In short: For UGC video specs, ask creators to film vertical (9:16) at 1080×1920 where the phone allows, as an MP4 or MOV file, with the product and any text kept away from the edges where the apps place their buttons. Length depends on where the video runs: YouTube says Shorts can be up to three minutes, and one guide gives 5–60 seconds for TikTok in-feed ads. Platform rules change, so check the current numbers before you publish.
UGC video specs at a glance
| Where | Ratio | Size | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| TikTok ad | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | 5–60 sec |
| Reels | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | Varies |
| Shorts | Vertical | 1080p max | 3 min max |
TikTok’s in-feed minimum is 540×960 according to JoinBrands, and Reels length depends on how the video is made and on the account. The same vertical file can usually serve all three, so a brief can ask for one format and reuse it.
Where these numbers come from
The YouTube figures come straight from YouTube’s Help Center. We could not open TikTok’s or Meta’s own specification pages when writing this, so the TikTok and Instagram numbers come from three guides: JoinBrands (July 2026), Hopper HQ (September 2026) and House of Marketers (updated September 2026). They broadly agree, but one of them contradicts itself on TikTok margins, and Hopper labels some of its figures as its own recommendation rather than a platform rule. Use this article as a starting point and check the platform’s own page before a paid campaign.
Aspect ratio and resolution
Everyone we read says the same thing: 9:16 vertical, filled edge to edge. Hopper HQ recommends 1080×1920 for Reels and says Instagram accepts uploads from 1.91:1 up to 9:16, but only the vertical shape fills the screen. JoinBrands lists 540×960 as the minimum for a TikTok in-feed ad, recommends 720×1280 or higher and calls 1080×1920 the “gold standard”. YouTube asks for vertical uploads and lists 1080p as the maximum for Shorts.
In practice this means a recent phone filming vertically at its normal video setting is enough. A creator does not need extra equipment to meet these numbers; the filming guide covers light and sound, which matter more.
File format and size
Hopper recommends MP4 or MOV with H.264 video and AAC audio at 128 kbps or higher, and at least 30 frames per second. JoinBrands lists a 500 MB limit for TikTok ads and MP4, MOV and AVI as accepted types. These are guide figures, not guarantees. The simple rule for creators is to deliver the original file from the phone, not a screen recording or a copy that was compressed by a chat app, because editors and ad platforms compress it again.
Safe zones: keep text and the product out of the app buttons
Every app draws its own interface on top of the video: the username and caption at the bottom, buttons on the right, status icons at the top. A product held in the bottom corner or a subtitle in the wrong place can be covered.
- Instagram and Facebook Reels: Hopper and House of Marketers both give Meta’s margins as percentages of a 1080×1920 frame: about 14% at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% at each side. Hopper converts this to roughly 270, 670 and 65 pixels. For ads with a disclaimer, Hopper says Meta asks for the bottom 40% to be clear.
- TikTok: the guides disagree. House of Marketers says to keep text and logos out of the bottom 20% and away from the right-hand buttons; JoinBrands says to avoid the bottom third and the right edge without giving exact margins.
If one video has to work on both, a cautious rule is to keep text, logos and the key product moment in the middle of the frame, out of the bottom third and off the right edge. That is our own suggestion based on the larger of the two figures, not a platform rule. Subtitles belong in the same safe area; see captions and subtitles for UGC videos.
How long should the video be?
The platforms allow more than most UGC needs. JoinBrands says TikTok in-feed ads can run 5–60 seconds and claims 9–15 seconds performs best, without giving a source, so treat that as a guess to test. YouTube allows Shorts up to three minutes. For most product videos the better question is how soon the hook arrives and whether the video says what it needs to and stops. See UGC video ideas and hooks and the script templates.
What creators should do
- Film vertically in the phone’s camera app at its highest normal video setting.
- Keep the product and the face in the middle of the frame and leave space at the top and bottom.
- Film a few extra seconds before and after the main take, so an editor can trim or add text.
- Deliver the original file, not a compressed copy.
- Ask what the video is for if the brief does not say: a short paid ad and a product-page clip may need different cuts.
What brands should put in the brief
- Format: vertical 9:16, 1080×1920 if possible, MP4 or MOV.
- Length: a target (for example “20–30 seconds”) and a maximum.
- Text: whether you will add captions or the creator should, and a request to keep the lower third clear.
- Where it will run: organic posts, paid ads, a product page. This also decides the usage rights you need.
- Whether you plan to crop it for other placements, so the creator keeps the subject centered.
For the rest of a brief, use the UGC brief template. If you also want the clip on a product page, see UGC on product pages.
Where Usicri fits
On Usicri a brand writes what it needs in the campaign description, so format, length and text go there. Creators upload their video as a file (for example MP4 or MOV); if it is above the size limit, the form says so and asks for a smaller file.
You review every submission before you pay, so you can see whether the framing works before you approve; you pay the payout, with no platform fee at the moment, only for approved videos. See open campaigns.
Quick checklist
- Vertical 9:16, 1080×1920 where possible.
- MP4 or MOV, original file.
- Product and text away from the bottom third and the right edge.
- Length set by the brief, not by the platform maximum.
- Check the platform’s current specs before a paid campaign.
Cutting one video for several places is covered in how to reuse one UGC video across channels.