: Click to watch; Where it shows: Search results, Watch Next, Home feed, Subscriptions feed (app)
Shorts: Aspect ratios: 9:16 recommended (16:9 and 1:1 accepted); Recommended resolution: 1080 x 1920; Length: Up to 3 minutes, but under 60 seconds recommended; Skippable?: Swipe away any time; Where it shows: Between organic Shorts in the Shorts feed
Masthead: Aspect ratios: 16:9; Recommended resolution: 1920 x 1080 or higher; Length: Any length (over 10 seconds recommended); Skippable?: Not applicable; Where it shows: Top of the YouTube Home feed and the YouTube app for TVs
Demand Gen video: Aspect ratios: 16:9, 1:1, 4:5, 9:16; Recommended resolution: 1920 x 1080, 1080 x 1080, 1080 x 1350, 1080 x 1920; Length: Minimum 5 seconds; 10 to 60 seconds recommended; Skippable?: Depends on placement; Where it shows: YouTube, Discover and Gmail feeds

Three rules sit under every row:

The video lives on YouTube. Even when you upload through Google Ads, the file ends up as a YouTube video. It has to be public or unlisted, and the ad points to that video.
The file limit is generous. Google lists a maximum of 256 GB and recommends .MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4), while also accepting .MP4, .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .FLV, WebM, 3GPP, HEVC (H.265), DNxHR, ProRes and CineForm. Audio-only files (MP3, WAV, PCM) are rejected.
1080p is the target, 720p is the floor. Google's minimum HD sizes are 1280 x 720 horizontal, 720 x 1280 vertical and 480 x 480 square. SD sizes (640 x 480, 480 x 640, 480 x 480) are accepted but not recommended.

You can check the current values on Google's About video ad specs page, which links to the per-format pages. Google updates these pages often, so treat any spec sheet, including this one, as a starting point and confirm in the help center before a big shoot.

Resolution, aspect ratio and file rules that apply to every format

Most spec guides repeat the same resolution block a dozen times. Here it is once, with the reasoning a producer needs.

The three ratios to plan around

Horizontal: Ratio: 16:9; Recommended (1080p): 1920 x 1080; Minimum (720p): 1280 x 720; Best for: In-stream on desktop and TV, masthead, 30-second non-skippable
Vertical: Ratio: 9:16; Recommended (1080p): 1080 x 1920; Minimum (720p): 720 x 1280; Best for: Shorts, mobile in-stream, Demand Gen vertical
Square: Ratio: 1:1; Recommended (1080p): 1080 x 1080; Minimum (720p): 480 x 480; Best for: In-feed, mobile, Demand Gen feeds

Google also accepts 4:3 (SD) horizontal and 2:3 or 4:5 vertical. You rarely need to plan for them, with one exception: Demand Gen lists 4:5 at 1080 x 1350 as its vertical feed size, so it's worth exporting if you run Demand Gen.

YouTube adapts the player to your video rather than stretching it. That means a horizontal video served in a vertical space shows with bars or blurred fill, not a crop. It's safe, but it looks like an ad that wasn't made for the screen, and it wastes most of the phone.

Should you deliver 4K?

You can, and YouTube will play it, but Google's ad specs recommend 1080p. We shoot in 4K or higher when the budget allows because it gives the editor room to reframe one take into 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 without losing sharpness. We then export the ad masters at 1080p unless the campaign is heavy on TV screens, where a 4K upload holds detail better on large displays.

File type in practice

Google's recommended container is .MPG, but in day-to-day production almost every team delivers .MP4. It's on the accepted list, it uploads quickly and it matches YouTube's own upload guidance. Keep a high-quality mezzanine file (ProRes or DNxHR) in your archive for future recuts, and upload the MP4.

Skippable in-stream ad specs

Skippable in-stream ads are the workhorse of YouTube advertising. They play before, during or after a video, and the viewer can skip after 5 seconds.

