Use case
X video ads: short, captioned and vertical, made from one clip
The X video ads that work best are short, captioned videos of a real person saying one thing. Cutroom turns one clip of you talking to camera into that ad, as a 9:16 MP4.
In short
- X recommends vertical 9:16 video ads of 15 seconds or less, with captions on them.
- X accepts video up to 2 minutes 20 seconds, as MP4 or MOV, up to 1 GB.
- Cutroom gives you a captioned 9:16 MP4 at 1080×1920 from one clip of up to 3 minutes.
- Cutroom exports 9:16 only, so it cannot make square or landscape ads for X.
- Your first video is free with no card. Lite is $19.99 a month.
- Longest clip you upload
- 3 min
- The 9:16 file you get back
- 1080×1920
- Your first video, no card
- $0
What works in an X video ad
A short, captioned video of a real person saying one thing clearly.
- X recommends 15 seconds or less.
- X strongly recommends captions or text overlays, because many people watch with the sound off.
- A 9:16 video fills X's full-screen vertical viewer.
- Most advertisers already post on X, so the ad can sound like the account does.
- Put your main claim in the video itself, not only in the post text above it.
X video ad specs
X publishes its specs on its creative ad specifications page. Here they are next to what Cutroom exports.
- X loops videos that are shorter than 60 seconds.
- The post text above the video allows 280 characters.
- Vertical Video Ads play full screen in X's Immersive Media Viewer.
- Pre-roll runs before publisher videos in their shape, and X recommends 1:1 there.
X's video ad specs next to a Cutroom export
X's figures as published on its creative ad specifications page on 2026-09-21. Specs change, so check the page before you upload.
Aspect ratio
- What X publishes
- 9:16 recommended for Vertical Video Ads; 1:1, 16:9, 4:5, 2:3 and 1.91:1 also listed
- What Cutroom exports
- 9:16 only
Resolution
- What X publishes
- Up to 1080×1920 for vertical, at least 720×1280
- What Cutroom exports
- 1080×1920
Length
- What X publishes
- 15 seconds or less recommended, up to 2:20 supported
- What Cutroom exports
- Your clip, up to 3 minutes, trimmed by deleting lines
File
- What X publishes
- MP4 or MOV, up to 1 GB, under 30 MB recommended
- What Cutroom exports
- MP4
Captions
- What X publishes
- Closed captions or text overlays strongly recommended
- What Cutroom exports
- Burned in, in 40 themes
| What X publishes | What Cutroom exports | |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended for Vertical Video Ads; 1:1, 16:9, 4:5, 2:3 and 1.91:1 also listed | 9:16 only |
| Resolution | Up to 1080×1920 for vertical, at least 720×1280 | 1080×1920 |
| Length | 15 seconds or less recommended, up to 2:20 supported | Your clip, up to 3 minutes, trimmed by deleting lines |
| File | MP4 or MOV, up to 1 GB, under 30 MB recommended | MP4 |
| Captions | Closed captions or text overlays strongly recommended | Burned in, in 40 themes |
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Three X video ads to film
Each one starts from something your account has already said in a post.
- A launch video says what shipped, who it is for and the one thing it does better, in under 30 seconds.
- An answer to a doubt tackles the objection that shows up most in your replies, such as price or switching.
- A 20-second product claim gives one claim, one proof and one call to action, with captions on every word.
- All three are easy to test, because the message matches a text post and only the format changes.
From a post that did well to a vertical X ad
The post already told you the message works, and the video puts a face on it.
Pick the post
One that got replies or reposts
Film it on camera
Say it to the lens, 20 to 60 seconds
Upload to Cutroom
Captions, b-roll and a headline added
Trim to fit
Delete lines until it is short enough
Promote it on X
From your own X ads account
How it works
Film on a phone or a laptop camera, looking at the lens. Cutroom runs in a browser, with nothing to install and no timeline.
- You upload one clip of up to 3 minutes.
- Cutroom cuts the pauses and adds captions, an opening headline and b-roll, which are stock clips laid over your words.
- Every word is on screen, so you delete lines to get a 45-second clip down to 15 or 30 seconds.
- You highlight a phrase and a clip lands over exactly those words.
- You download a 9:16 MP4 at 1080×1920, ready to upload to your X ads account.
The finished vertical ad, as it plays on a phone
Captions burned in, b-roll over the words it belongs to, and the headline at the top.
▸ 0:07 / 0:26 · shot 1 of 5
Tools for making X video ads
VEED and Submagic both have a Twitter video maker page. VEED is a browser editor, and Submagic cuts long videos into captioned clips.
- Choose VEED if you edit on a timeline and need square, landscape and vertical files from one project.
