The Pinterest Video Size for Organic Pins and Video Ads

What is the Pinterest video size for a video Pin?

Pinterest sets the recommended Pinterest video size for an organic video Pin at 1080 x 1920 pixels, a 9:16 frame that fills the screen. The Review Pin specs article on Pinterest's help centre puts it under Video Pin specs: "For full-bleed videos (or videos that take up the entire screen), we recommend using a 9:16 ratio or 1080x1920 pixel size. Other options include: 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, or 1:1."

That page covers the Pins you create and publish to boards. Pinterest keeps a second page, Review ad specs, for promoted video, and the two use different rules.

Spec	Organic video Pin	Standard width video ad
Recommended size	1080 x 1920 (9:16)	Not given in pixels
Aspect ratios	9:16, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 1:1	Shorter than 1:2, taller than 1.91:1
File type	.MP4, .M4V on web; .MP4, .MOV, .M4V in the apps	.MP4, .MOV or .M4V
Encoding	H.264 or H.265	H.264 or H.265
Max file size	Not listed	Up to 2GB
Length	4 seconds to 5 minutes	4 seconds to 15 minutes

The length row disagrees between the two pages. A video between 4 seconds and 5 minutes meets both, so cut to that window if you are not sure which rule applies to your Pin.

Does Pinterest publish a file size limit for video Pins?

Pinterest publishes no file size limit for organic video Pins. The Review Pin specs page gives image Pins a "Max file size" row, "Web: 20 MB maximum," and leaves that row out of the video table entirely. The only video file size figures Pinterest prints are in the ad specs:

• Standard width and max. width video ads. "Up to 2GB."
• Idea ads. "Android and iOS: 2GB max" and "Web: 100MB max," with "1 GB recommended."
• Showcase and quiz ads. "Up to 32MB."

Treat 2 GB as the working ceiling for any video Pin, and stay under 100 MB if you upload from a browser and plan to promote the Pin as an Idea ad. A one-minute 1080 x 1920 video at 8 Mbps is 60 MB, which clears the 2 GB and 100 MB caps and not the 32 MB cap for showcase and quiz ads.

Which aspect ratio should a Pinterest video use?

A Pinterest video should use 9:16, because it is the ratio Pinterest recommends for organic Pins and it sits inside the ad range as well. Pinterest's ad table describes the standard width range as "Shorter than 1:2 (width:height), taller than 1.91:1" and adds: "We recommend making your videos square (1:1) or vertical (2:3, 4:5, or 9:16)."

Read as numbers, that range runs from a frame twice as tall as it is wide to a landscape frame 1.91 times wider than it is tall. 9:16 is 0.56, inside the range. The organic page also lists 1:2 as an option, while the ad table asks for a video shorter than 1:2, so a 1:2 export is the one shape that meets the organic list and sits on the edge of the ad rule. Use 9:16 or 2:3 and both pages agree.

9:16 also decides one setting. Pinterest's guide to creating a Pin says the video download option "only applies to full-screen (or 9:16) video Pins," and a downloaded full-screen video Pin carries "a watermark of your username" at the bottom.

The max. width video ad is the exception. It is paid only, and its rule is that "Max. width videos cannot exceed the height of a 1:1 aspect ratio," so square or landscape footage fits it and vertical footage does not.

Where should text sit in a Pinterest video?

Text in a Pinterest video should sit inside the safe zones Pinterest lists for video Pins: 270 px clear at the top, 65 px on the left, 195 px on the right and 790 px at the bottom. Pinterest's instruction is to "Put text and other elements within the dimensions below so users can easily see on any device when viewing."

On a 1080 x 1920 frame, those margins leave an 820 x 860 pixel area in the upper middle for captions, logos and calls to action. Idea ads use the same top, left and right margins and a smaller bottom margin of 440 px. For the same map across other networks, see social media safe zones.

What sizes do Pinterest video ads use?

Pinterest video ads use the size rules of their format, and only Idea, showcase and quiz ads give pixel dimensions. The Review ad specs page lists:

Ad format	Pixel size given	Aspect ratio	File size
Standard width video	None	1:2 to 1.91:1, square or vertical recommended	Up to 2GB
Max. width video	None	No taller than 1:1	Up to 2GB
Collections video hero	None	1:2 to 1.91:1, square or vertical recommended	Up to 2GB
Idea ad	1080x1920 (9:16)	"Aspect ratio is 9:16, but there are no restrictions for image or video"	2GB in the apps, 100MB on web
Showcase and quiz ads	1000 x 1500	2:3	Up to 32MB

Standard width video ads "Can be used in paid ad campaigns or to generate organic impressions," so the 2 GB rule covers video Pins built in PinBuilder for Ads or the bulk editor, promoted or not. Pinterest also prints a full codec table on that page, from AVC (H.264) and HEVC (H.265) to Apple ProRes inside QuickTime and VP8 or VP9 inside WebM. H.264 in an MP4 file is the safe choice, because MP4 is on every file type list Pinterest publishes.

