TikTok Ad Formats and Specs Explained

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing social platforms in the world, especially for brands looking to grow their influence and reach. Find out how to use the different TikTok ad formats to your advantage.

Brands that want to advertise on TikTok have two options: hire influencers to promote their brands or try out TikTok’s unique ad formats. Though influencer marketing can be a good approach, targeted ads can result in viral content, which can elevate your brand to a whole new level.

There are five different TikTok ad formats that you should know about. Let’s discuss them one by one.

Table of Contents

• The 5 TikTok Ad Formats Explained
• TikTok TopView
• Full Page Brand Takeover Ads
• TikTok In-Feed Ads
• Branded Hashtag Challenge
• Branded Effects
• TikTok Ad Specs Round-up
• Which TikTok Ad Format Works Best for Your Brand?

The 5 TikTok Ad Formats Explained

1. TikTok TopView

TikTok TopView ads are the most popular option for brands and marketers. It’s a video-first format that showcases your creativity as soon as a user opens the app. They appear right at the top of the “For You” section. These ads can be up to 60 seconds in length, and usually appear after 3-5 seconds of opening the app.

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You can capture the user’s attention with an engaging narrative and sound design. The video auto-plays as soon as a user enters the app, thus guaranteeing eyeballs. Brands can also include a CTA (call-to-action) in the ad. It’s an excellent way to reach new users.

TikTok TopView Ad Specs:

• Maximum video length: 60 seconds
• Recommended Resolution: must be ≥540*960px, ≥640*640px, or ≥960*540px.
• Aspect Ratio: 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9
• File Types: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi
• File Size:  ≤500 MB
• Bitrate: ≥516 kbps

2. Full Page Brand Takeover Ads

Next, we have the full page brand takeover ads. You can choose from either a dynamic or a static ad that takes over the user’s screen. You can either upload a 3 second JPG (static) or a video of up to 5 seconds long. These are smaller ads that appear as soon as a user opens the TikTok app. Most businesses use this TikTok ad format in order to nudge users towards a landing page or a Challenge.

Each user can only see one Branded Takeover ad a day, so the competition is a bit less. However, these ads obviously cost a bit more. Ideally, this type of TikTok video format is suitable for brands with an established following on the platform. More than 90% of users who have downloaded TikTok open it daily, so you could use Brand Takeover ads to reach a much bigger audience.

TikTok Brand Takeover Ad Specs:

• File Types for Static Images: JPG or PNG.
• File Size: <50 KB
• Video Duration: 3-5 seconds
• File Types for Video: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi
• Recommended Aspect Ratios: 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9

3. TikTok In-Feed Ads

These are the more traditional ads that a user will see as they browse through the app. These ads can be up to 60 seconds long, though TikTok recommends that you keep them between 9 and 15 seconds in length. Like traditional videos that appear in the For You feed, users can interact with these ads by sharing or liking them.

You can also add a CTA and link your landing page, as shown above. The range of interaction is similar to other videos uploaded on TikTok, so there’s considerable potential in these ads, provided you have an engaging concept. In-feed ads are also the most affordable option, starting at $10 per CPM. It’s a bit pricier than Facebook ($1 minimum), but can be quite effective if done right.

TikTok In-Feed Ad Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 9:16, 1:1, or 16:9
• TikTok video dimensions: must be ≥540*960px, ≥640*640px, or ≥960*540px.
• File type: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi
• Maximum TikTok video length: 60s, though 9-15s recommended by TikTok.
• Tiktok video size: ≤500 MB

4. Branded Hashtag Challenge

The Branded Hashtag Challenge is one of the most defining features of the video sharing platform. Essentially, a Hashtag Challenge is an engagement format that allows users to express their own creativity and contribute to an online movement. You can invite users to participate in the hashtag challenge.

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This is one of the most popular types of TikTok ads that has resulted in some truly amazing campaigns.

TikTok offers 3-6 day packages with media placement and creative guidance. According to the platform, the average engagement rate for Branded Hashtag Challenges is 8.5%.

The specs for these ads are the same as other video ads. The more people who use the hashtag in the videos, the greater your reach.

5. Branded Effects

Branded Effects allow companies and marketers to create unique filters and visual experiences through stickers and a bunch of special effects. Users can use these filters and share their own creativity on the platform. This is ideal for targeting a younger, camera-first demographic.

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To really make the best of such ads, brands will have to combine them with other TikTok ad formats. The TikTok ad specs for Branded Effects are the same as other video ads. However, you will want to work closely with a few influencers in order to drum up some hype for Branded Effects and get more users to share their creative work.

TikTok Ad Specs Round-up

TikTok supports both video and image ad formats. Here are the specs for each.

Specs for In-Feed Video Ads:

• Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (suggested)
• Resolution: must be ≥540*960px, ≥640*640px, or ≥960*540px.
• Length: up to 60s (suggested 9-15s)
• File Options: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, or .avi
• File Sizes: less than 500 mb.

Specs for Profile Image:

• ​Aspect Ratio: 1:1
• ​File Types: .jpg, .jpeg, .png
• ​File Sizes: <50 KB

Specs for Image Ads:

• File Types: JPG or PNG
• Resolution: No restrictions. Tiktok recommends ≥1200*628px.
• File Sizes: no specific restrictions, ≤500 KB is suggested

Specs for App or Brand Name:

• App Name Character Limits: 4-40 characters (Latin) and 2-20 (Asian characters)
• Brand Name Character Limits: 2-20 characters (Latin) and 1-10 (Asian characters)
• No emojis
• Punctuations and spaces count as characters
• Longer text might not appear on phone display

Specs for Ad Description:

• Support for 12-100 characters (Latin) and 6-50 characters (Asian characters)
• Emojis, “{ }” and “#” are not allowed.
• Punctuations and spaces count as characters
• Longer text might not appear on phone display

Which TikTok Ad Format Works Best for Your Brand?

Depending on your marketing strategy and the type of engagement you want, it’s important that you choose the right format. With several TikTok ad formats to choose from, it’s important that you carefully compare each of them and then determine which one is best suited to your marketing objectives.

For instance, if you want to reach a wider audience and get greater engagement, an in-feed ad might be a suitable choice. However, if you have the creative budget, you could opt for a Brand Takeover ad. They cost between $50,000 and $120,000 according to some sources, but guarantee more than 5 million impressions.

It primarily depends on your company’s ad spend and your objectives. TikTok is a hub of creativity, so regardless of the format you choose, it’s important that you come up with a creative way to express and deliver the message!