Snapchat offers advertisers unique ad formats, an engaged audience, and plenty of effective targeting tactics.
All good news for ambitious e-commerce advertisers.
But before you produce some snazzy new Snapchat assets, it’s important to understand the technical specs behind the formats.
Luckily, we are an expert Snapchat ads agency and in this guide we’ll run through the detailed specifications of Snapchat ads, so you can create smashing assets with confidence and hit your performance targets.
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Are there different Snapchat ad sizes?
There are several different types of Snapchat ads.
It’s important to understand how each format appears visually on the platform, and how users will engage with the ad.
Let’s run through the different types of Snapchat ad formats, including their creative specifications and the role they can play in your campaigns.
Different types of Snapchat ads
There are a variety of Snapchat formats available to advertisers.
Snap Ads/Single Image or Video Ads
Snap ads (or Single Image/Video ads) are full screen ads that contain a single visual asset. For instance a short-form video, a static image, or a GIF.
These ads appear between organic user stories.
Standard Snap ads don’t encourage a huge amount of user engagement, but they can be useful for promoting simple messages (e.g. product images, special offers) at scale.
Snap ad/Single Image or Video ad specs:
- File type: .mp4, .mov, .jpg, .png or h 264 encoded
- Aspect ratio: 9 16
- Resolution: 1080px x 1920px
- Length: 3-180 seconds
- Brand: Up to 25 characters with spaces
- Calls-to-action: Select CTA text. Snapchat applies the visual and places the CTA on the ad.
- Headline up to 34 characters with spaces
Story Ads
Story Ads allow you to reach users with a series of individual ads. Users can tap through each asset as part of the Story, allowing brands to deliver more in-depth messaging.
This format can appear in between user content, or within a sponsored tile in Snapchat’s Discover section.
Between 1-20 image or video assets can be used as part of the placement.
Story ad specs:
- File type: mp4, .mov, .jpg, or .png
- Aspect ratio: 9:16
- Resolution: 1080px x 1920px
- Length: 3-180 seconds
- Brand: Up to 25 characters with spaces
- Headline: Up to 34 characters with spaces
- Calls-to-action: Select CTA text. Snapchat applies the visual and places the CTA on the ad.
- Tile specs for Discover section:
- Logo:
File type: .png
Resolution: 993px x 284px - Image:
File type: .png
Resolution: 360px x 600px - Story title: Up to 55 characters with spaces
Sponsored Lenses
Sponsored Lenses are a unique ad format that enables advertisers to create AR experiences for users.
These ads can drive exceptional levels of user engagement and quickly gain organic reach.
Since the Sponsored Lense can be a complicated build, brands can work directly with a Snapchat account manager to begin the creative production process.
Advertisers can also utilise the Snapchat Lens Studio to create their own assets manually, but these will need to be submitted and approved before being used in a paid campaign.
Sponsored Lense specs:
- Visible logo or brand name required on Face and World Lenses
- Avoid placing the brand logo where it may be obscured by UI elements
- The recommended logo placement is on the top left or top right
- Snapchat adds a ‘Sponsored’ tag to the creative. This appears for only 2 seconds and doesn’t show in users’ Snaps
As Sponsored Lenses can be a more complex asset to create, it’s worth reaching out to a Snapchat account manager for guidance and carefully following best practises.
On-Demand Geofilters
With On-Demand Geofilters, advertisers can create a bespoke camera filter for users to activate in a geo-fenced location.
This is a great way to encourage interaction and engagement with your target audience, while increasing the visibility of your brand in a certain area.
On-Demand Geofilter ad specs:
- Canvas: Filter design must be a 1080 by 2340 pixel image
- File Size: 300KB or less
- File Format: PNG asset with a transparent background. Save your Filter from the File menu using ‘Save>Save for Web (Legacy)’ and select the ‘PNG-24’ preset from the drop down menu
- Transparency: Minimum 50% of the image must be transparent
- Buffer Zone: Mandatory text, logos and legal disclaimers may not be placed within 310 px of the top and bottom of the canvas
- Filters must include clear logo placement from the brand
Snapchat ad attachments
Advertisers can also add extra functionality to their Snapchat ads, known as ‘attachments’.
