UniqueizerPROTikTok ad creative specs: format, length, audio
Half the trouble with TikTok Ads is not moderation. It is horizontal footage, black bars, a muted track, captions hidden behind the interface. Here is what the file should look like, and what to do when one video is not enough.
Vertical 9:16, aim for 1080×1920, MP4 or MOV, audio always on, and no warm-up in the first three seconds. Letterboxed video repurposed from horizontal is the most common reason for weak results.
Aspect ratio: vertical only
TikTok is a full-screen feed. A 16:9 video fills about a third of the height and the rest gets padded with black or a blurred backdrop. It is allowed, but the click-through rate is rarely good: it reads as borrowed from somewhere else and the thumb keeps moving.
- 9:16 — the working format, fills the screen;
- 1:1 — accepted, but gives up area and attention;
- 16:9 — only as a deliberate choice, for example a desktop product.
Resolution, weight, container
| Parameter | Working reference | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080×1920 | Lower looks soft on a phone, higher only adds weight |
| Ratio | 9:16 | Full screen, no bars |
| Container | MP4 or MOV | Both are accepted, MP4 behaves more predictably |
| Codec | H.264 | Universal, no surprises on re-encode |
| Length | 9–34 seconds for a test | Short gets watched through, long fits a complex offer |
| Audio | required | The feed plays with sound, silence reads as a fault |
The first three seconds decide
There is no warm-up on TikTok. A logo, an intro card or a slow push-in and most viewers never reach the offer. A practical move: start from the frame that sits at second seven of the original and drop the intro entirely.
A hook does not have to be another video. Usually it is the same footage with a different entry point, a different opening line or different on-screen text. That is why testing hooks is cheapest with variants of one video rather than a reshoot.
Safe area: what the interface covers
- keep roughly the bottom 20% of the height clear;
- leave the right-hand strip for the icon column;
- put the key message in the upper half.
Captions
A large share of the audience watches without sound even when the feed is audible. Captions almost always lift completion. They also make two similar videos genuinely different files, because the burned-in text changes the pixels.
How to get several usable versions in one pass
- Upload the sourceOne video, up to 100 MB.
- Pick 9:16 and a change levelLow is barely visible, High changes the file noticeably.
- Turn on the hook packFive versions of the opening seconds from one video.
- Set the filename templategeo_offer_hook_v3, so the report stays readable.
- Download the ZIPA batch instead of a single file.
More on choosing the entry point in the article about the first three seconds.
Questions people ask
Which format is required for TikTok Ads?
None is strictly required, the platform accepts several. But full-screen 9:16 performs noticeably better: horizontal video occupies a third of the screen and loses attention.
How long should an ad video be?
For a test, 9 to 34 seconds. Short videos get watched through; a complex offer needs more room. The practical move is several lengths from one source.
Are captions necessary?
Almost always. Part of the audience watches muted, and burned-in text also makes one file clearly different from another.
What if a creative burns out in two days?
That is normal on TikTok. Prepare a batch of variants in advance and rotate on a schedule rather than after the numbers drop.