Safe zones for Reels, Stories and TikTok: what the interface covers
Published by the UTM Builder team at Limner.
For Reels ads, the Meta Ads Guide recommends keeping at least 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side free of text, logos and key elements. Those strips are where the profile, the caption and the call-to-action button sit.
In pixels
The same guide recommends a 9:16 aspect ratio at 1440 × 2560 px. A lot of creative is still produced at 1080 × 1920; the math works for both:
| Canvas | Top 14% | Bottom 35% | Each side 6% | Usable area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1440 × 2560 | 358 px | 896 px | 86 px | 1267 × 1306 px |
| 1080 × 1920 | 269 px | 672 px | 65 px | 950 × 979 px |
The usable area is almost square: text and offers that fit in a square in the middle of the screen stay clear of the interface.
Stories, TikTok and Shorts
These percentages are for Reels. On Stories, TikTok and YouTube Shorts, the interface covers different strips and changes with every app update. Use the Reels numbers as a starting point and check against the actual ad preview in each platform’s ads manager before you approve the creative.
Before you send the creative
- Main text and offer inside the usable area.
- Logo away from the bottom: that’s where the profile name, the caption and the button sit.
- Nothing important along the right edge, where the like, comment and share buttons sit.
- Preview it on a phone, not just on a computer.