Fastory Studio
Which Facebook Ads formats should you use to promote a Fastory experience?
Learn which Facebook ad formats work best to promote a Fastory experience, with design specs, best practices, and the one format to avoid.
Facebook offers several ad formats, but not all of them are equally suited to opening a Fastory experience in good conditions. This guide helps you choose the format that best fits your goals and avoid the one that degrades your participants' experience.
What is it for?
The format of your Facebook ad directly shapes how people discover and open your Fastory experience. The right format guarantees a smooth opening, strong immersion, and a friction-free journey. The wrong format can prevent cookie consent from being validated or create confusing navigation, hurting your marketing results.
The different Facebook ad formats
Here are the formats available on Facebook and their specifics.
1. The photo ad
A single visual to showcase your experience.
Design recommendations
- File type: JPG or PNG
- Image ratio: between 1.91:1 and 1:1
- Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels
Text recommendations
- Primary text: 125 characters
- Headline: 40 characters
- Description: 30 characters
Technical requirements
- Maximum file size: 30 MB
- Minimum width: 600 pixels
- Minimum height: 600 pixels
- Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%
2. The video ad
A video shown in the news feed.
Design recommendations
- File type: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Video ratio: 4:5
- Video settings: H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128 kbps or higher
- Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels
- Video captions: optional, but recommended
- Video sound: optional, but recommended
- Videos must not contain edit lists or special boxes in file containers
Text recommendations
- Primary text: 125 characters
- Headline: 40 characters
- Description: 30 characters
Technical requirements
- Video duration: between one second and 241 minutes
- Maximum file size: 4 GB
- Minimum width: 120 pixels
- Minimum height: 120 pixels
Warning: the video ad format should be avoided when promoting a Fastory experience, because it does not allow the experience to open in good conditions. Its layout prevents cookie consent from being validated and creates a vertical scroll below the video that is confusing for the viewer.
3. Stories
A full-screen format, designed for mobile.
Design recommendations
- File type: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Video ratio: 9:16
- Video settings: H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, and stereo AAC audio compression at 128 kbps or higher
- Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels
- Video captions: optional, but recommended
- Video sound: optional, but recommended
- Videos must not contain edit lists or special boxes in file containers
- Do not place text or logos at the top and bottom of the video (leave roughly 14% of space, i.e. 250 pixels) so the call-to-action does not cover essential elements
Text recommendations
- Primary text: 125 characters
- Headline: 40 characters
Technical requirements
- Video duration: between one second and two minutes
- Maximum file size: 4 GB
- Minimum width: 500 pixels
- Aspect ratio tolerance: 1%
4. The carousel
Several cards scrolling through images or videos within a single ad.
Design recommendations
- Image file type: JPG or PNG
- Video file type: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Image or video ratio: 1:1
- Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels
Text recommendations
- Primary text: 125 characters
- Headline: 40 characters
- Description: 20 characters
- Landing page URL: required
Technical requirements
- Number of carousel cards: 2 to 10
- Maximum image file size: 30 MB
- Maximum video file size: 4 GB
- Video duration: between one second and 240 minutes
- Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%
5. The collection
A format that pairs a cover with an Instant Experience.
Design recommendations
- The cover image or video shown in your collection ad reuses the first media element of your Instant Experience
- Image type: JPG or PNG
- Video file type: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Image or video ratio: 1:1
- Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels
Text recommendations
- Primary text: 125 characters
- Headline: 40 characters
- Landing page URL: required
Technical requirements
- Instant Experience: required
- Maximum image file size: 30 MB
- Maximum video file size: 4 GB
Best practices
- Favor Stories: their vertical layout makes the most of the mobile screen and delivers an immersive experience.
- Never use the classic video format (news feed) to promote a Fastory experience: it prevents cookie consent from being validated and creates a disorienting scroll.
- Restrict placements to mobile only, since the Story format is designed for that device.
- Stick to a resolution of at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels to keep your visuals sharp.
- Add captions to your videos so they remain readable even without sound.
- On a Story, leave roughly 14% of space at the top and bottom so the call-to-action stays visible.
Concrete use cases
If you want an immersive experience on mobile
Go with the Story. Its full-screen 9:16 format uses the phone's full vertical space and takes people straight into your Fastory experience.
If you want to show several visuals in a single ad
Choose the carousel. You can scroll through 2 to 10 cards, images or videos, to tell a story or showcase the details of your experience.
If you want a simple visual that is quick to produce
The photo ad is enough: a single well-framed visual, with a ratio between 1.91:1 and 1:1, to grab attention and redirect people to your experience.
If you want to highlight a set of content
The collection relies on an Instant Experience and a cover that reuses your first media element, making it ideal for presenting several items in a seamless way.
FAQ
Can I use a video ad to promote my Fastory experience?
No, this format should be avoided. It does not allow the experience to open in good conditions: cookie consent cannot be validated and a confusing vertical scroll appears below the video.
Which format is best suited to a Fastory experience?
Stories are strongly recommended. They take advantage of the mobile screen's vertical layout and offer your participants an immersive experience.
On which devices should I run my Fastory ads?
Restrict placements to mobile only. Since the Story format is designed for mobile, this placement guarantees the best end-to-end experience.
What image resolution should I use?
Aim for at least 1,080 x 1,080 pixels. This resolution applies to most formats and ensures sharp visuals on mobile.
How many visuals can I put in a carousel?
A carousel accepts 2 to 10 cards, each of which can contain an image or a video.
Does the collection format require anything specific?
Yes, an Instant Experience is required. The ad's cover automatically reuses the first media element of that Instant Experience.