Aspect ratio: Requirement: 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1
Resolution: Requirement: 1920 x 1080 / 1080 x 1920 / 1080 x 1080 recommended
Length: Requirement: No maximum; Google recommends under 3 minutes
Skip: Requirement: After 5 seconds
Companion banner: Requirement: 300 x 60, desktop only (auto-generated from your channel or uploaded)
Text: Requirement: Depends on campaign subtype (see the text limits section)
Devices: Requirement: Desktop, mobile, tablet and TV screens

Three practical notes:

The first 5 seconds are the only guaranteed part. Everything a viewer must take away, especially the brand, belongs before the skip button appears. Our best-practices guide covers how to build that opening.
Length depends on the job. A 15 to 20 second edit suits action and awareness goals. Longer edits of 1 to 3 minutes work for consideration, demos and explainers, because people who stay are choosing to watch.
Deliver horizontal and vertical. Skippable ads serve on phones as much as on TV screens. If you only supply 16:9, the phone version is a small box in a tall screen.

Non-skippable in-stream and bumper ad specs

Non-skippable ads guarantee the full message plays. They're bought on impressions (target CPM), so you pay for reach, not views.

Non-skippable lengths

Bumper: Length: Up to 6 seconds; Orientation: 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1
Standard non-skippable: Length: 7 to 15 seconds; Orientation: 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1
30-second non-skippable (connected TV): Length: 16 to 30 seconds; Orientation: 16:9 only. Square or vertical 30-second assets won't run

You can also run a mix of 6, 15 and 30 second videos in one Video reach campaign, and the system picks which to serve. Text limits on Google's non-skippable page are tight: a 15-character headline and a 10-character call to action when a CTA is shown.

Where Google's pages disagree on non-skippable length

This is the first place spec sheets go wrong. Google's general video ad formats page lists non-skippable in-stream as 15 to 60 seconds "depending on the campaign subtype," and its YouTube TV page says these ads typically run 15 seconds, up to 60 seconds. The non-skippable format page gives the 7 to 15 and 16 to 30 second tiers shown above.

The way to read it: 7 to 15 seconds and 16 to 30 seconds (TV, horizontal) are the standard auction options. Longer non-skippable spots, such as 60 seconds, are a booking option on TV screens, ticked during setup. If a client asks for a 45-second non-skippable, check what their campaign subtype allows before anyone edits it.

Bumper ad specs

Bumpers are 6-second, non-skippable spots built for reach and recall. They serve on desktop, mobile and TV screens.

There's a small inconsistency here too. The non-skippable page says bumpers are "up to 6 seconds," while the formats overview table lists "6 seconds (>=5 seconds minimum)." In practice, we cut bumpers to exactly 6 seconds, which satisfies both readings. Anything 6 seconds or shorter that you upload to a non-skippable campaign is treated as a bumper.

The trap with bumpers is frame-accurate timing. A 6.04-second export can fall outside the limit. Export to an exact frame count (for example, 144 frames at 24 fps or 150 frames at 25 fps), and leave a few frames of silence at the tail so the audio doesn't clip.

In-feed video ad specs and thumbnails

In-feed ads (the format once called discovery ads) don't interrupt anything. They appear as a thumbnail with text in YouTube search results, alongside related videos in Watch Next, on the Home feed and in the Subscriptions feed on the mobile and tablet app. The viewer has to choose to click.

Video: Requirement: 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1 at 1080p; no maximum length (15 seconds recommended in Google's in-video table)
Headline: Requirement: 2 lines, up to 40 characters per line
Description: Requirement: 2 lines, up to 35 characters per line
Thumbnail: Requirement: 16:9, 1280 x 720 recommended (minimum 1280 x 640), JPG, GIF or PNG, under 2 MB

Google notes that in-video headlines don't show on the desktop or TV watch page and may not show on mobile, and descriptions don't appear on the desktop watch page or on TV. Write each line so it makes sense alone, because truncation is normal.

The thumbnail is the ad

On in-feed, the thumbnail does the job the first 5 seconds do on in-stream. You can pick one of the frames YouTube suggests or upload a custom thumbnail on the video in YouTube. We always design a custom one:

One clear subject, usually the product or a face, filling at least a third of the frame
High contrast against both light and dark YouTube themes
Three words of text or fewer, large enough to read at phone size
A promise the first seconds of the video keep immediately

Design the thumbnail at 1280 x 720 but check it shrunk to roughly 320 pixels wide. That's close to how it appears on a phone.

