TikTok video specs: size, length and safe zones
The TikTok video size to export, how to plan length, where the safe zone sits, and a pre-upload checklist you can reuse for every AI-made clip.
The short answer
Export TikTok videos as vertical 9:16 at 1080x1920 pixels, MP4, with the subject and any text kept inside the middle of the frame. That one setting covers almost every TikTok post, ad and Shop video you will make.
Length limits and upload size caps are the parts that change. TikTok has raised its maximum length several times, and limits can differ between uploading in the app, uploading on desktop and running ads. Check TikTok's current help page for the exact numbers before you plan a long video. This guide sticks to what stays stable and to the decisions you make before you hit upload.
Size and aspect ratio
TikTok is built for a phone held upright. A 9:16 frame fills the screen with no bars. If you upload 16:9, TikTok shows it small with empty space above and below, and your video loses the screen to every full-frame video around it.
Use 1080x1920 as your target. Going higher rarely helps because the app compresses what you upload. Going lower, such as 720x1280, can look soft on newer phones, especially with fine detail like hair, fabric or small text.
- Aspect ratio: 9:16 vertical.
- Resolution: 1080x1920.
- File type: MP4 is the safe choice. MOV usually works too.
- Frame rate: 30 fps is the common default. Keep the same frame rate across all clips you join.
If your AI model renders at 720p, upscale before you export. In ClickPop, clips from models that render at 720p can be upscaled to 1080p or 4K, so you can draft cheap and finish sharp.
Plan length by goal, not by the maximum
The maximum length is not a target. A video should be as long as the idea needs and no longer. For TikTok that usually means one of three shapes.
- A loopable clip: one visual moment, a few seconds, built to be watched twice.
- A single-point video: one hook, one idea, one payoff. Most product, tip and reaction videos live here.
- A longer story or explainer: needed if you are aiming at the Creator Rewards Program, which as of October 2026 only pays on videos over one minute. Check TikTok's page for current terms.
Decide the shape first, then write to it. A one-minute video that should have been fifteen seconds loses viewers in the middle, and that drop shows up in your retention graph.
Safe zones and where not to put things
TikTok draws its own interface over your video. The username and caption sit at the bottom. The like, comment, share and profile buttons run down the right side. The top has tabs and a search icon. Anything important under those layers gets covered.
Exact pixel margins shift as TikTok updates the app, and they differ between organic posts and ads. Rather than memorize numbers, use these rules and check against TikTok's current safe zone overlay in its ads help center or creative tools.
- Keep faces, products and text in the center of the frame.
- Leave a clear band along the bottom for the caption and username.
- Leave a clear strip on the right for the action buttons.
- Put on-screen captions slightly above center or in the upper middle, not at the very bottom.
- Never put a price, a code or a call to action in a corner.
When you prompt an AI video model, you can bake this in. Ask for the subject centered with empty space below. For example: "Vertical 9:16, a ceramic mug centered on a wooden table, soft morning window light, slow push in, clean empty tabletop in the lower third." That empty lower third is where TikTok's caption will land.
Try this prompt in Create VideoSound and captions
TikTok is a sound-on app for many people, but plenty scroll with sound off. Plan for both. Use a voiceover or native sound that adds meaning, and add burned-in captions so the video still works silently.
Burned-in captions should be large, high contrast and short: four to six words on screen at a time is easy to read. Keep them clear of the right-side buttons. If you also use TikTok's own auto captions, check they do not overlap your burned-in text.
Only use music you have the right to use. TikTok's commercial sound library exists for business accounts because many popular tracks are not cleared for brand use.
An export checklist for one TikTok
Here is a checklist for a 25-second product video for a skincare brand. Copy it and reuse it.
- Frame: 9:16, 1080x1920, 30 fps, MP4.
- Shot 1 (0-3 s): close-up of the bottle being picked up, hook text "I stopped doing this every morning" in the upper middle.
- Shot 2 (3-12 s): hands applying the product, voiceover explains the routine change.
- Shot 3 (12-20 s): bathroom shelf before and after tidy-up, text "one step instead of four".
- Shot 4 (20-25 s): product centered, text "link in bio" above the bottom caption band.
- Captions: burned in, five words max per line, centered.
- Safe zone check: nothing important in the bottom band or right strip.
- Labels: if any shot looks like a real person or a real scene, turn on TikTok's AI-generated content label.
Note the claim is about routine, not results on skin. Avoid health or skin-result claims in beauty videos.
Labeling AI content
TikTok requires creators to label realistic AI-generated content, as of October 2026. If your video shows a realistic person, place or event made with AI, switch on the AI-generated label when you post. Clearly stylized content like a cartoon or a motion graphic is a lower risk, but labeling when in doubt costs you nothing. Check TikTok's current policy page for the exact wording.
Mistakes to avoid
- Uploading 16:9 footage and letting TikTok letterbox it.
- Putting your call to action at the very bottom, under the caption.
- Exporting at 720p when your source could be upscaled to 1080p.
- Mixing clips with different frame rates, which causes stutter at the cuts.
- Treating the maximum length as the goal.
- Relying on numbers from an old blog post. Check TikTok's help page for limits each quarter.
To make a vertical clip from scratch, the YouTube Shorts studio in ClickPop builds a 9:16 video with a hook, beats, captions and a payoff, and the same file works on TikTok.
Questions
What is the best video size for TikTok?
1080x1920 pixels in a 9:16 vertical frame. It fills the screen on phones and holds up after TikTok compresses it.
How long can a TikTok video be?
TikTok has changed its maximum length several times and limits can differ by upload method and for ads. Check TikTok's current help page for the exact figure.
Where is the safe zone on TikTok?
Keep important content in the center. Avoid the bottom band where the caption sits and the right strip where the buttons sit. TikTok's ads help center shows the current overlay.
Do I need to label AI videos on TikTok?
As of October 2026 TikTok requires a label on realistic AI-generated content. Turn on the AI-generated label when you post.