The Definitive Guide to LinkedIn Paid Ad Specs: Build Once, Convert Everywhere

If you have ever stared at a rejected ad notification in LinkedIn Campaign Manager because of a pixel mismatch or an unexpected text truncation, you know that B2B advertising demands technical precision. LinkedIn’s professional audience has high expectations, and the platform’s layout enforces strict boundaries. A brilliant creative concept can easily be derailed by an overlooked aspect ratio or an oversized file.

This comprehensive guide breaks down the core technical dimensions, character limits, and file requirements for LinkedIn’s primary ad formats, ensuring your campaigns look professional and pass review on the first try.

1. Single Image Ads (Sponsored Content)

Single image ads live right in the professional feed on both desktop and mobile. They are ideal for driving direct website traffic, promoting whitepapers, or highlighting top-of-funnel content.

• Landscape (1.91:1):
  • Recommended Resolution: $1200 times 628$ pixels
  • Delivery: Desktop and mobile
• Square (1:1):
  • Recommended Resolution: $1200 times 1200$ pixels (Minimum $360 times 360$ pixels)
  • Delivery: Desktop and mobile
• Vertical (4:5):
  • Recommended Resolution: $720 times 900$ pixels
  • Delivery: Mobile only (takes up valuable screen real estate)
• Technical Constraints:
  • File Types: JPG, PNG, or GIF (non-animated)
  • Max File Size: 5 MB
• Copy Limits:
  • Introductory Text: 150 characters recommended (truncates cleanly; hard limit up to 600)
  • Headline: 70 characters recommended (hard limit up to 200)

2. Video Ads

Video is one of the most effective ways to command attention in a text-heavy professional feed, whether you are launching a product or sharing customer success stories.

• Aspect Ratios & Resolutions:
  • Landscape (16:9): $1920 times 1080$ pixels
  • Square (1:1): Up to $1920 times 1920$ pixels
  • Vertical (4:5): $1080 times 1350$ pixels recommended
  • Vertical (9:16): Up to $1080 times 1920$ pixels
• Technical Constraints:
  • File Format: MP4
  • File Size: 75 KB minimum up to 500 MB maximum
  • Duration: 3 seconds to 30 minutes (though 15 to 30 seconds typically yields the highest completion rates)
  • Frame Rate: 30 FPS recommended
  • Thumbnail: Optional, but highly recommended. Must match the video’s aspect ratio and stay under 2 MB (JPG or PNG).
• Copy Limits:
  • Introductory Text: 150 characters (up to 600 max)
  • Headline: 70 characters (up to 200 max)

3. Carousel Ads

Carousels allow you to tell a sequential story, showcase a product feature list, or display a multi-step framework across interactive cards.

• Card Dimensions: $1080 times 1080$ pixels ($1:1$ square)
• Card Count: 2 to 10 cards per carousel
• Technical Constraints:
  • File Formats: JPG, PNG, or non-animated GIF
  • Max File Size: 10 MB per card
• Copy Limits:
  • Card Headline: 45 characters max (keep it punchy; text truncates quickly)
  • Introductory Text: 255 characters max

4. Document Ads

If your strategy relies on heavy gated assets like industry reports, whitepapers, or slide decks, Document Ads allow users to preview and swipe through PDFs directly inside the feed.

• Accepted Formats: PDF, PPT, PPTX, DOC, or DOCX
• Technical Constraints:
  • Max File Size: 100 MB
  • Page Limit: Up to 300 pages (though 5 to 15 pages usually performs best for engagement)

5. Text Ads & Spotlight Ads (Dynamic Ads)

Dynamic ads leverage LinkedIn profile data to personalize experiences, appearing primarily on the desktop right rail.

• Text Ads:
  • Image: $100 times 100$ pixels (JPG or PNG, max 2 MB)
  • Headline: 25 characters max
  • Description: 75 characters max
• Spotlight Ads:
  • Company Logo: $100 times 100$ pixels (JPG or PNG, max 2 MB)
  • Optional Background Image: $300 times 250$ pixels (max 2 MB)
  • Headline: 50 characters max
  • Description: 70 characters max

Quick-Glance Summary Table

| Ad Format | Recommended Dimensions | Max File Size | Primary File Types |
| :— | :— | :— | :— |
| Single Image (Square) | $1200 times 1200$ px | 5 MB | JPG, PNG, GIF |
| Single Image (Landscape) | $1200 times 628$ px | 5 MB | JPG, PNG, GIF |
| Video Ad | $1920 times 1080$ px ($16:9$) | 500 MB | MP4 |
| Carousel Card | $1080 times 1080$ px | 10 MB / card | JPG, PNG, GIF |
| Document Ad | N/A (PDF/PPT layout) | 100 MB | PDF, PPT, DOC |
| Text Ad Logo | $100 times 100$ px | 2 MB | JPG, PNG |

Pro-Tips for Flawless Execution

1. Mind the Safe Zones: Keep crucial text and logos away from the bottom corners of video and image assets, where native platform overlays (like timestamps, audio toggles, and CTA buttons) tend to sit.
2. Compress Before Upload: While LinkedIn allows up to 5 MB for single images, pre-compressing assets to roughly 1–2 MB keeps rendering speeds sharp on mobile devices without sacrificing visual fidelity.
3. Double-Check Destination URLs: Always pair your specs compliance with proper UTM tracking parameters. Ensuring your landing page parameters are appended correctly before building out variations will save you from pausing live campaigns later.