For most TikTok videos, use a vertical 9:16 composition, with 1080 by 1920 as the common production resolution. That is the practical answer; the precise one is that TikTok's requirements differ per workflow, and the differences matter the moment a video becomes a campaign.
Last verified: July 29, 2026. TikTok changes upload requirements and interfaces; check the current official specifications before an important campaign.
The four workflows, four rule sets
TikTok Studio web uploads currently require MP4 or WebM, at least 720 by 1280 pixels, no longer than 30 minutes and under 10 GB. Those numbers describe the web upload specifically; do not silently apply them to every mobile upload or ad product.
Spark Ads promote an already-published organic TikTok, caption and all, which is exactly why a video that worked organically gets re-reviewed before promotion: burned-in captions, music rights, CTA and product visibility all change meaning in an ad context.
Non-Spark In-Feed Ads (per the specification updated in June 2026): 9:16 recommended at 540 by 960 or higher, with 16:9 accepted from 960 by 540 and 1:1 from 640 by 640; files up to 10 minutes, up to 500 MB, at least 516 kbps.
Premium placements carry their own sheets. The specifications are not interchangeable, and most TikTok sizing mistakes are one workflow's numbers applied to another.
Composing for the vertical feed
9:16 remains the strongest production start (540 by 960, 720 by 1280, 1080 by 1920 and 1440 by 2560 all qualify). Horizontal footage dropped into the vertical feed shrinks the image, wastes the canvas and starves the captions; adapt it per scene instead. Talking heads keep room for captions and interface; products keep the demonstrated part and the hands in frame; screen recordings crop to the relevant control rather than shrinking a desktop, one step per shot.
Safe zones, the TikTok way
TikTok's interface stacks profile info, engagement controls, music info, captions and, for ads, CTA buttons and add-ons over the frame. Its own guidance is unusually honest: the safe zone depends on the video dimensions, the caption length and any additional formats, there are separate downloadable references for left-to-right and right-to-left layouts, and the preview may differ slightly from the live result because it is not device-specific.
The practice that follows: pick the overlay per placement, ratio, caption length and language direction; keep faces, product details, burned-in captions, qualifying text and the CTA inside the protected area; and check the real published result, not just the preview. Choose the cover deliberately too: readable at thumbnail size, no mid-blink frame.
Where ReadyForm fits
ReadyForm makes the complete edit in the vertical frame from the start: takes cut, captions placed and sized inside the composition, pacing set for the feed. The TikTok-specific pass stays yours: the current specification for your workflow, the safe-zone reference for your placement, and the upload check. See the TikTok editor page or how the edit is made.