YouTube Shorts ad specs

Shorts ads run in the vertical Shorts feed, between organic Shorts, on phones, tablets, desktop and connected TVs. Viewers can swipe past at any time, so there's no skip timer to plan around.

Aspect ratio: Requirement: 9:16 recommended; 16:9 and 1:1 accepted
Resolution: Requirement: 1080 x 1920
Maximum length: Requirement: 3 minutes
What plays in the feed: Requirement: Only the first 60 seconds; an overlay at 50 seconds invites viewers to watch the rest on the watch page
Recommended length: Requirement: Under 60 seconds overall; 10 to 30 seconds for action-oriented ads; 6 to 60 seconds for Video reach; 10 to 60 seconds for Video action, App and Performance Max
Text: Requirement: Uses your channel name and description; description up to 90 characters; overlay card headline of 40 characters recommended
CTA button: Requirement: Appears at 3 seconds for Performance Max, App and Demand Gen; at 10 seconds for Video view and Video reach campaigns

Every figure above comes from Google's YouTube Shorts ads asset specs page. A few behaviors matter more than the numbers:

Horizontal assets get blurred bars. A 16:9 video served in Shorts shows with blurred fill above and below. It runs, but it looks like a repurposed TV ad. Google offers Video Enhancement to generate vertical versions, and we'd still recommend editing a proper vertical cut when you can.
The CTA timing changes your edit. In a Video reach campaign, the button doesn't appear until 10 seconds in. An 8-second vertical edit for that campaign never shows its button.
You can't force an asset into Shorts only in multi-format Video view and Video reach campaigns. If you upload one vertical and one horizontal video, the system decides which serves where. Demand Gen is the campaign type with format-level controls.
Text truncates fast. Description text that runs past 1 line on mobile, or 2 lines on desktop and TV, gets cut. Lead with the point.
AI disclosure applies in some regions. Google notes that ads using certain AI-generated or edited assets may need AI labels in places including the EU, India and New York. If you produce with AI, as we often do, plan the disclosure into the brief.

For the creative side of vertical video, from hooks to pacing, see our short-form video ads guide.

Masthead ad specs

The Masthead is the big one: a video ad at the top of the YouTube Home feed on desktop, the mobile app and mobile web, and at the top of the YouTube app on TVs. It's sold on a reservation basis through a Google sales representative, so most brands run it for launches and key dates, not always-on.

Video: Requirement: 16:9, 1920 x 1080 or higher, public or unlisted on YouTube
Length: Requirement: Any; Google recommends more than 10 seconds
Desktop autoplay: Requirement: Muted, for up to 30 seconds, with a start point you choose
Headline: Requirement: 40 characters or fewer
Description: Requirement: 60 characters or fewer (shows on mobile and TV, not desktop)
Call to action: Requirement: 15 characters or fewer; not available on TV Masthead
Companion videos: Requirement: Optional; two unique video IDs (playlists are no longer accepted)
Final URL: Requirement: Required with a CTA; all creatives in one Masthead must share the same domain

The text limits are where sources split. Google's video ad specs page gives the 40, 60 and 15 character limits above, while the Masthead help page tells you to use the YouTube Masthead Preview Tool for text length. We draft to the published limits, then confirm in the preview tool before the creative goes to the rep.

Two production details catch teams out. The Masthead pulls your channel art and icon automatically, and Google advises finalizing the channel art at least 2 days and the icon 2 to 3 days before launch. And because desktop autoplay is muted, the first 30 seconds must work as a silent film with readable on-screen text.

Demand Gen asset specs (video, image and companion assets)

Demand Gen campaigns serve across YouTube (including Shorts and in-feed), Discover and Gmail, and they mix video with image assets. That makes the asset list longer than any other YouTube option.

Demand Gen video

16:9 horizontal: Recommended size: 1920 x 1080; Length: 10 to 60 seconds recommended
1:1 square: Recommended size: 1080 x 1080; Length: 10 to 60 seconds recommended
4:5 vertical: Recommended size: 1080 x 1350; Length: 10 to 60 seconds recommended
9:16 vertical: Recommended size: 1080 x 1920; Length: 10 to 60 seconds recommended

The minimum length is 5 seconds, but videos under 10 seconds are ineligible for YouTube in-stream. If you want Demand Gen to reach in-stream inventory, deliver 10 seconds or longer. Google recommends up to 3 videos per orientation.

