Guide
Video ad length: 20 to 40 seconds works for most ads
Updated
Most video ads work best at 20 to 40 seconds. TikTok's own ad guide says 21 to 34 seconds performs best, even though its in-feed ads can run up to 10 minutes.
In short
- Most video ads work best at 20 to 40 seconds, and TikTok says 21 to 34 seconds performs best.
- TikTok in-feed ads can run up to 10 minutes and Instagram Reels ads 15 minutes. YouTube bumper ads are 6 seconds.
- A 15-second ad fits one offer. A 30 to 45-second ad can also show a demo and answer one worry.
- TikTok's guide says to grab attention in the first 3 seconds, so open with the point.
- In Cutroom a longer filmed ad barely costs more: 114 credits at 40 seconds, 120 at 60.
- The length TikTok says performs best
- 21 to 34 s
- Longest TikTok in-feed ad
- 10 min
- Time TikTok says you have to grab attention
- 3 s
How long should a video ad be?
Make the ad as long as the message needs, and for most ads that is 20 to 40 seconds. Here is what fits in each length.
- A 15-second ad has room for one clear message, like an offer or a price.
- A 20 to 30-second ad has room for the message plus a quick demo or a customer result.
- A 30 to 45-second ad can also answer one worry a viewer might have, like the price or the delivery time.
- A 45 to 60-second ad fits a short story or a demo with several steps.
- Past 60 seconds, the ad no longer fits the length YouTube advises for Shorts ads, and it is far past the 21 to 34 seconds TikTok says performs best.
What fits in each length
The more the ad has to show, the longer it needs to be.
- One message, like an offerUp to 15 s
- Offer plus a demo or a customer result20 to 30 s
- Plus an answer to one worry30 to 45 s
- A short story or a demo with steps45 to 60 s
Maximum video ad length on Instagram and Facebook
These are the limits in Meta's own ads guide. Every placement allows at least 3 minutes.
- Instagram Reels ads can run up to 15 minutes, and Facebook Reels ads have no maximum.
- Meta advises keeping Instagram Stories ads under 16 seconds, so they play in one card.
- Facebook Stories plays video ads of 15 seconds or less in full.
Maximum video ad length on Instagram and Facebook
From Meta's ads guide (facebook.com/business/ads-guide), checked 21 September 2026.
| Ad placement | Longest allowed | What Meta advises |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels ad | 15 minutes | No length given |
| Instagram Stories ad | 60 minutes | Under 16 seconds plays in one card |
| Instagram Feed ad | 60 minutes | No length given |
| Facebook Reels ad | No maximum | No length given |
| Facebook Stories ad | 3 minutes | 15 seconds or less plays in full |
| Facebook Feed ad | 241 minutes | No length given |
Ad placement: Instagram Reels ad
- Longest allowed
- 15 minutes
- What Meta advises
- No length given
Ad placement: Instagram Stories ad
- Longest allowed
- 60 minutes
- What Meta advises
- Under 16 seconds plays in one card
Ad placement: Instagram Feed ad
- Longest allowed
- 60 minutes
- What Meta advises
- No length given
Ad placement: Facebook Reels ad
- Longest allowed
- No maximum
- What Meta advises
- No length given
Ad placement: Facebook Stories ad
- Longest allowed
- 3 minutes
- What Meta advises
- 15 seconds or less plays in full
Ad placement: Facebook Feed ad
- Longest allowed
- 241 minutes
- What Meta advises
- No length given
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Maximum video ad length on TikTok and YouTube
These are the limits and advice the platforms publish themselves. Platforms change them, so check before you plan.
- TikTok says 21 to 34 seconds performs best, even though in-feed ads can run up to 10 minutes.
- Spark Ads, which turn a normal TikTok post into an ad, have no length limit.
- On YouTube, viewers can skip an in-stream ad after 5 seconds, so the point has to come before then.
Maximum video ad length on TikTok and YouTube
From TikTok's ads help center and Google Ads Help, checked 21 September 2026.
| Ad format | Longest allowed | What the platform advises |
|---|---|---|
| TikTok in-feed ad | 10 minutes. No limit for Spark Ads | 21 to 34 seconds performs best |
| YouTube skippable in-stream ad | No maximum | Under 3 minutes. Skip button after 5 seconds |
| YouTube non-skippable in-stream ad | 15 to 60 seconds | Depends on the campaign type |
| YouTube bumper ad | 6 seconds | Cannot be skipped |
| YouTube Shorts ad | Not listed | Under 60 seconds |
Ad format: TikTok in-feed ad
- Longest allowed
- 10 minutes. No limit for Spark Ads
- What the platform advises
- 21 to 34 seconds performs best
Ad format: YouTube skippable in-stream ad
- Longest allowed
- No maximum
- What the platform advises
- Under 3 minutes. Skip button after 5 seconds
Ad format: YouTube non-skippable in-stream ad
- Longest allowed
- 15 to 60 seconds
- What the platform advises
- Depends on the campaign type
Ad format: YouTube bumper ad
- Longest allowed
- 6 seconds
- What the platform advises
- Cannot be skipped
Ad format: YouTube Shorts ad
- Longest allowed
- Not listed
- What the platform advises
- Under 60 seconds
How fast should the ad get to the point?
