Video Ads: Specs and Best Practices

Quick answer

Meta: upload MP4 or MOV files. How many depends on the format: 1 for Single video, 2 for Placement customization (one Square 1:1, one Story 9:16), up to 5 for Creative testing. Keep it 15 to 30 seconds, hook in the first 3 seconds, readable with sound off.

Google: Performance Max takes video from YouTube only. Paste the link in the Videos tab. Agency AI doesn't make videos, so bring your own.

Meta specs

Files: MP4 or MOV. The upload box shows the size limit.
How many: Single video 1, Placement customization 2, Creative testing up to 5 (every video you upload is used).
Sizes: Square (1:1) for feeds, Story (9:16) for Stories and Reels. With Placement customization, Agency AI reads each video's aspect ratio and assigns its placement for you, and both placements are required. Only have one video? Use Single video; it's fitted to every placement.
Thumbnail: optional. Upload a JPG or PNG to replace the one taken from your video.
Length: 15 to 30 seconds suits most e-commerce ads. Go under 15 for Reels-first creative.
Resolution: 1080×1080 for square, 1080×1920 for vertical.
Copy: the same fields as an Image ad: Ad Summary, Copywriting Angle, Headline, Description, Caption (Primary Text), Landing Page and Call To Action. Enable A/B testing works here too.

Step by step: Creating a Meta ad.

What works

First 3 seconds decide it. Product on screen, or the problem it solves, immediately. No logo intro.
Design for silence. Most feed viewers watch muted. Burn in captions or on-screen text.
Show the product in use. Demonstration beats montage.
One message. The video and the caption should say the same thing.
Vertical for Reels. A native 9:16 looks like content. A square video in Stories looks like an ad.
Judge after about 7 days. Then ask your AI Strategist "Which of my video ads is winning?" and let it cut the rest.

Google

In Create Ad for Google, open the Videos tab under Images and videos and click + Add YouTube video. Paste a youtube.com/watch or youtu.be link. Upload the video to your YouTube channel first; unlisted is fine.

Videos are optional. Without one, Google may create video from your images and text, which is usually weaker than a real one.

The AI Dashboard's Create ad takes images only for Google today. Add YouTube videos in Create Ad in the Shopify app.

Making video

Agency AI doesn't generate video, and neither does your AI Strategist. Genie, Edit and Generate make still images. Film or edit your video elsewhere, then upload it to Meta ads or YouTube.

Questions? hello@agencyai.app.