Does the Pinterest API add its own video size rules?

The Pinterest API adds no video size rules of its own. Its "Create boards and Pins" guide describes a four-step upload that names the accepted file types and leaves dimensions and file size to the help centre specs:

1. Register the upload with POST /v5/media and a media_type of video. The response returns a media_id, an upload_url and upload_parameters.
2. Upload the .mp4, .mov or .m4v file as multipart/form-data to the upload_url, and "provide all of the upload_parameters you received in Step 1 as key-value pairs."
3. Check the upload with the media/get endpoint and continue once it returns a succeeded status.
4. Create the Pin with POST /v5/pins, a media_source of type video_id and a cover image. The guide warns: "A valid image url must be provided to avoid a 400 Bad Request."

Pinterest does not document which step rejects a file that breaks the help centre specs, or the error it returns. Check size, ratio and codec before step 1. If a Pin goes missing after upload, the causes worth ruling out are in Pinterest Pins not publishing, and the write budget for those calls is in the Pinterest API rate limit.

Check before you upload

1

Frame. Export at 1080 x 1920, 9:16.

2

Length. Cut to between 4 seconds and 5 minutes.

3

File. Save as MP4 with H.264.

4

Text. Keep it inside the safe zones: 270 px top, 65 px left, 195 px right, 790 px bottom.

5

Weight. Stay under 2 GB, and under 100 MB for a browser upload you plan to promote as an Idea ad.

How does AdaptlyPost handle Pinterest video size?

AdaptlyPost publishes image, video and carousel Pins (2 to 5 items) to Pinterest boards, and it does not resize uploaded media, so each video has to be exported at the size Pinterest accepts before it is scheduled. Every Pin needs a board ID, the Pin title takes up to 100 characters, and a video Pin can use an uploaded image or a frame from the video as its thumbnail. The AdaptlyPost API accepts video uploads as video/mp4 or video/quicktime. You queue video Pins next to image Pins in the Pinterest post scheduler, and how to schedule Pinterest posts covers the timing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best size for a Pinterest video?

1080 x 1920 pixels at 9:16. Pinterest recommends that size for full-bleed video Pins on its Review Pin specs page. It also fits inside the aspect ratio range for standard video ads.

What aspect ratios does Pinterest accept for video Pins?

Pinterest lists 9:16 as recommended and 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5 and 1:1 as other options for organic video Pins. Standard video ads accept anything shorter than 1:2 and taller than 1.91:1. Max. width video ads cannot be taller than 1:1.

What is the maximum video file size on Pinterest?

Pinterest lists no file size cap for organic video Pins. Standard and max. width video ads accept up to 2 GB, Idea ads 2 GB in the apps and 100 MB on the web, and showcase and quiz ads 32 MB. Keep a video Pin under 2 GB.

Which video formats does Pinterest accept?

Organic video Pins accept .MP4 and .M4V on the web, and .MP4, .MOV and .M4V in the Android and iOS apps, encoded in H.264 or H.265. The API upload names .mp4, .mov and .m4v. Export MP4 with H.264 to meet every list.

Where should I put text in a Pinterest video?

Inside the safe zones: 270 px from the top, 65 px from the left, 195 px from the right and 790 px from the bottom. Pinterest lists those margins on its Pin specs page so that "users can easily see on any device when viewing." On a 1080 x 1920 frame, that leaves an 820 x 860 pixel area.

Does AdaptlyPost resize Pinterest videos?

No. AdaptlyPost does not resize uploaded media, so upload the video at 1080 x 1920 or another size Pinterest accepts. Its API accepts Pinterest video as mp4 or quicktime files.

How long can a Pinterest video be?

Organic video Pins run from 4 seconds to 5 minutes. Video ads run from 4 seconds to 15 minutes. A video between 4 seconds and 5 minutes meets both rules, so cut to that window if you are not sure.

What size is a Pinterest Idea ad video?

Pinterest lists Idea ads at 1080x1920 pixels, a 9:16 frame. File size is 2 GB max in the Android and iOS apps and 100 MB max on web, with 1 GB recommended. Idea ads use the same top, left and right text margins as video Pins and a smaller bottom margin of 440 px.

What size are Pinterest showcase and quiz ads?

Showcase and quiz ads use 1000 x 1500 pixels at 2:3, with files up to 32 MB. That is the tightest video file size cap in Pinterest's ad specs. A one-minute 1080 x 1920 video at 8 Mbps comes to 60 MB, so it does not fit.

Can I post a horizontal video on Pinterest?

Pinterest's list for organic video Pins has no landscape ratio, only 9:16, 1:2, 2:3, 3:4, 4:5 and 1:1. Standard width video ads accept frames up to 1.91:1, and max. width video ads fit square or landscape footage. For ads, Pinterest recommends square or vertical video.