Within the first 3 seconds, according to TikTok's ad guide. That is the time it says you have to grab attention.
- TikTok's guide also says to skip long intros.
- Open with the result, the price or the problem, not with your logo or a greeting.
- In Cutroom you can write the opening headline yourself or pick one it drafted, in one of 15 hook styles.
Opening headline styles in Cutroom
A few of the 15 hook styles for the opening headline.
Slab
Outline
Punch
Sweep
Spotlight
Alert
Capsule
Title
Does a longer ad cost more to make?
A filmed ad barely costs more when it is longer. An AI presenter ad costs much more, because the presenter is priced per minute.
- A 60-second filmed ad costs only 13 credits more than a 20-second one, because only the export is priced by length.
- The presenter costs 350 credits a minute and the generated voice 70 a minute, so 20 seconds of presenter alone is 117 credits.
- A generated music track costs 50 credits up to 60 seconds, 90 for 90 seconds and 130 for 2 minutes.
- A credit costs about 1.6 cents on every plan, so a 40-second filmed ad is about $1.82.
What one ad costs in Cutroom, by length
Credits per ad. Charges per minute are rounded up to whole credits.
| Ad length | Filmed ad | AI presenter ad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 seconds | 107 credits | 248 credits |
| 30 seconds | 110 credits | 320 credits |
| 40 seconds | 114 credits | 395 credits |
| 60 seconds | 120 credits | 540 credits |
| 90 seconds | 130 credits | 760 credits |
Ad length: 20 seconds
- Filmed ad
- 107 credits
- AI presenter ad
- 248 credits
Ad length: 30 seconds
- Filmed ad
- 110 credits
- AI presenter ad
- 320 credits
Ad length: 40 seconds
- Filmed ad
- 114 credits
- AI presenter ad
- 395 credits
Ad length: 60 seconds
- Filmed ad
- 120 credits
- AI presenter ad
- 540 credits
Ad length: 90 seconds
- Filmed ad
- 130 credits
- AI presenter ad
- 760 credits
Where Cutroom fits
Cutroom edits one clip of you talking, up to 3 minutes, into a finished 9:16 ad. You set the length when you film, because Cutroom keeps every line you say.
- You film up to 3 minutes of yourself talking. If you stumble, record the take again, because a line cannot be taken out afterwards.
- You fix a misheard word in the transcript, and the caption follows.
- The style you pick before you upload sets the pace. On Punch and Native you can slow it from a word Cutroom took out.
- You cannot cut a slow first or last sentence afterwards, so open on your point and stop when you have said it.
- Every export is a 9:16 MP4 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts. Cutroom does not make 16:9 videos for YouTube in-stream ads.
You edit the words, not a timeline
Fix a misheard word and the caption follows. The length follows the take you filmed.
B-rolls · 5
1
2
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5Most face serums make one big promise, then quietly do nothing. This one has three ingredients, works in ten days, and costs less than your coffee habit. If your skin doesn’t change, you get every cent back.
highlight = b-roll · struck out = already cut
▸ 0:07 / 0:26 · shot 1 of 5
- 1B-roll on the exact wordsReal footage, placed where showing beats telling.
- 2The opening headlineWritten from what you said. Pick one it drafted, or write your own.
- 3Captions in 40 themesPick a theme, then its font and colour.
- 49:16, ready to exportExport renders one vertical MP4.
Questions people ask
- How long should a video ad be?
- 20 to 40 seconds works for most video ads, and TikTok's own ad guide says 21 to 34 seconds performs best. Make it as long as the message needs and no longer.
- What is the maximum length of a video ad?
- It depends on the platform. TikTok in-feed ads can run up to 10 minutes, Instagram Reels ads 15 minutes and Facebook Stories ads 3 minutes. On YouTube, non-skippable ads run 15 to 60 seconds, bumper ads 6 seconds, and skippable ads have no maximum.
- How long can a Facebook video ad be?
- Up to 241 minutes in the Facebook feed, 3 minutes in Stories, and with no maximum in Reels, according to Meta's ads guide. Facebook Stories plays ads of 15 seconds or less in full.
- Is a 15-second ad better than a 30-second ad?
- Only if one message is enough. A 15-second ad works for one clear offer. If people need to see a demo or a result first, give the ad 30 seconds.
- How long should the hook be?
- About 3 seconds. TikTok's ad guide says to grab attention in the first three seconds, and YouTube lets people skip in-stream ads after 5.
- How long can my video be in Cutroom?
- Your clip can be up to 3 minutes long, and the finished ad is usually much shorter. Editing a clip costs 100 credits, and export costs 20 credits per minute of finished video.
Film what you want to say in 20 to 40 seconds, and export it as a 9:16 ad. Your first video is free.