Demand Gen images and text

Horizontal image (1.91:1): Recommended: 1200 x 628; Minimum: 600 x 314; Notes: Required; 1 to 20, 3 recommended
Square image (1:1): Recommended: 1200 x 1200; Minimum: 300 x 300; Notes: Required; 1 to 20, 3 recommended
Vertical image (4:5): Recommended: 960 x 1200; Minimum: 480 x 600; Notes: Optional; 1 to 20, 3 recommended
Logo (1:1): Recommended: 1200 x 1200; Minimum: 144 x 144; Notes: Required; 150 KB maximum
Image file: Recommended: JPG or PNG; Notes: 5 MB maximum per image
Headlines: Recommended: Up to 40 characters; Notes: 1 to 5; keep at least one at 30 characters or fewer
Descriptions: Recommended: Up to 90 characters; Notes: 1 to 5, 3 recommended
Business name: Recommended: Up to 25 characters; Notes: Required

The 30-character headline matters: Google says at least one headline at that length avoids an "Incomplete" Ad Strength rating and lets the ad serve on Display.

Demand Gen mixes assets the way Meta's asset-mixing does, which changes how you brief creative. If your team already works that way on Meta, our explainer on how dynamic creative assembles ads from parts shows the same logic. Each headline, image and video has to stand on its own, because you don't control which ones appear together.

Text limits, companion banners and thumbnails by format

Text fields change by campaign subtype, not just by format. This is the table we keep pinned in our briefs.

Non-skippable in-stream: Headline: 15 characters; Long headline: Not used; Description: Not used; CTA: 10 characters
Video action campaigns: Headline: 30 characters; Long headline: 90 characters; Description: 90 characters; CTA: 10 characters
In-feed (in-video ads): Headline: 2 lines x 40 characters; Long headline: Not used; Description: 2 lines x 35 characters; CTA: Not used
Shorts: Headline: Channel name; 40-character overlay headline recommended; Long headline: Not used; Description: 90 characters; CTA: Set by campaign
Masthead: Headline: 40 characters; Long headline: Not used; Description: 60 characters; CTA: 15 characters
Demand Gen: Headline: 40 characters (one at 30 or fewer); Long headline: Not used; Description: 90 characters; CTA: Automated

Companion banners and thumbnails:

Companion banner: Size: 300 x 60; Ratio: 5:1; Format: JPG, GIF or PNG; Max file size: 150 KB; Shows on: Desktop only
Video thumbnail: Size: 1280 x 720 (min 1280 x 640); Ratio: 16:9; Format: JPG, GIF or PNG; Max file size: 2 MB; Shows on: In-feed and across YouTube

If you don't upload a companion banner, Google can generate one from your channel. That's fine for a test, but an uploaded banner with the offer and a clear brand mark usually earns more clicks on desktop.

A quick tip on Arabic copy: character limits count characters, not words, and Arabic often runs shorter in characters than the English equivalent. Write the English and Arabic lines side by side in the brief so the bilingual versions say the same thing within the limit.

Safe zones: where YouTube's interface covers your ad

Every YouTube placement lays buttons, titles and progress bars over your video. Text or logos in those areas get covered.

Shorts and vertical safe zones

Google's Shorts guidance gives the simplest rule: avoid placing critical elements in the top 10%, the bottom 25% and the right-hand 10% of the frame. That's where the channel name, caption and engagement buttons sit.

On a 1080 x 1920 frame, our arithmetic turns that into:

Top: Share of frame: 10%; Pixels to keep clear on 1080 x 1920: 192 px
Bottom: Share of frame: 25%; Pixels to keep clear on 1080 x 1920: 480 px
Right: Share of frame: 10%; Pixels to keep clear on 1080 x 1920: 108 px
Left: Share of frame: Not specified; Pixels to keep clear on 1080 x 1920: Keep a small margin, about 50 px

Some published guides quote larger pixel margins for vertical ads (for example, close to 290 px at the top and 670 px at the bottom). They come from overlay templates that also allow for in-stream controls on phones. If one vertical file has to serve both Shorts and mobile in-stream, use the stricter numbers.

