TikTok video is vertical 9:16, and its ad specs set a minimum of 540 x 960 px for vertical video. TikTok does not publish a pixel size for organic covers, so our recommendation is to design the cover at 1080 x 1920 px, the same 9:16 shape as the video.
This guide covers what TikTok does state in its Ads Manager help pages, what it leaves out, and how to build a cover that survives the profile grid. For the same numbers on other networks, see our social media image sizes guide.
What size should a TikTok video be?
Use vertical 9:16. In TikTok's in-feed ad specs, non-Spark video can be 9:16, 16:9 or 1:1, with these minimums: 540 x 960 px vertical, 960 x 540 px horizontal and 640 x 640 px square.
Those are floors, not targets. Our advice is to export at 1080 x 1920 px so there is headroom above the minimum. Horizontal and square clips pass the ad specs, but in our view they leave empty space on a vertical screen.
| Spec | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 (also 16:9, 1:1) | In-feed ads |
| Minimum vertical size | 540 x 960 px | In-feed ads |
| Formats | .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp, .avi | In-feed ads |
| Maximum file size | 500 MB | In-feed ads |
| Minimum bitrate | 516 kbps | In-feed ads |
| Maximum duration | 10 minutes | In-feed ads |
These figures are for non-Spark ads. The same spec page lists Spark Ads (boosted organic posts) as .mp4 or .mov with no duration restriction. Limits for ordinary organic uploads are not on the pages we read, so check the app before you upload.
What size is a TikTok cover image?
TikTok does not state a pixel size for organic covers on the help pages we read. The only cover-related spec we found sits in its ad tools.
In the ad tools the story is similar: the carousel ad guide turns on Smart Cover Image Selection by default, which picks the cover for you based on performance, and you can switch it off. The app promotion image ad specification lists vertical 9:16 at 720 x 1280 px or larger, horizontal 16:9 at 1280 x 720 px or larger and square at 640 x 640 px or larger, in JPG, JPEG or PNG within 100 MB. That page covers app promotion ads only, so do not read it as a rule for covers.
So the practical answer is our recommendation: make the cover 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 px, matching the video shape. In our view that avoids stretching or letterboxing, though TikTok does not document how it scales organic covers.
The render above is a 1080 x 1920 cover made from one of our templates in our AURORA demo brand. Sizes, fonts and colors come from the brand, and only the headline changes between covers.
How do you keep text safe on the TikTok profile grid?
Our working assumption: keep key text in the middle of the frame, well inside every edge. TikTok does not publish the profile grid crop ratio, so we assume the grid tile is shorter than the full 9:16 frame and may trim the top and bottom. This is our rule, not an official spec.
Our advice, based on that assumption:
- Put the headline in the vertical middle third of the frame.
- Leave a generous margin on the left and right so words are not clipped in a tile.
- Keep logos and faces out of the extreme top and bottom.
- Use a short headline, three to six words, since the tile is small.
- Check the result at thumbnail size before you post.
For ads, TikTok does publish safe zone guidance. The TopView specs tell you to keep text and logos inside the safe zone because anything outside might be covered or cropped, and they offer downloadable safe zone files that vary by caption length and device. Our observation, not a TikTok statement: organic posts have the same kind of overlay, with the caption, username and buttons over the bottom and right side of the video. Our Instagram Story and Reel safe zones guide explains the same problem on Meta's vertical formats.
What size is a TikTok profile photo?
Only for ads. The ad specs call for a 98 x 98 px square profile photo in .jpg, .jpeg or .png under 50 KB, with key elements inside a centered 66 x 66 px area, per the in-feed ad specs. The 66 x 66 px safe area is TikTok's own guidance for keeping the key element from being cropped.
What is the cover checklist before you post?
- The cover is 9:16 at 1080 x 1920 px.
- Text sits in the middle band, away from the edges.
- The headline is short and readable at tile size.
- Brand colors and fonts match your other covers, so the grid looks like one account.
- Video is exported as .mp4 or .mov. The ad specs allow up to 500 MB; check the app for organic uploads.
Covers are the easy thing to get inconsistent on a team, because everyone picks a frame and adds text differently. If you want every cover on one fixed layout, with text that shrinks to fit instead of overflowing, try the live demo. Our YouTube thumbnail size guide covers the horizontal equivalent if you reuse the same idea on a landscape platform.
What could not be confirmed
TikTok's help pages we read do not list a pixel size for organic covers, the profile grid crop, or the organic upload file limit. If TikTok publishes them later, the numbers above will be updated. Until then, 1080 x 1920 px with centered text is the choice that fails least.