Meta ads 9:16 vs 4:5: which size, and how to make both from one video

Step by step

1. Step 1

   Know where each size runs

   9:16 is for Instagram and Facebook Reels and Stories, where the video fills the screen. 4:5 is the tallest size the feeds show, so it is the best size for Facebook and Instagram feed placements. If you upload only a 9:16 video, Meta crops it for the feed and may cut off a caption or the product. If you upload only 4:5, it can run in Reels and Stories but doesn't fill the screen. Uploading both is the safest choice.

2. Step 2

   Generate or shoot in 9:16 first

   Start with the tallest version, because you can always crop a 4:5 copy from 9:16, but not the other way round. In an AI video generator, choose 9:16 (VIVID's default for video) and say "vertical 9:16, handheld smartphone UGC style" in the description so the framing looks like a phone video.

3. Step 3

   Keep the face, product and captions in the middle 4:5

   A 4:5 crop from a 9:16 video keeps about the middle 70% of the height and loses roughly 15% at the top and bottom. Frame the person's face and the product in that middle area: describe a medium shot or a close-up rather than a full-body shot, and avoid the product sitting at the very bottom of the frame. In the prompt, phrases like "medium close-up, product held at chest height" help.

4. Step 4

   Leave room for Meta's buttons in Reels and Stories

   In Reels and Stories, Meta places the profile name, caption, and call-to-action button over the top and bottom of the video. Meta's safe-zone guides suggest keeping roughly the top 14% and the bottom 20–35% free of text and logos. Put captions in the middle third, which also happens to be inside the 4:5 area, so one caption position works for both sizes.

5. Step 5

   Crop the 4:5 copy

   Any editor can do this: in CapCut, set the canvas to 4:5 and keep the video centred. With ffmpeg, one command makes a centre crop without re-recording the sound: ffmpeg -i ad-9x16.mp4 -vf "crop=iw:iw*5/4" -c:a copy ad-4x5.mp4. A 1080×1920 video becomes 1080×1350; VIVID's 720p vertical video (768×1344) becomes 768×960. Watch the cropped copy once to check nothing important got cut.

6. Step 6

   Upload both in one ad

   In Ads Manager, when you create the ad, use the option to customize the media for each placement: give the 4:5 version to the feeds and the 9:16 version to Stories and Reels. Both versions then share the same results, so you test the idea, not the size. Turn on the AI label if the video is AI-generated and looks realistic.

Examples made this way

Each of these was generated from a single text prompt, sound included. Open one to see the full prompt.

Tips for testing

• Make the first 2 seconds work without sound and without the top and bottom of the frame: a face or the product in the middle, with a short caption.
• Don't test 9:16 against 4:5 as two separate ads. Use both sizes in one ad and test hooks instead; the size is a placement detail, not an idea.
• If a video was made in 16:9, don't just crop it to 9:16: you lose most of the frame. Remake it vertical instead.
• Check the feed preview in Ads Manager before publishing. It shows exactly what the 4:5 crop and the overlays will cover.

What it costs

With VIVID you pay per generation: a 5-second 480p clip is about $0.045–$0.10, a 15-second 720p clip about $0.45–$1.00, and an ad image about $0.015–$0.033. Credit packs from $1, one-time, no subscription. New accounts get 10 free credits — enough for about 3 short clips or 10 images — and failed generations are refunded automatically. Live prices are on the pricing page.

Need the script first? The free UGC ad script generator writes five hooks, a timed 15/30-second script and a video prompt from your product details, no sign-up needed.

FAQ