Instagram advertising offers some of the highest visual real estate in digital marketing, but only if your images are optimized for the right format. Using the wrong image size can result in cropped ads, rejected uploads, or blurry creative. This guide covers every Instagram ad format and its exact image requirements so your campaigns launch without issues.

Instagram Feed Ad Image Sizes

Feed ads appear in the main Instagram scroll and are the most common ad format:

Square (1:1): 1080 x 1080 px — the universal safe choice. Displays the same on all devices and is never cropped.
Landscape (1.91:1): 1200 x 628 px — matches the Open Graph image format. Good for repurposing website hero images.
Portrait (4:5): 1080 x 1350 px — takes up the most screen real estate in the feed, leading to higher engagement. The 4:5 ratio is the recommended default for feed ads.

File formats: JPG or PNG. Maximum file size: 30 MB. Minimum image width: 500 px.

Instagram Stories Ad Sizes

Stories ads run between organic Stories and are displayed full-screen:

Recommended size: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16 vertical)
Minimum size: 500 x 889 px
Safe zone: Keep all text and logos in the center 1080 x 1420 px area. The top 250 px is occupied by the user's handle and the bottom 250 px by the call-to-action button. Avoid placing critical content in these regions.
Format: JPG, PNG, or MP4 (video). Maximum image size: 30 MB.

Instagram Reels Ad Sizes

Reels ads run between organic Reels content:

Recommended size: 1080 x 1920 px (9:16 vertical)
Safe zone: The bottom 35% of the video can be covered by the Reels UI (music credits, caption, action buttons). Keep your core message in the top 60% of the frame.
Image-as-Reels: You can use a still image as a Reels ad. It will be displayed as a static frame for 3–15 seconds with a subtle animation applied by Instagram.

Instagram Carousel Ad Sizes

Carousel ads contain 2–10 cards that users can swipe through:

Square: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1) — required if mixing images and video in the same carousel
Landscape: 1080 x 566 px (1.91:1)
All cards must use the same aspect ratio: You cannot mix square and landscape cards in the same carousel.
Maximum cards: 10 cards per carousel

Instagram Explore Ad Sizes

Explore ads appear in the Explore grid and in the Explore feed when a user taps a post:

Same sizes as feed ads (1080 x 1080, 1080 x 1350, or 1200 x 628 px)
Explore ads use the same creative as feed ads — you do not need separate assets

Text in Instagram Ad Images

Meta's old "20% text rule" was officially retired in 2021, but best practices still apply:

Images with heavy text coverage may have reduced delivery and higher CPMs
Keep text to under 20% of the image area for best reach
Use a minimum font size of 20 px in the source image (40 px recommended)
High-contrast text (white on dark, or dark on light) performs better than low-contrast

Preparing Ad Images at the Right Size

For the most versatile setup, create your Instagram ad images at 1080 x 1350 px (4:5) for feed ads — this format also works well when cropped to 1080 x 1080 (1:1) and 1080 x 1920 (9:16) for Stories, giving you flexibility from a single source file.

Use Picovert's image resizer to set exact pixel dimensions,the crop tool to adjust the framing to the right aspect ratio, and image compression to stay under the 30 MB limit while maximizing visual quality. JPG at quality 85 produces excellent results for Instagram ad images while keeping file sizes well under the limit.