Instagram safe zone checker

In Reels and Stories, Instagram draws its own interface over your ad: the account name and a Sponsored label at the top, then the caption, call to action button and reaction icons at the bottom. Anything of yours that sits under those elements can be hidden.

The safe zone is the part of the frame that stays clear. Meta's own help pages describe the idea but the exact margins change, so this checker uses a cautious rule of thumb that many advertisers follow: for a 9:16 Reel, keep key text and logos out of roughly the top 14 percent, the bottom 35 percent and 6 percent at each side. Always confirm in Ads Manager's preview before you publish.

An ad can look perfect in the design tool and then lose its headline or price behind the call to action button on a phone. Because most people watch on a phone, the covered area is what most of your audience sees covered.

Checking before you publish is quicker than finding out after you have spent the budget.

Different placements use different shapes. Vertical 9:16 fills the screen in Reels and Stories. A 4:5 portrait is the tallest shape that fits the Feed without cropping. Square 1:1 works almost everywhere but uses less of the screen.

The table on this page lists the recommended size and the clear area for each placement, so you can export one ad correctly for each place it will run.

A common approach is to design the key message inside the area that is clear in every placement, then extend the background to fill the rest. That way one concept can be exported for Reels, Stories and Feed without rework.