YouTube Shorts Ad Specs: Size, Length and Copy Limits
YouTube Shorts ads work best as vertical 9:16 videos, and Google recommends 1080x1920 pixels for HD. The video must be uploaded to YouTube as public or unlisted, can run up to 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed. The ad uses your channel name and a description of up to 90 characters.
Checked October 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
A Shorts ad is not a separate file type. It is a YouTube video, used in a Google Ads campaign, that is shown in the vertical Shorts feed. That means the specs come from two places: the Shorts ad guidance (shape, length, description) and the campaign asset tables (pixel size, file format, minimum length). This guide puts both in one table, with the official Google Help page for each line, and then walks through making a video that fits.
| Spec | Official guidance | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | Vertical 9:16 is best suited for Shorts | Make the main version vertical. Horizontal and square videos are supported but are not the first choice. |
| Horizontal videos | Serve with blurred top and bottom in the vertical Shorts experience | A landscape ad still runs, but it fills only part of the screen. |
| Recommended HD size (9:16 video) | 1080x1920 pixels | Export the vertical video at this size. |
| Video file format | MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4) | Use an MPEG-4 export from your editor. |
| Max video file size | 256 GB | File size is rarely the limit for a short ad. |
| Where the video lives | Uploaded to YouTube, public or unlisted | Upload it to your channel before you build the ad. |
| Maximum length | Up to 3 minutes; only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed | Put the whole message in the first minute. An overlay at 50 seconds offers the rest on the watch page. |
| Minimum length | 5 seconds; under 10 seconds is not eligible for YouTube In-stream | If the same video should also run in-stream, make it at least 10 seconds. |
| Suggested lengths | 10-30 seconds for action-oriented ads; 6-60 seconds for Video Reach; 10-60 seconds for other campaign types | Pick the length from the campaign goal, not from habit. |
| Name and description | Advertiser's channel name and description, description limited to 90 characters | Write a short line. Text beyond 1 line on mobile, or 2 lines on desktop and TV, is cut off. |
| Demand Gen text on Shorts | Headlines, long headlines and descriptions can each be used as the ad description | Every text asset in a Demand Gen ad must read well on its own. |
| Vertical 9:16 image (Demand Gen) | Min. 600x1067, recommended 1080x1920; .jpg or .png, max 5 MB | Applies to image assets, which can also be shown on Shorts in Demand Gen. |
YouTube Shorts Ad Specs: Size, Length and Copy Limits
Choose the campaign type and length first
The length guidance depends on the goal. For an action-oriented ad, Google suggests 10 to 30 second vertical videos. Video Reach campaigns can use 6 to 60 seconds, and other types such as Video Action, App and Performance Max campaigns can use 10 to 60 seconds. Decide this before you write the script, so you are not cutting a long video down later.
Plan the video as vertical 9:16
Set your project to a 9:16 canvas at 1080x1920 pixels. Frame the product and any on-screen words for a tall phone screen from the start. If you only have a horizontal video, it can still serve, but it will show with blurred bars above and below, so a vertical edit is the better option when you can make one.
Put the message inside the first 60 seconds
Even though a Shorts ad video can run up to 3 minutes, only the first 60 seconds play in the feed, and an overlay appears at 50 seconds pointing to the watch page. Show the product, the offer and the call to action early. Keep it to at least 5 seconds, and to at least 10 seconds if you want the same video to be eligible for in-stream.
Export, upload to YouTube and write the description
Export an MPEG-4 file and upload it to your YouTube channel as public or unlisted. The ad shows your channel name, so check it is the brand name people know. Write a description of up to 90 characters and read it as a single line, because on mobile the text past 1 line is cut off.
Check the result, then add it to your campaign
Before you add the video in Google Ads, open it on a phone and check the first seconds, the framing and the text. The free Aspect Ratio Calculator confirms that your export is 9:16, and the free YouTube Ad Mockup previews an in-feed version of the same ad. If you need to make the video itself, Infinall AI can create one on the Pro plan (see the section below), but you still run the ad in your own Google Ads account.
