# How do you design a product ad for Stories and Reels (9:16)? Published: 2026-11-09. Updated: 2026-11-09. Written by: Framepx Team. A product ad for Stories and Reels is built on a vertical 9:16 canvas, 1080 x 1920 pixels, with the key elements in the middle of the screen and clear of the interface at the top and bottom. Show the product large, write one message, and keep the price or badge inside the safe zone. Below are the design steps and a checklist. ## What is a safe zone and why does it matter? In Stories and Reels, Meta shows the profile name and the "Ad" label at the top, and the ad text, the action button and icons such as the like button at the bottom. Whatever part of your image sits under those areas is covered. A price or a logo that falls there cannot be read. Safe zone guides commonly give these values: about 14 percent at the top, about 35 percent at the bottom for Reels, and about 6 percent at each side. On a 1080 x 1920 canvas that is roughly 270 pixels from the top, 670 from the bottom and 65 from each side. Check them against [Meta's safe zone page](https://www.facebook.com/business/help/980593475366490). Meta changes these numbers from time to time, so check your own ad in the Meta Ads Manager preview before you publish. ![Three ads side by side: a beauty, a fashion and a tech product](/blog/inline-ads-c-en.webp "Real ads we made for brands") ## Step by step design 1. **Open the canvas:** 1080 x 1920 pixels, 9:16. Do not stretch a square or 4:5 image to fill it. It blurs and gets cropped. 2. **Add guides:** Leave 14 percent at the top, 35 percent at the bottom and 6 percent at the sides. Inside that frame is your working area. 3. **Put the product in the middle:** Large, sharp and centered. Do not drop a small product into a wide empty space. 4. **Write one message:** The price, the discount or the product name. One of them leads, not all. Keep the text short and big, readable at a glance. 5. **Keep the logo small and safe:** The brand should be visible without replacing the product. 6. **Contrast and legibility:** Put text on empty background, not over the product. Check contrast on a phone at small size. 7. **Preview it:** In Meta Ads Manager, open the Stories and Reels preview and check every element in every area. ## Can Stories and Reels share one design? The same 9:16 image can run in both. The bottom interface is taller in Reels, so if you design to the tighter area, the image looks clean in both places. When you choose placements in Meta Ads Manager you can also upload a separate image for Stories and Reels. If you have time, prepare the two apart. ## Motion or a still image? A still image can run in Stories and Reels. Motion can catch attention, but making video for every product is hard. Start with a still 9:16 image. Add motion later for the products that work. Whether still or moving does better has to be tested in your own account. There is no general rule. ## Common mistakes - **Stretching a square image into a vertical slot:** It gets cropped or leaves gaps. - **Putting the price at the bottom edge:** It ends up under the action button. - **Too much text:** A Story is watched for a short time and long text goes unread. - **One template for every product:** A template is fine, but the product itself must show. - **Skipping the preview:** A design that looks good on a desktop can look different on a phone. ## What if you have many products? Drawing a hundred 9:16 images for a hundred products does not scale. Two roads solve it: design one template and fill the product image, price and badge from the feed automatically, or use a system that does the job. Whichever you choose, the rule is the same: the template stays inside the safe zone, the product looks big and the price is current. ## How Framepx does these steps automatically Framepx is an AI system for product ads, offered as AI as a service. Its AI engine turns every product in your feed into your brand's own ad in 1:1, 4:5 and 9:16. So a 9:16 ad for Stories and Reels is made too, with no manual design. The ads stay in step with each product's price and stock. Its decision engine picks which product shows where from price, stock, the channels' results and GA4. The channels read the ads through a feed link today. ## Checklist before you publish 1. Is the image 1080 x 1920 pixels? 2. Are the price, logo and text inside the safe zone? 3. Is the product recognizable at first glance? 4. Is there only one message? 5. Is the phone preview clean? 6. Are the price and stock current? If all six are yes, publish. ## Frequently asked questions ### What size should a Stories and Reels ad be? 9:16, ideally 1080 x 1920 pixels. Other ratios can be cropped or leave gaps. ### Can I put text outside the safe zone? You can, but the interface may cover it. Keep important items such as the price, the logo and the call to action inside. ### Can I use the same image in Feed? For Feed, 1:1 or 4:5 gives better results. A 9:16 image in Feed can be cropped. Framepx makes all three ratios for each product. ### Can I start Framepx free? Yes. You can start free for up to 30 days on the steps the panel asks. See [Pricing](/pricing) for plans. To see a 9:16 ad for every product made automatically, [schedule a demo](https://calendar.app.google/YAGHbFGzGyvPKE4y8).