Advertising Technical Specification
Advertising Technical Specification
Welcome to Story9's Advertising Specifications Guide. This document serves as a comprehensive resource for ensuring your media content meets the technical and creative standards required for seamless delivery and optimal performance across all platforms.
At Story9, we pride ourselves on delivering exceptional media experiences, and consistent adherence to these specifications helps us achieve that goal. Whether it's video, static, or motion content, our guidelines ensure that every piece aligns with industry standards while reflecting the high-quality storytelling that defines our work.
Please review the specifications carefully and let us know if you have any questions or need further assistance. Together, we’ll bring your vision to life with precision and impact.
Social (Meta)
| Placement | Asset Type | Formats | Dimensions | Aspect Ratio | Max File Size | Length | File Type | Delivery Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook / Instagram Feed | Image | JPG, PNG | 1080×1080 (recommended) | 1:1 | 30 MB | - | Static Image | 5 business days |
| Facebook / Instagram Feed | Video | .MP4, .MOV | 1080×1080 or 1080×1350 | 1:1 or 4:5 | 250 MB | 1–120 seconds (up to 240 min for in-feed) | H.264 (recommended) | 5 business days |
| Stories / Reels | Image | JPG, PNG | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | 30 MB | - | Static Image | 5 business days |
| Stories / Reels | Video | .MP4, .MOV | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | 250 MB | Up to 60 seconds (15 sec segments auto-split) | H.264 (recommended) | 5 business days |
| Carousel | Image / Video | JPG, PNG, .MP4, .MOV | 1080×1080 (per card) | 1:1 | 30 MB (image) / 250 MB (video) | Video: Up to 240 min Image: Static |
H.264 for video | 5 business days |
Additional Considerations
- Use highest resolution available that maintains aspect ratio
- Text overlays should be minimal (Meta recommends <20% text coverage)
- Safe zone for stories: Keep key elements centered to avoid cropping
- Use sRGB color profile for consistent rendering across devices
- Max frame rate: 30fps (recommended)
Display Creatives
HTML5 display creatives need to meet the following requirements to serve on various exchanges. Please adhere to all other guidelines issued by the IAB.
Content requirements
Below are the most common display ad sizes, but different sites, apps, and regions support other sizes.
Square and rectangle: 300 × 250
Skyscraper: 120 × 600, 160 × 600, 300 × 600
Leaderboard: 468 × 60, 728 × 90, 970 × 90, 970 × 250
Mobile: 300 × 50, 300 × 100, 320 × 50, 320 × 480
Asset requirements
| Clickthroughs | HTML5 display ads must use click tags to direct users to a landing page from the ad.
The click tag should be easy for the ad server to read. Don't use a code minifier on the click tag. When someone clicks the ad, the landing page must open in a new tab or new window. |
| Animation | Ads can animate for no longer than 30 seconds. |
| Autoplay | Ads that autoplay audio are prohibited.
Ads can autoplay video, as long as the audio is muted. |
| Pop ups | Ads that spawn popups or surveys are prohibited. |
| Download size | Display & Video 360 limits the total file size of all creative files downloaded by a person's browser when an ad serves to a maximum of 5 MB. Keep in mind that publisher specifications may require a smaller download size. |
| Cookies | A maximum of 25 cookies can be set per ad. |
| HTTP calls | An HTTP call is any external file or resource loaded by your ad (for example, an impression tracker from a third-party). A maximum of 100 HTTP calls are allowed per ad. |
Supported file types
HTML5 creatives must be compressed in a ZIP file. You can include the following file types inside an HTML5 ZIP file:
| HTML, style, and script files | .html, .htm, .css, .js |
| Images | .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png, .svg |
| Font | .dfont, .eot, .otf, .tte, .ttf, .woff, .woff2 |
OOH
Guidelines for Out of Home creatives
Out of home providers often have varying specifications for the differing executions they supply. Below outlines some common specifications, but for specific locations we have linked to the suppliers for more details.
Content requirements
To run on out of home supplier platforms, all creatives must follow the guidelines for the specific provider.
Common display ad sizes
Digital 6 Sheet - Commonly found on station platforms
48 Sheets - Commonly found as posters on the London Underground Tube, opposite the platforms
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | JPEG, MP4 |
| Size | w1080 x h1920 pixels |
| Rotation | Portrait |
| Slot Length | 6 seconds |
| Content Type | Static and motion content |
Connected TV
| Requirements | Formats | Length | Resolution | Max File Size | Frame Rate | Bitrate | Audio Sample Rate | Delivery Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One version required (lengths may vary) | .MP4 | :15, :30 | 1920×1080 | 10 GB | 23.98 or 29.97 FPS | 15,000 kbps – 30,000 kbps | 48 kHz | 5 business days |
| .MP4 | :15, :30 | 1920×1080 | See below | 23.98 or 29.97 FPS | 4,000 kbps – 6,500 kbps | 48 kHz | 5 business days | |
| .MP4 | :15, :30 | 1280×720 | See below | 23.98 or 29.97 FPS | 1,200 kbps – 3,500 kbps | 48 kHz | 5 business days | |
| .MP4 | :15, :30 | 1920×1080 | 10 GB | 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30 fps | 10,000 kbps – 40,000 kbps | 49 kHz | 6 business days |
| Asset | Required Duration | Supported Formats | Length | Resolution | Max File Size | Aspect Ratio | Bitrate (Min & Recommended) | Video Frame Rate | Min Audio Bitrate | Audio Sample Rate | Delivery Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming TV Ads | UK/DE/AT/FR/IT/ES/MX: 15, 20, 30, 40, 60 US/CA: 15, 30, 45, 60 |
Video: H.264, MPEG‑2, or MPEG‑4; Audio: PCM or AAC | :15, :30 | 1920×1080 | 500MB | 16:9 | Min: 15 mbps Recommended: 50 mbps |
23.976 (recommended), 24, 25, or 29.97 | 192 kbps | 44.1kHz or 48kHz | 5 business days |
Additional Considerations
- Only available in US, CA, UK, DE, AT, FR, IT, ES, MX
- Site serving requires an MP4 video file
- Streaming TV ads are delivered in non-clickable environments so they should not include call-to-action elements that encourage clicking (e.g., a button shape that says “learn more”). Video viewability should be measured using VPAID tags from one of the approved vendors.