Horizontal and square safe zones

For 16:9 and 1:1, Google publishes transparent PNG overlay templates on the video ad specs page with a red safe area marked on 1920 x 1080 and 1080 x 1920 frames. Download them, drop them on a top layer in your edit, and keep logos, product shots and supers inside the safe area. On horizontal in-stream, the risk areas are the bottom strip (progress bar, ad badge, skip button on the lower right) and the top corners.

Google is candid that screens vary and that the safe zones work for "the vast majority of devices," with no guarantee for every model. Leave a margin inside the margin.

Arabic and right-to-left layouts

This one matters in the UAE. Arabic text is right-aligned, and the Shorts engagement buttons sit on the right. An English caption placed bottom-left often moves straight into the button column when the Arabic version mirrors it. We set Arabic supers center-aligned or keep them at least 108 px from the right edge, and we check both language versions against the overlay before export.

Export, sound and caption settings

None of the ranking spec sheets cover export settings, yet a bad export is one of the most common reasons an ad looks soft or out of sync after upload. YouTube publishes recommended upload encoding settings, and these are the ones we follow for ad masters.

Recommended export settings

Container: YouTube's recommendation: MP4, no edit lists, moov atom at the front (fast start)
Video codec: YouTube's recommendation: H.264, High Profile, progressive scan, 4:2:0 chroma subsampling
Frame rate: YouTube's recommendation: Keep the frame rate you shot at (24, 25, 30, 48, 50 or 60 fps are common)
Bitrate, 1080p SDR: YouTube's recommendation: About 8 Mbps at 24 to 30 fps; about 12 Mbps at 48 to 60 fps
Bitrate, 4K SDR: YouTube's recommendation: 35 to 45 Mbps at 24 to 30 fps; 53 to 68 Mbps at 48 to 60 fps
Color: YouTube's recommendation: BT.709, limited (not full) range
Audio codec: YouTube's recommendation: AAC-LC or Opus
Audio: YouTube's recommendation: Stereo (or stereo plus 5.1), 48 kHz sample rate

Those bitrates are YouTube's recommended floor, not a ceiling. We often export ad masters well above them, because the file only uploads once and YouTube re-encodes it anyway. Interlaced footage must be deinterlaced first, so 1080i60 becomes 1080p30.

In the UAE, most footage is shot at 25 or 50 fps because the region uses 50 Hz power, while global stock and AI-generated clips are often 24 or 30 fps. Mixing them causes judder. Pick one frame rate for the master and conform everything else to it before the edit.

Sound: plan for both sound on and sound off

YouTube is not a silent feed in the way some social placements are. Google says sound has been shown to increase conversions by over 20% in Shorts ads and recommends music, voiceover or both. At the same time, the desktop Masthead autoplays muted, and plenty of in-stream views happen in public on phones.

The working rule: build the audio mix as if everyone hears it, and the picture as if no one does.

Mix dialogue clearly above music, and keep levels consistent across all cutdowns so the 6-second and 30-second versions sound like the same ad.
Leave 3 to 5 frames of clean audio at the head and tail of each cutdown so nothing clips at the edit point.
Use licensed music only. Unlicensed tracks can trigger copyright claims on the YouTube video, which can cause problems for the ad.

Captions: burned-in and uploaded

You have two caption options, and we usually do both:

Burned-in captions (open captions) are part of the picture. They show in every placement and every language version, and they work when the sound is off. Keep them inside the safe zone and large enough to read on a phone.
Uploaded caption files (such as .srt) attach to the YouTube video. Viewers can turn them on or off, and they help accessibility. Upload an Arabic and an English track for bilingual campaigns.

The deliverables checklist: one master, every cutdown

This is the part most guides leave out. You don't need a separate shoot for each format. You need one well-planned master and a disciplined cutdown plan. Here is the checklist our editors use, and it's the same structure we follow in our production process, where scripts take 3 to 5 business days and the first five ads take 5 to 7.

