Ad Specs
The formats, lengths, and dimensions for YouTube ads — from 6-second bumpers to skippable in-stream and vertical Shorts. The specs are simple; the constraint that actually shapes the creative is the skip button at second 5.
| Format | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Skippable in-stream | Any; 15–60s recommended | Viewer can skip after 5s |
| Non-skippable in-stream | 15–20s max | No skip; watched in full |
| Bumper | 6s max | Non-skippable, awareness |
| In-feed (discovery) | Any | Thumbnail + text in feed |
| Shorts | Up to 60s, 9:16 | Vertical, mobile-first |
On skippable in-stream, the skip button appears at second 5 — so those five seconds carry the campaign. Front-load the hook and the core idea; everything after is a bonus you only keep if you earned it. This is the same first-seconds problem as the five-second test and pre-roll testing.
Predicting how your first seconds hold attention tells you whether viewers make it past the skip — before you pay for the impressions. See ad pre-testing and how to read an attention curve.
See Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok ad specs for the rest of your placements.
Score your YouTube ad's opening for attention before you spend. First analysis free.
Score Your AdStandard in-stream ads are 16:9 at 1920×1080; Shorts ads are vertical 9:16 at 1080×1920. Skippable in-stream can be any length (15–60s works well), non-skippable is capped at 15–20 seconds, and bumpers at 6 seconds. Upload high-resolution MP4 (H.264); Google transcodes for delivery.
It depends on format. Bumpers are 6 seconds, non-skippable 15–20, and skippable in-stream commonly 15–60. Whatever the length, the first 5 seconds before the skip button carry the load — you're really making a 5-second ad with an optional extension.
On skippable in-stream ads, viewers can skip after 5 seconds, so those 5 seconds must hook attention and ideally land the core message. Treat them as the whole ad: if you haven't earned the next second by then, most of the audience is gone.