Square, Wide or Tall: The Facebook Video Size Rules Meta Publishes

What size should a Facebook video be?

The Facebook video size Meta supports through its Video API is a 9x16 or 16x9 frame, and Meta's Help Centre adds a width ceiling of 4000 pixels for video exported from editing software. Those are the two shape rules Meta publishes for regular videos posted to a Page. Neither page gives a recommended pixel size.

The Video API reference, under Video Specifications, reads: "Aspect Ratio: 9x16, 16x9." The Help Centre article "Settings recommended to use when adding an edited video to Facebook" recommends "An aspect ratio no larger than 4000px wide and divisible by 16px."

Pixel sizes do appear elsewhere in Meta's documentation, tied to specific routes:

Route	Aspect ratio	Resolution	File size	Meta source
Page video, Video API	9x16 or 16x9	Not published	Not published	Video API reference
Video posted in the app	Any, since the 2025 reels change	Under 4000 pixels wide, divisible by 16	Not published	Help Centre, creators blog
Reel, Reels Publishing API	9 x 16	1080 x 1920 recommended, 540 x 960 minimum	Not published	Reels Publishing API
Video story, Stories API	9 x 16	1080 x 1920 recommended, 540 x 960 minimum	Not published	Facebook Stories API
Feed video ad	4:5 recommended	1440 x 1800 recommended, 120 x 120 minimum	4GB	Meta Ads Guide

The last row is the only one with a file size cap, and it covers ads, not organic posts.

Does Facebook still care about video shape?

Facebook does not restrict video shape for uploads in the app, because Meta moved every video to the reels format in 2025 and dropped its format limits. Meta's creators blog announced it on June 17, 2025: "Over the coming months, videos posted on Facebook will be shared as reels." The same post says "Facebook Reels won't have any length or format restrictions after this change," and calls the Reels tab "previously called the Video tab."

The shape rules that remain are in the APIs, which is the route a scheduling tool takes. The Video API names two ratios, 9x16 and 16x9. The Reels Publishing API names one, 9 x 16, and its error 1363040 widens that to a range: "Aspect ratios for videos need to be between 16x9 and 9x16."

So a square 1:1 or portrait 4:5 video sits inside the Reels error range but outside the two ratios the Video API reference lists. Meta does not say whether the Video API rejects them. Export at 16:9 or 9:16 when a video goes out through the API, and nothing in Meta's documentation stands against you.

Is 1920 x 1080 the right Facebook video size?

1920 x 1080 pixels is the right Facebook video size for a horizontal video, because it is 16x9, it is under the Help Centre's 4000 pixel width ceiling, and its width divides by 16. For a vertical video, 1080 x 1920 is the size Meta itself recommends in the Reels Publishing API and the Stories API.

Neither number appears in Meta's guidance for regular Page videos. They follow from the ratios Meta does list.

The divisible-by-16 line needs a closer read. Meta does not say which dimension it applies to. 1920 divides by 16, and so do 1280, 3840 and 2160. 1080 does not: 1080 divided by 16 is 67.5. A 1080-wide vertical frame therefore fails a strict reading of the Help Centre sentence, while Meta's own Reels and Stories APIs recommend exactly 1080 x 1920. Meta does not reconcile the two. Treat the Help Centre line as advice for custom export sizes, and use 1080 x 1920 for vertical video because Meta's APIs name it.

4K works under the same rules. A 3840 x 2160 horizontal export is under 4000 pixels wide and both sides divide by 16. For how 1080 x 1920 compares across Reels, TikTok and Shorts, see our guide to vertical video dimensions.

Why each export size passes

Horizontal 1920 x 108016x9, under 4000 pixels wide, and the width divides by 16

Vertical 1080 x 1920Named by the Reels and Stories APIs, though 1080 does not divide by 16

4K 3840 x 2160Under 4000 pixels wide, and both sides divide by 16

What file size limit does Facebook set for videos?

Meta publishes no file size limit for organic Facebook videos, either in the Help Centre or in the Video API documentation. The Page Videos reference mentions file size only as the file_size parameter, "The size of the entire video file in bytes," and in error 382, which fires when a file is too small: "The video file you tried to upload is too small. Please try again with a larger file."

The only current Meta cap we found is in the Ads Guide. Its Facebook Feed video spec lists "Video Duration: 1 second to 241 minutes" and "Maximum File Size: 4GB." Those figures belong to ads.

Without a published cap for Page videos, resolution, length and bitrate decide the file size. Lower the bitrate before you lower the resolution if an upload is slow.

Which codecs and frame rate should a Facebook video use?

A Facebook video should use H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4 or MOV file, at 30fps or below, according to the Help Centre's export settings. The full list in "Settings recommended to use when adding an edited video to Facebook":

• Codec and container. "H.264 video with AAC audio in MOV or MP4 format."
• Width. "An aspect ratio no larger than 4000px wide and divisible by 16px."
• Frame rate. "A frame rate at, or below, 30fps."
• Audio. "Stereo audio with a sample rate of 44,100Hz."
• Container. "Videos should not contain edit lists or special boxes in file containers."

