Every ad size explained: Reels, Feed, Square and YouTube

Guide · 5 min read · By Roshni at Weblur · 14 Nov 2026

You shot one video. Now it needs to run in four places. Here is what each shape is for, and why simply cropping is not enough.

The four shapes

• 9:16 (Tall, full phone screen). Typically used for Reels, TikTok, Shorts, Stories.
• 4:5 (Slightly tall). Typically used for Feed posts.
• 1:1 (Square). Typically used for Feed posts, older placements.
• 16:9 (Wide, like a TV). Typically used for YouTube, websites.

Platforms update their rules over time, so check the current guidance for each placement before you export. The shapes above are the common ones.

9:16: the full-screen shape

This fills a phone. It is where most short video lives now. Because it fills the whole screen, text and faces need to sit away from the edges where buttons and captions from the app can cover them.

4:5 and 1:1: the feed shapes

In the feed, people scroll quickly past a smaller frame. The subject needs to be clear at a glance, and the first second matters even more. Square works, but 4:5 takes up more of the screen.

16:9: the wide shape

Good for YouTube and for your own website. Wide frames give room for scenes and context, so the pacing can be a little slower.

Why cropping is not enough

Taking a wide video and cutting it down to a tall frame often chops off the subject, hides your text, or leaves the key moment off to the side. It runs, but it feels wrong, and people feel that.

A proper re-cut means:

• Re-framing so the subject stays in view
• Moving text and captions into the safe area
• Sometimes changing the pacing or the order of shots
• Checking the opening works in that shape

Same footage, different edit.

A simple export plan

1. Decide where the ad will run.
2. Edit the main version in the shape of your biggest placement.
3. Re-cut the others from the original footage, not from the finished edit.
4. Check each one on a real phone before it goes live.

Checklist

• Subject stays in frame in every shape
• Captions are readable and not under app buttons
• The opening works on its own in each shape
• I tested each file on a phone

Summary

• 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 4:5 and 1:1 for the feed, 16:9 for YouTube.
• Cropping runs, but a re-cut feels right.
• Always re-cut from the original footage and check on a phone.