Before the shoot

Write for the shortest version first. If the 6-second bumper can't land the idea, the 30-second version won't either. Our video ad script template is built around this kind of modular script.
Frame for three ratios. Shoot wide enough (4K or higher) to crop 16:9, 9:16 and 1:1 from one take, and keep the product and faces in the center third.
Plan supers for two layouts. Horizontal supers sit low; vertical supers sit in the middle band, above the bottom 25%.
Capture extra hook shots. Several alternative openings give you hooks to test later without a reshoot. If you need concepts, our list of ad video ideas is a good starting point.

The cutdown set

Hero master: Ratio: 16:9; Length: 30 to 60 seconds (or longer for consideration); Used for: Skippable in-stream, in-feed, Masthead
30-second TV cut: Ratio: 16:9; Length: 16 to 30 seconds; Used for: Non-skippable on connected TV
15-second cut: Ratio: 16:9 and 9:16; Length: 7 to 15 seconds; Used for: Non-skippable, Video reach, skippable action
6-second bumper: Ratio: 16:9 and 9:16; Length: Up to 6 seconds (exact frame count); Used for: Bumper, Video reach mix
Vertical Shorts cut: Ratio: 9:16; Length: 10 to 30 seconds (under 60 maximum in feed); Used for: Shorts, Demand Gen, mobile
Square cut: Ratio: 1:1; Length: 10 to 30 seconds; Used for: In-feed, Demand Gen feeds
Demand Gen 4:5: Ratio: 4:5; Length: 10 to 60 seconds; Used for: Demand Gen vertical feeds
Thumbnail: Ratio: 16:9; Length: 1280 x 720; Used for: In-feed and the video page
Companion banner: Ratio: 5:1; Length: 300 x 60, under 150 KB; Used for: Desktop in-stream
Demand Gen images: Ratio: 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5; Length: 1200 x 628, 1200 x 1200, 960 x 1200; Used for: Demand Gen
Logo: Ratio: 1:1; Length: 1200 x 1200, under 150 KB; Used for: Demand Gen

For a bilingual UAE campaign, double the video rows: an English and an Arabic version of each. Each language version is its own YouTube video with its own ID, so you can target and report on them separately.

Upload and QA

Name files so anyone can read them. For example: brand_campaign_hook-a_9x16_15s_ar_v2. Ratio, length, language and version should be visible at a glance.
Upload each cut as a separate YouTube video, set to unlisted unless you want it on your channel page, and add the title, captions and custom thumbnail.
Check the length in YouTube, not in your editor. The processed duration is what Google Ads reads, and a bumper that shows 0:07 won't serve as a bumper.
Preview every format. Use the ad preview in Google Ads for each placement, and the Masthead Preview Tool for Masthead creative.
Run the safe-zone overlay one last time on every vertical and horizontal export, in both languages.

Once the set is live, the cutdowns double as test cells. Our ad creative testing framework explains how to test hooks and lengths against each other without muddying the results.

Common rejections and limited serving, and how to fix them

Most spec problems don't produce an error message. The ad just serves less, or in fewer places. Here's what we see most often.

Video can't be selected in Google Ads: Likely cause: The YouTube video is private, or still processing; Fix: Set it to public or unlisted and wait for processing to finish
Bumper not eligible: Likely cause: Duration over 6 seconds after processing; Fix: Re-export to an exact frame count, 6 seconds or less
30-second non-skippable not serving: Likely cause: The asset is vertical or square; Fix: Supply a 16:9 version
Demand Gen not reaching in-stream: Likely cause: Video under 10 seconds; Fix: Deliver a 10 second or longer cut
Ad looks letterboxed or blurred on phones: Likely cause: Only horizontal assets supplied; Fix: Add 9:16 and 1:1 versions
Shorts CTA never appears: Likely cause: Video shorter than the CTA delay for that campaign type; Fix: Make Video reach and Video view Shorts cuts longer than 10 seconds
"Incomplete" Ad Strength in Demand Gen: Likely cause: No headline at 30 characters or fewer, or too few images; Fix: Add a short headline and the recommended image count
Ad limited or disapproved: Likely cause: A policy issue, not a spec issue (claims, music rights, trademarks); Fix: Check the policy status on the ad and the copyright status of the YouTube video

Spec errors are cheap to avoid and expensive to find late. A media buyer discovering on launch day that there's no vertical version means either a delay or a week of serving the wrong shape.

