What Are the Creative Advertising Specs and Placeholders for Digital Campaigns?

This guide outlines the required specifications for creative assets across display, social, video, audio, and streaming platforms. Following these specs helps ensure your ads display correctly and perform well.

Display Ad Specs

Standard display banner sizes:

• Mobile Banner: 320 x 50 px
• Leaderboard: 728 x 90 px
• Wide Skyscraper: 160 x 600 px
• Medium Rectangle: 300 x 250 px
• Half-Page Skyscraper: 300 x 600 px
• Billboard: 970 x 250 px
• Mobile Full-Page Interstitial (Portrait): 320 x 480 px
• Mobile Full-Page Interstitial (Landscape): 480 x 320 px
• Tablet Full-Page Interstitial (Portrait): 768 x 1024 px
• Tablet Full-Page Interstitial (Landscape): 1024 x 768 px

Additional requirements:

• Accepted file formats: JPG, PNG, GIF, or HTML5
• Optimal file size: 150 KB
• Resolution: Minimum 72 ppi (pixels per inch); 144 ppi recommended

For more information on rich media creative guidelines, see this article.

Facebook and Instagram Ad Specs

• 1200 x 628 px (Facebook placements)
• 1080 x 1080 px (Instagram and Facebook placements)
• 1080 x 1920 px (Instagram and Facebook Stories & Reels)
• Image format: JPG or PNG
• Video format: MP4

Ad text requirements:

• Primary Text (required): 125 characters recommended (up to 1,000)
• Headline (required): 40 characters recommended (up to 225)
• Description (optional): 30 characters recommended (up to 500)

LinkedIn Ad Specs

Design Recommendations

• File type: JPG, PNG, or GIF
• File size: Up to 5 MB
• Image ratios:
  • 1.91:1 (horizontal, desktop and mobile)
  • 1:1 (square, desktop and mobile)
  • 1:1.91 (vertical, mobile only)

Text Recommendations

• Ad Name (optional): Up to 255 characters
• Headline: Up to 70 characters
• Introductory Text: Up to 150 characters
• Description (LinkedIn Audience Network only): Up to 70 characters

Technical Requirements

• File type: JPG, PNG, or GIF
• File size: Up to 5 MB

Image Dimensions

• Horizontal/Landscape: 640 x 360 px minimum, 7680 x 4320 px maximum; recommended 1200 x 628 px (1.91:1)
• Square: 360 x 360 px minimum, 4320 x 4320 px maximum; recommended 1200 x 1200 px (1:1)
• Vertical: 360 x 640 px minimum, 2430 x 4320 px maximum; recommended 628 x 1200 px (1:1.91), 600 x 900 px (2:3), 720 x 900 px (4:5)

Call-to-Action Options

• Apply
• Download
• View Quote
• Learn More
• Sign Up
• Subscribe
• Register
• Join
• Attend
• Request Demo

URL Requirements

• Landing page URL: Required
• URL prefix: http:// or https://
• URL length: Up to 2,000 characters

YouTube Video Ad Specs

• Resolution: 1080p (Full HD)
• Recommended pixels:
  • 1920 x 1080 px (horizontal)
  • 1080 x 1920 px (vertical)
  • 1080 x 1080 px (square)
• Aspect ratios:
  • 16:9 for horizontal
  • 9:16 for vertical
  • 1:1 for square
• Accepted formats: MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4), WMV, AVI, MOV, FLV, MPEG-1, MP4, MPEGPS, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm, HEVC (H.265)
• File size: Up to 256 GB

Connected TV/OTT Video Ad Specs

• Resolution:
  • 1280 x 720 px (720p)
  • 1920 x 1080 px (1080p)
• Duration: 15 or 30 seconds recommended (60 seconds maximum; non-standard durations may have limited reach)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• File format: MP4
• File size: Up to 1 GB

Tip: To confirm a 16:9 aspect ratio, divide the width by the height. If the result is 1.77, the video is 16:9. For example, 2560 ÷ 1440 = 1.77.

Programmatic Audio Ad Specs

• Supported file formats: OGG, MP3, MP4, WAV, FLAC, AAC
• Companion banner: 300 x 250 px (JPG, PNG, GIF; up to 700 KB)
• API framework: VAST 2.0+ supported
• Max file size: Under 500 MB (smaller is better)
• Bit rate: 128–160 Kbps recommended (max 320 Kbps; publisher dependent)
• Duration: 15 or 30 seconds recommended for widest inventory access

Spotify Audio Ad Specs

• File type: MP3, OGG, or WAV (OGG required for programmatic)
• Duration: Up to 30 seconds
• File size: 1 MB (up to 500 MB for private marketplace and programmatic)
• Companion banner: 640 x 640 px (JPEG or PNG; 1:1 aspect ratio)
• Sample rate: 44.1 kHz (audio with an incorrect sample rate may play at the wrong speed)
• Bit rate: 192 Kbps (important for high-quality audio)
• Stereo: Recommended for best sound quality and spatial mixing
• Overall loudness: -16 LUFS (integrated average, ±1.5 LUFS) with a True Peak limit of -2.0 dBTP

Keeping volume and quality consistent helps prevent listener disruption and improves ad engagement.

Creative Asset Placeholders

Below are sample images for common display ad sizes. Use these as placeholders when designing your creative assets:

Leaderboard (728 x 90 px)

Big Box (300 x 250 px)

Skyscraper (160 x 600 px)

For any additional questions or support, please contact the SoCast team.