Attachments can help e-commerce brands to deliver against specific objectives, such as increasing app downloads or driving website traffic.
Web View Ads
Web View ads look visually similar to Snap ads, but allow users to visit your website directly by swiping up.
The Web View functionality can be used alongside Single Image and Video ads, Story ads, and any Lenses running on a Reach & Frequency model.
This is excellent for using simple creative messages to increase web traffic to specific pages.
Web View ad specs:
- Provided destination URL must work in mobile Safari and mobile Chrome
- Vertically-orientated experiences (as Web View does not rotate into landscape mode)
App Install Ads
App Install ads are visually similar to Web View ads and Top Snap ads, but allow users to download apps with the swipe-up function.
When a user swipes up on an App Install ad, they’re taken directly to the relevant page of the Google Play or iOS app store.
This functionality is available on Single Image or Video ads, Story ads, and Sponsored Lenses.
App Install ad specs:
- Install Card Safe Zone: 330px from the bottom
- Include App ID and URLs for both Google Play and iTunes App Stores
- App Icon image must be square, minimum 200 x 200 px, maximum 2000 x 2000 px (PNG)
Deep Link Ads
Deep Link ads are an effective way to re-engage existing users of your app.
When a user with your app installed swipes up on a Deep Link ad, they’re taken to a specific section of your app defined by the deep link.
If they don’t have your app installed, they’ll be taken to the relevant app store page.
Deep Link ads are available through Single Image or Video ads, Story ads and Sponsored Lenses.
Deep Link ad specs:
- Install Card Safe Zone: 330px from the bottom
- Include App ID and URLs for both Google Play and iTunes App Stores
- App Icon image must be square, minimum 200 x 200 px, maximum 2000 x 2000 px (PNG)
Long-Form Video Ads
Long-Form Video ads allow users to swipe-up on short-form teaser content to access longer video assets.
The Long-Form Video functionality can be utilised alongside Single Image and Video ads, Story ads, and any Lenses running on a Reach & Frequency model.
Long-Form Video ad specs:
File Format:
- .mp4 or mov
- H.264 encoded
Audio:
- 2 channels only
- PCM or AAC codec 192 minimum kbps 16 or 24 bit only 48 KHz sample rate
Requirements:
- Minimum length: 15 sec (no max)
- Live and/or Motion Graphic video
- Maximum size: 1 GB
- Minimum width: 1080 px
For additional details on any format specifications, check out this section of the Snapchat Business Help Centre.
Snapchat ad examples
Need some inspiration for your next Snapchat ad campaign?
Look no further.
Below is a great example from Kikikickz, a French e-commerce footwear brand.
Kikikickz utilised high quality video assets and AR filters to engage their target audience and drive product sales during Black Friday week.
These innovative AR executions allowed customers to virtually sample products through Snapchat – ultimately increasing ROAS by 14x year-on-year.
Here’s another example from TULA, a direct-to-consumer skincare brand.
TULA balanced various Snapchat formats (including Snap ads and Story ads) to promote their product range, alongside AR filters that allowed consumers to trial products virtually.
The brand saw significant improvements in Brand Awareness, Brand Favorability and Action Intent when using multiple Snapchat formats as opposed to just one.
For more creative inspiration, check out additional ad examples from Snapchat here.
Read our guide to Snapchat ad costs here.
When producing new assets for a Snapchat campaign, be sure to consider how you can make the most of the ad space to maximise performance.
Oh, and always stick to the technical specs. Seriously.
There’s nothing worse than a production error causing campaign delays or costly creative edits. Now – get out there and create some jaw-dropping Snapchat ads!
Related
- Snapchat Story Ads: Everything You Need to Know