What this looks like on a real campaign

Here's how the spec work plays out for a typical Dubai client. Say a car dealer wants to promote new stock across YouTube and social. We film each model once, with interiors, details and driving shots framed for every ratio, and add AI shots where a camera can't go. From that single shoot come the 16:9 hero, 15-second and 6-second cutdowns for YouTube, plus the vertical and square versions for Shorts and feeds.

That workflow is the core of our video ads for car dealers. For one car dealer selling commercial vans and SUVs, we made filmed and AI video ads for each model, rebuilt the ad account and set up a separate lead board for every brand. The page reports more than a hundred leads in the first two weeks, with about one in four reaching the qualified stage.

Bilingual delivery matters just as much in the Gulf. For a luxury car rental business in the GCC, we rebuilt the campaign across three countries with ads in both languages and a short AI film of the fleet, and the cost of each WhatsApp chat almost halved in the first full week. Neither result is a promise for your account, but both show why getting every version right matters before launch.

If you'd rather hand over the full job, our ad management team makes the ads and runs them, and you keep ownership of the ad account. You can see everything else we produce, from filmed ads to motion graphics, on our services page.

Specs apply to every product type, and 3D work follows the same rules. If you're producing CGI product spots, these 3D product animation examples show how rendered shots are framed for multiple ratios.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the recommended YouTube ad video sizes?

Google recommends 1080p in three orientations: 1920 x 1080 for horizontal 16:9, 1080 x 1920 for vertical 9:16 and 1080 x 1080 for square 1:1. The minimum HD sizes are 1280 x 720, 720 x 1280 and 480 x 480. SD sizes are accepted but not recommended. Demand Gen also uses a 4:5 vertical at 1080 x 1350, and the Masthead needs 16:9 at 1920 x 1080 or higher.

How long can a YouTube ad be?

It depends on the format. Skippable in-stream and in-feed ads have no maximum length, though Google recommends under 3 minutes for skippable ads. Standard non-skippable ads run 7 to 15 seconds, 30-second non-skippables run 16 to 30 seconds on connected TV, and bumpers run up to 6 seconds. Shorts ads can be 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the feed.

What is the maximum file size for YouTube ads?

Google lists a maximum file size of 256 GB for video ads, and the video must be uploaded to YouTube as public or unlisted before you can use it in Google Ads. Recommended formats are .MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4), and .MP4, .MOV, WebM and HEVC are also accepted. Image assets are smaller: 5 MB for Demand Gen images and 150 KB for logos and companion banners.

Do YouTube Shorts ads have to be vertical?

No, but they should be. Google recommends 9:16 vertical at 1080 x 1920 for Shorts and accepts horizontal and square videos. Horizontal videos show with blurred areas above and below, so they look less native. In multi-format Video view and Video reach campaigns you can't pin an asset to Shorts only, so supply a vertical version and let the system serve it where it fits.

What are the safe zones for YouTube Shorts ads?

Google advises keeping text, logos and calls to action out of the top 10%, the bottom 25% and the right-hand 10% of the frame. On a 1080 x 1920 video, that's roughly 192 pixels at the top, 480 at the bottom and 108 on the right. For horizontal and square ads, use the transparent overlay templates Google provides on its video ad specs page.

What size is a YouTube companion banner?

A YouTube companion banner is 300 x 60 pixels (a 5:1 ratio), in JPG, GIF or PNG, up to 150 KB. It shows next to in-stream and bumper ads on desktop only. If you don't upload one, Google can generate a banner automatically from your YouTube channel. A custom banner with your logo and offer usually works better for click-through on desktop.

Get every YouTube version made right the first time

Specs are the part of YouTube advertising nobody notices until they go wrong. Getting them right means one planned shoot, a clear cutdown list, both languages and a QA pass before launch, so your media budget goes to ads that fit every screen.

We plan, shoot, edit and deliver complete YouTube cutdown sets for Dubai, GCC and global brands, and we can run the campaigns too. Tell us about your product and we'll come back with a plan and a quote. Book a strategy call or get a quote from the XMA team.