The Video API reference sets audio a little differently: AAC at 48 kHz, stereo or mono, "up to 256 kbps." Both are standard AAC rates, and Meta gives no reason for the difference. The Reels and Stories APIs accept 24 to 60 frames per second, so a 60fps export is fine for a reel and above the Help Centre's advice for a regular video. Facebook accepts 30 file formats in all, from 3g2 to wmv, and the Help Centre says "We recommend using the MP4 or MOV format."

What size should a Facebook video thumbnail be?

A Facebook video thumbnail should have the same aspect ratio as the video and stay under 10MB, which is what Meta's Video Thumbnails reference states. The two lines read: "Maximum thumbnail file size 10MB" and "We recommend that you use thumbnails with the same aspect ratio as the video."

That makes the thumbnail size follow the video. A 1920 x 1080 video takes a 1920 x 1080 thumbnail, and a 1080 x 1920 video takes a 1080 x 1920 one. The same reference notes that "Thumbnails can only be created on Videos that have been associated with a Page."

How do you export a Facebook video at the right size?

Export a Facebook video at the right size by choosing one of the two ratios the Video API lists, then matching the Help Centre's codec settings. This sequence covers both pages:

1. Pick 16:9 or 9:16. Use 1920 x 1080 for horizontal video and 1080 x 1920 for vertical.
2. Stay under 4000 pixels wide. 4K at 3840 x 2160 passes.
3. Export H.264 video with AAC audio in MP4. MOV also works.
4. Set the frame rate to 30fps. It meets the Help Centre's ceiling and the API range for reels.
5. Turn off edit lists. Meta asks for no edit lists or special boxes in the container.
6. Make the thumbnail at the video's ratio, under 10MB.
7. Keep text away from the edges in vertical video. Our guide to social media safe zones maps the areas Facebook's interface covers.

For the in-app steps to post a vertical clip, see how to post reels on Facebook.

How does AdaptlyPost handle Facebook video size?

AdaptlyPost schedules native Facebook videos to connected Pages, and it does not resize uploaded media, so each video has to be uploaded at the size and format Facebook requires. In the Facebook post scheduler, you upload the video, add a caption and pick a publish time. The composer offers Video and Story as the Facebook post types for a video.

Over the API, facebookConfigs.postType takes FEED, REEL or STORY, and videoTitle takes a title of up to 255 characters. Uploads accept video/mp4 and video/quicktime. For the thumbnail, Facebook takes an uploaded image through AdaptlyPost, not a frame picked from the video, so make it at the video's ratio as Meta recommends. Bulk scheduling takes MP4, MOV or WebM files up to 1GB each, between 3 seconds and 5 minutes. A 1920 x 1080 MP4 at 30fps fits a regular Page video, and a 1080 x 1920 MP4 at 30fps also fits a Reel or a Story, which Meta's APIs take only at 9 x 16. For where a published video can travel next, see sharing videos on Facebook.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Facebook video size?

1920 x 1080 pixels for horizontal video and 1080 x 1920 for vertical. Meta's Video API lists 16x9 and 9x16 as its two ratios, and its Reels and Stories APIs recommend 1080 x 1920. Meta gives no recommended pixel size for regular Page videos.

What aspect ratio does Facebook use for videos?

The Video API reference lists 9x16 and 16x9. Videos posted in the app have had no format restrictions since Meta moved all videos to reels in 2025. Reels through the API need 9 x 16.

What is the maximum file size for a Facebook video?

Meta publishes no file size cap for organic Facebook videos. The only current cap we found is 4GB, for Facebook Feed video ads in the Meta Ads Guide. Resolution, length and bitrate decide the size of an organic upload.

Can I upload 4K video to Facebook?

Yes. A 3840 x 2160 video is under the Help Centre's 4000 pixel width ceiling, and both sides divide by 16. Use H.264 and AAC in MP4 and keep the frame rate at 30fps or below.

What frame rate should a Facebook video use?

30fps. The Help Centre recommends "a frame rate at, or below, 30fps" for edited video. The Reels and Stories APIs accept 24 to 60 frames per second.

What size should a Facebook video thumbnail be?

The same aspect ratio as the video, under 10MB. Meta's Video Thumbnails reference says "We recommend that you use thumbnails with the same aspect ratio as the video." A 1920 x 1080 video takes a 1920 x 1080 thumbnail.

Can I post a square video on Facebook?

Videos posted in the app have had no format restrictions since Meta moved all videos to reels in 2025. Through the API, the Video API reference lists only 9x16 and 16x9, and Meta does not say whether it rejects 1:1. Export at 16:9 or 9:16 when a video goes out through the API.

What video format does Facebook accept?

Facebook accepts 30 file formats in all, from 3g2 to wmv. The Help Centre recommends H.264 video with AAC audio in MP4 or MOV.

Does Facebook have a video length limit?

Meta's creators blog says Facebook Reels won't have any length or format restrictions after the 2025 change. Through the Reels Publishing API, a reel runs 3 to 90 seconds. Meta's Ads Guide lists 1 second to 241 minutes for Feed video ads. AdaptlyPost bulk scheduling takes files between 3 seconds and 5 minutes.

Does AdaptlyPost resize Facebook videos?

AdaptlyPost does not resize uploaded media, so each video has to be uploaded at the size and format Facebook requires. A 1920 x 1080 MP4 at 30fps fits a regular Page video, and a 1080 x 1920 MP4 at 30fps also fits a Reel or a Story. Bulk scheduling takes files up to 1GB each.