YouTube Shorts ad size
The size to use for a Shorts video ad is 9:16 vertical, and Google's recommended HD pixel size for that shape is 1080x1920. Google states that vertical 9:16 videos are best suited for the Shorts format and deliver better performance than landscape assets. Horizontal and square videos are also supported, but in the Shorts feed a horizontal video is shown with a blurred top and bottom.
If you also run image assets in a Demand Gen campaign, the vertical 9:16 image has its own spec: a minimum of 600x1067, a recommended 1080x1920, in .jpg or .png, up to 5 MB. Google notes that safe zones for 9:16 images are similar to 9:16 videos, so check your words and logos against the video ad safe zones linked from that Google page.
YouTube Shorts ad copy specs
A Shorts ad does not have a long block of text. It uses the advertiser's channel name and description, and the description is limited to 90 characters. Text that runs beyond 1 line on mobile, or 2 lines on desktop and TV, is cut off. In practice, the first words of the description carry the message, so lead with the offer or the product name.
In a Demand Gen campaign shown on Shorts, Google treats headlines, long headlines and descriptions equally and can use any of them as the ad description. That means each text asset should make sense alone, with no line that only works after another one. Because the video itself does most of the talking, put the call to action on screen as well as in the text.
YouTube Shorts video ad specs: length and file
Video ads in Shorts can be up to 3 minutes long, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed, and Google recommends ads of under 60 seconds to match how people watch Shorts. The minimum video length in the Demand Gen asset table is 5 seconds, and videos under 10 seconds are not eligible for YouTube In-stream. The supported format is MPG (MPEG-2 or MPEG-4) and the maximum file size is 256 GB.
The video must be uploaded to YouTube before you can use it as an ad. You can set it as public or unlisted. Upload and check the video on YouTube before you open Google Ads.
Where Infinall AI fits, and where it does not
Infinall AI can make the creative for a Shorts ad. On the Pro plan, video lets you set the length (1 to 180 seconds), the shape and the number of versions, and you can pick a platform to start from a preset. A story ad in Infinall is always 9:16. Free accounts see an upgrade prompt for video. Video uses credits, and you see the exact price before you confirm.
Infinall does not buy media for you, and it does not set up a Google Ads campaign. You upload the finished video to YouTube and choose it in Google Ads yourself. If you already have a video editor you like and only need the specs, the table above is all you need: any tool that exports a 9:16 MPEG-4 file at 1080x1920 will do.
Frequently asked questions
What size should a YouTube Shorts ad be?
Vertical 9:16, with 1080x1920 pixels recommended for HD video. Horizontal and square videos are supported, but horizontal ones show with a blurred top and bottom in Shorts.
How long can a YouTube Shorts ad be?
Up to 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed. Google recommends under 60 seconds, and 10 to 30 seconds for action-oriented ads.
Do I need to upload my Shorts ad to YouTube?
Yes. The video must be uploaded to YouTube, set as public or unlisted, before you can use it in a Shorts ad.
How many characters can a Shorts ad description have?
Up to 90 characters. Text beyond 1 line on mobile, or 2 lines on desktop and TV, is cut off, so put the important words first.
Can a video under 10 seconds run as a Shorts ad?
The minimum length in the Demand Gen asset table is 5 seconds. Videos under 10 seconds are not eligible for YouTube In-stream, so make the video 10 seconds or longer if it should run there too.
Sources and checks
Every price, rating and number on this page comes from the source pages below, checked October 2026. Prices and plans change often, so confirm on the vendor's own page before you buy.
- Google Ads Help: YouTube Shorts ads, asset specs and best practices, checked October 2026
- Google Ads Help: Demand Gen campaign creative, asset specifications, checked October 2026
- Google Ads Help: video assets specifications and ad format guidelines, checked October 2026
- Infinall AI: length, shape, quality and versions, checked October 2026
- Infinall AI: platforms, file types and sizes, checked October 2026