- Not supported: VPAID, VAST 2.0 and VAST 4.0
- Geo, browser or any other targeting on the third party end
- Third party redirecting or 4th party tags
VOD / Youtube
| Asset | Requirements | Formats | Length | Resolution | Max File Size | Aspect Ratio | Frame Rate | Delivery Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended | Video (1080p HD) Required (lengths may vary) |
.MPG (MPEG‑2 or MPEG‑4) | At least 12 seconds and up to 3 minutes | 1080p (Full HD) 1920 × 1080px (horizontal) 1080 × 1920px (vertical) 1080 × 1080px (square) |
256 GB | 16:9 for horizontal 9:16 for vertical 1:1 for square |
30fps | 5 business days |
| Accepted | Video (720p HD) Required (lengths may vary) |
.WMV, .AVI, .MOV and .FLV .MPEG‑1, .MP4, .MPEGPS, 3GPP, WebM, DNxHR, ProRes, CineForm & HEVC (h265) |
At least 12 seconds (3 minutes + is accepted but not Recommended) | 720p (Standard HD) 1920 × 1080px (horizontal) 1080 × 1920px (vertical) 1080 × 1080px (square) |
256 GB | 4:3 (SD) for horizontal 2:3 (SD) for vertical |
24fps | 5 business days |
Additional Considerations
YouTube Requirements
- YouTube advertising works best when the recommended specs are followed.
- YouTube videos must be uploaded to client's channel prior to going live; if this is not possible, the video(s) can be hosted on Story9's YouTube channel instead – the videos must be either Public or Unlisted when uploaded.
- The client's YouTube channel will need to be linked to Story9's DV360 seat; please provide the email address and the person managing the account and channel URL so the Story9 team can send a request.
- Please provide URL(s) to correct YouTube videos when ready to go live.
Native
| Asset | Requirements | Formats | Dimensions | Max File Size | Aspect Ratio | Color Model | Length | Delivery Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logo | Required | JPG, PNG | 100×100 (Minimum) | 1,200 KB | 1:1 | RGB or CMYK | - | 5 business days |
| Image | Required | JPG, PNG | 1200×627 | 1,200 KB | 1.91:1 | RGB or CMYK | - | 5 business days |
| Square Image | Optional | JPG, PNG | 627×627 | 1,200 KB | 1:1 | RGB or CMYK | - | 5 business days |
| Body Text / Short Description | Required | - | Up to 90 characters | - | - | - | Additional text typically displayed below the title – should be optimized for mobile | 5 business days |
| Long Body Text / Long Description | Optional (but recommended) | - | Up to 140 characters | - | - | - | Additional text typically displayed below the title – should be optimized for desktop | 5 business days |
| Landing Page URL | Required | - | Up to 1024 characters | - | - | - | The web page to direct people to when they click your ad. If linked to CM, URL is determined by CM tracking ad. | 5 business days |
| Headline / Short Title | Required | - | Up to 25 characters | - | - | - | Title or headline for the native ad – should be optimized for mobile | 5 business days |
| Long Headline / Long Title | Optional (but recommended) | - | Up to 50 characters | - | - | - | Title or headline for the native ad – should be optimized for desktop | 5 business days |
| Landing Page URL | Required | - | Up to 1024 characters | - | - | - | The web page to direct people to when they click your ad. If linked to CM, URL is determined by CM tracking ad. | 5 business days |
| Caption URL | Required | - | Up to 30 characters | - | - | - | A shorter, friendlier version of the landing page URL (e.g., example.com/explore) | 5 business days |
| Call To Action | Required | - | Up to 15 characters | - | - | - | The text on the ad’s call-to-action button or link (e.g., “Explore now”) | 5 business days |
- All character counts include letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and spaces
Video
| Asset | Requirements | Formats | Length | Resolution | Max File Size | Aspect Ratio | Codec | Frame Rate | Bitrate | Audio Sample Rate | Audio Bit | Delivery Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Video | (lengths may vary) | .MP4 | :15, :30 | 1920×1080 | 200 MB | 16:9 | H.264 | 23.98 or 29.97 FPS | 2,500 kbps min. Audio: 192 kbps |
48 kHz | 16 or 24 bit only | 5 business days |
Additional Considerations
- Most popular video durations listed above; not all lengths must be used and different lengths can be included depending on availability
- No black bars
- No letterboxing
- Vertical video specs can be provided upon request
YouTube Requirements
- YouTube videos must be uploaded to client's channel prior to going live; if this is not possible, the video(s) can be hosted on Story9's YouTube channel instead
- The client's YouTube channel will need to be linked to Story9's DV360 seat; please provide the email address of the person who manages the account so the Story9 team can send a request
- Please provide URL(s) to correct YouTube videos when ready to go live
