Guides
TikTok Video Size: Vertical Export Settings and Safe-Area Checklist
Published by Influence
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Start a typical vertical TikTok video at 1080 × 1920 px, a 9:16 aspect ratio, and export an MP4 using H.264. The canvas is a practical production recommendation. It is not TikTok’s minimum resolution, a universal upload limit, or a guarantee that every caption and overlay stays visible.
Keep three questions separate: what makes a readable video, what TikTok accepts for a particular publishing route, and what your publishing tool supports. An advertisement, an organic upload in TikTok, and an API upload can have different requirements. Specifications checked October 15, 2026.
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TikTok export settings and their meaning
| Setting | Practical choice | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920 px · 9:16 | Editorial recommendation for vertical creative |
| Container and codec | MP4 with H.264 | Recommended in TikTok’s Content Posting API guidance |
| Frame rate | Keep a suitable source rate within 23–60 fps | TikTok API range; avoid invented frames just to change the number |
| API dimensions | Each dimension from 360 to 4096 px | Technical acceptance range, not an ideal design size |
| Duration | Check the connected account’s current allowance | Account-dependent; no universal maximum is promised here |
| Safe area | Preview captions and interface overlays | No single fixed pixel margin works for every placement |
TikTok’s media transfer guide documents the API specifications above. Its platform file ceiling does not override a publishing tool’s stricter limit. Check the limit shown by the tool you will actually use, leave room for the final export, and never assume an ad specification also describes an organic post.
Keep the important parts visible
Place the subject and essential text where readers can see them after TikTok adds its interface. Review the account name, caption, action controls, subtitles, and any other placement elements together. A blank frame with a fixed margin cannot prove the final video is safe: longer captions and different placements can cover different areas.
- Choose one clear viewing task. Decide whether the audience should learn a step, inspect a product, or understand an offer before choosing music or visual effects.
- Build a vertical master from the original footage. Reframe each shot instead of stretching a landscape clip. Check that a demonstration still shows the hands and object.
- Add readable subtitles and concise on-screen labels. Keep important speech understandable without sound, and proofread names, numbers, and instructions.
- Export once from the master with appropriate quality. Check the actual dimensions, duration, codec, and file size. Renaming a file extension does not convert the media.
- Preview the finished video in the intended publishing flow. Inspect the first frame, full caption, cover, and last frame. Revise any label hidden by interface elements before approval.
Copy the TikTok export worksheet
Video purpose and owner: [details]
Publishing route: [TikTok native / publishing tool / advertising]
Canvas and aspect ratio: [width × height; ratio]
Container, codec, and frame rate: [settings]
Duration and exported file size: [values]
Current destination limits checked: [where and when]
Essential subject and text: [must remain visible]
Subtitles, caption, cover, and overlays reviewed: [result]
Final filename and reviewer: [details]
Decision: [revise / ready for scheduling]
This ungated worksheet is a production checklist, not an uploader. Completing it does not grant permission to use footage or music and does not schedule the video. Keep rights checks and the final publication decision in your normal review process.
Worked example: a bicycle repair demonstration
Fictional example
Fictional business: Oak Street Repairs. The team records a 24-second demonstration of checking a bicycle light before a commute.
Export plan: 1080 × 1920 px, MP4, H.264, 30 fps to match the source footage. The editor keeps the light and the mechanic’s hands central.
First review: a label near the bottom is covered by the caption area. The editor moves the label above the hands and shortens it to one instruction.
Final check: subtitles are accurate, the light is visible throughout, and the chosen upload flow accepts the finished file. The result is marked ready for scheduling; no post or performance result is implied.
Common TikTok video size questions
Is 9:16 mandatory for every TikTok upload? This guide recommends it for a full-screen vertical design. Technical acceptance depends on the route and format; do not turn a design preference into a universal platform rule.
Can I reuse a horizontal video? Yes, if the new crop preserves the useful action. When cropping removes essential context, redesign the layout or record a short vertical version instead of stretching the footage.
Why does my tool reject a file TikTok can accept? Tools can impose tighter file, duration, or format limits. Use the current limit in the actual publishing flow and reduce or re-export the file when needed.
Plan the finished asset with the social media calendar. Use the TikTok timing worksheet to test a suitable audience window and the repurposing guide to adapt the lesson for another channel.