YouTube Ad Specs 2026 — Skippable, Bumper, Shorts
YouTube ad specs are all video, and the acceptable range is wider than most platforms — but the successful range is narrow. This page lists the technical requirements plus the runtimes that actually complete.
Updated January 2026
Per-placement deep dives
Video ad formats
| Placement | Aspect | Dimensions | Formats |
|---|---|---|---|
Skippable In-Stream Skippable after 5s. Optimal length: 15–30s. Anything over 60s completes at <10%. | 16:9 or 9:16 | 1920×1080 or 1080×1920 | MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV |
Non-Skippable In-Stream Max 15s in most markets, 20s in some regions. | 16:9 or 9:16 | 1920×1080 or 1080×1920 | MP4, MOV |
Bumper Ads Max 6s, non-skippable. Best for reach & brand recall. | 16:9 or 9:16 | 1920×1080 or 1080×1920 | MP4, MOV |
YouTube Shorts Under 60s. Same principles as TikTok — sound-on, native-feeling. | 9:16 | 1080×1920 | MP4, MOV |
In-Feed Video (Discovery) Thumbnail + text — appears in Home, Search, Watch Next. | 16:9 | 1920×1080 | MP4 |
Masthead Homepage takeover, reservation-buy only. | 16:9 | 1920×1080 | MP4 |
Common mistakes
- 01Front-loading branding into the first 3 seconds only. Users skip at 5s regardless — pull the hook, not the logo, into 0–5s.
- 02Ignoring 9:16 for Shorts. Uploading a 16:9 with black bars is the single biggest waste of Shorts inventory.
- 03Long-form product explainers as skippable in-stream. Completion collapses after ~30s.
- 04Same creative in Bumper and In-Stream. Bumper is a compressed reminder, not a shortened story.