- Choose Submagic if you have long recordings, such as a podcast or a webinar, and want many captioned clips.
- Choose Cutroom if you want one short clip back as a finished vertical ad, without a timeline.
Three tools for making X video ads
Prices as published on each vendor's own pricing page on the day shown. Tiers move, so read the page before you pay.
| Tool | Best for | Editing approach | Platform | Pricing from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser editing with auto subtitles and brand kits | Browser timeline with auto subtitles and AI generation | Browser, mobile app | Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, annual | |
 Submagic | Captioned shorts at volume | Captions, b-roll and zooms added automatically to shorts | Web | No free plan listed, free to try with no card; Starter $12/month, annual ($19 monthly) |
| Cutroom | One clip finished as a captioned 9:16 ad | You upload a clip; b-roll, captions and a hook are placed for you | Browser | First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month |
VEED
- Best for
- Browser editing with auto subtitles and brand kits
- Approach
- Browser timeline with auto subtitles and AI generation
- Platform
- Browser, mobile app
- Pricing from
- Free plan; Creator $10/user/month, annual
- Submagic
- Best for
- Captioned shorts at volume
- Approach
- Captions, b-roll and zooms added automatically to shorts
- Platform
- Web
- Pricing from
- No free plan listed, free to try with no card; Starter $12/month, annual ($19 monthly)
Cutroom
- Best for
- One clip finished as a captioned 9:16 ad
- Approach
- You upload a clip; b-roll, captions and a hook are placed for you
- Platform
- Browser
- Pricing from
- First video free, no card; Lite $19.99/month
Prices and plans read from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 September 2026.
What an X video ad costs to make
A finished 30-second ad costs about 110 credits in Cutroom: 100 for the edit and 20 per minute of video to export.
- Ad spend is separate, because you pay X for the impressions in your own ads account.
- Three versions of the same claim cost about 330 credits, which sits well inside Lite.
- The free video carries a Cutroom mark, and Lite and up remove it.
Cutroom plans for X video ads
At about 110 credits per 30-second ad: 100 for the edit, 20 per minute to export.
| Plan | Price | Credits | 30-second ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| First video | Free, no card | 600 | 1, made within 7 days |
| Lite | $19.99 a month | 1,250 | About 11 a month |
| Basic | $39.99 a month | 2,500 | About 22 a month, plus music and avatars |
| Premium | $79.99 a month | 5,000 | About 45 a month |
Plan: First video
- Price
- Free, no card
- Credits
- 600
- 30-second ads
- 1, made within 7 days
Plan: Lite
- Price
- $19.99 a month
- Credits
- 1,250
- 30-second ads
- About 11 a month
Plan: Basic
- Price
- $39.99 a month
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22 a month, plus music and avatars
Plan: Premium
- Price
- $79.99 a month
- Credits
- 5,000
- 30-second ads
- About 45 a month
Questions people ask
- What aspect ratio should an X video ad be?
- 9:16 for X's full-screen vertical viewer, at up to 1080×1920. X also lists 1:1, 16:9, 4:5, 2:3 and 1.91:1, and recommends 1:1 for pre-roll. Cutroom exports 9:16 only, so make square or landscape files in a timeline editor.
- How long can a video ad on X be?
- Up to 2 minutes 20 seconds, and X recommends 15 seconds or less. Its spec page says select advertisers can ask their X account manager for up to 10 minutes. With Cutroom you talk for up to 3 minutes, then delete lines until it fits.
- Do X video ads need captions?
- X strongly recommends them, and many people watch the feed with the sound off. Cutroom burns the captions into the video, so they show wherever it plays. Pick one of 40 caption themes and fix any misheard word before you export.
- Is an X video ad the same as a Twitter video ad?
- Yes. Twitter was renamed X, and the ads platform and its creative specs now sit on business.x.com. The Twitter video ad specs people search for are the X specs on this page.
- Can I turn an X post that did well into a video ad?
- Yes, and it is a safe place to start, because the replies showed the message lands. Say the post to camera in 20 to 60 seconds. Cutroom adds the captions, b-roll and a headline, and you promote the video from your X ads account.
- Can I run the same vertical ad on Reels, TikTok and Shorts?
- Yes. A 9:16 MP4 at 1080×1920 fits X's vertical viewer, Instagram Reels and Stories, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. Check that the captions and headline sit clear of each app's buttons before you spend on it.
- Who should not use Cutroom for X video ads?
- Campaigns that need square or landscape files, or videos built from screen recordings and motion graphics. VEED or a timeline editor suits those. Cutroom makes 9:16 video from one speaker in one clip of up to 3 minutes.
Film the post you would have written and see the finished vertical ad. Your first video is free.