Design a vertical ad people can actually read.

Start with the placement

A vertical canvas is a starting point, not a complete delivery specification. Decide where the ad will appear before composing the important information. A Reel, a feed placement and a Story do not share an identical viewing interface.

TikTok's creative guidance recommends vertical 9:16 content with key material kept inside the UI safe zone. Meta's Reels guidance also emphasizes vertical creative and safe-zone placement. Check the platform's current instructions for the exact placement rather than treating one export as universally ready.

Give the product room to breathe

Keep the action easy to recognize at phone size. A hand, bottle or face may need a different crop in a tall frame than in a wide one. Choose the focal point before adding captions or a logo.

Leave room around important details. Avoid composing a product label against the very edge and hoping the platform interface will leave it visible. Safe-zone dimensions can vary with the placement and interface.

Treat captions as part of the composition

Read the captions on a phone-sized preview, not only on a large editing monitor. Keep lines short enough to follow, use clear contrast and give the viewer enough time to read them.

Do not place the caption directly over the product detail the scene is meant to explain. Adjust the crop, the timing or the position so the words and the visual work together instead of competing.

A useful review pass\nWatch at phone size.\nCheck the first line, product label and final CTA.\nPreview the intended placement's interface.\nConfirm the current export requirements.PUT THE IDEA TO WORK

Bring your product and intended placement into the brief.

Opens the Agent editor preview. No automatic generation.

Preview the destination, not just the file

Check the actual placement preview before publishing. Inspect the opening, captions, logo and closing CTA with the platform interface in place. Also confirm that the offer and destination match what the video promises.

This is a framing checklist, not a performance guarantee or a universal specification sheet. Use the official platform references below when preparing the final delivery.

Platform references

Check the current guidance for your exact placement before delivery.

Practical notes on planning, shaping and reviewing product creative.

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• TikTok: creative best practices ↗
• Meta: Instagram and Facebook Reels ads ↗