The universal safe zone: one 1080 × 1920 layout for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
By Cormac Moore. Updated 26 October 2026. 2 minute read.
The short answer
To make one vertical video that’s safe on TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts, organic and ads, keep logos, text, faces and calls to action inside a box 288 px from the top, 672 px from the bottom, 65 px from the left and 192 px from the right of a 1080 × 1920 frame.
That’s an 823 × 960 px box, from x 65 to 888 and y 288 to 1248. It also survives Instagram’s 4:5 feed crop and 3:4 profile grid crop.
How the universal safe zone is worked out
Take each platform’s margins and keep the biggest one on every edge. Every platform takes a bite. Together they eat about half the frame.
| Edge | TikTok (ads, 2-line caption) | Reels ad | Shorts | Universal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top | 170 px | 269 px | 288 px | 288 px |
| Bottom | 606 px | 672 px | 672 px | 672 px |
| Left | 64 px | 65 px | 48 px | 65 px |
| Right | 160 px | 160 px | 192 px | 192 px |
Shorts sets the top and right, Meta and Shorts tie on the bottom, and Meta sets the left.
Why the box sits left of centre
Every platform puts its buttons down the right-hand side. None of them put anything on the left. So the safe box is lopsided, and your layout should be too: centre supers slightly left, and never right-align anything important.
It survives the crops as well
- Instagram and Facebook feed (4:5) cut 285 px off the top and bottom of a 9:16 video. The 288 px top margin already covers it.
- Instagram profile grid (3:4) cuts 240 px top and bottom. Also covered.
- Stories ads use 269 px top and 672 px bottom, both inside the box.
What can go outside the box?
Backgrounds, b-roll, motion, texture, anything that’s fine half hidden. The rule is simple: if it’s important, it goes in the box. If it can’t go in the box, it can’t go in the ad.
A template you can trust
Set up your 1080 × 1920 sequence with guides at x 65, x 888, y 288 and y 1248. Then drop the export into AhCrop to see it on every placement at once, because a template tells you where things should go and a preview tells you where they went.
Questions people ask
Is there one safe zone for all social platforms?
Yes, if you use the strictest margin on each edge: 288 px top, 672 px bottom, 65 px left and 192 px right on 1080 × 1920.
What percentage of the frame is safe everywhere?
About 76% of the width and 50% of the height: the middle of the frame, shifted slightly left.
Does the universal safe zone work for Stories and the feed?
Yes. It sits inside Meta’s Stories ad margins and survives the 4:5 feed crop and the 3:4 profile grid crop.
Should I just design for the strictest platform?
For one cut across all platforms, yes. For a single platform, use that platform’s own zone and get more room.
Sources
- Meta Ads Guide: Instagram Reels ads, keep 14% top, 35% bottom and 6% each side clear
- TikTok Ads Help: Auction In-Feed Ads, safe zone templates that shrink as captions get longer
- Google Ads Help: About video ad specs, vertical video safe zone diagram for 1080 × 1920
Numbers are for a 1080 × 1920 frame and were last checked 26 October 2026. Platforms change their apps often, so check AhCrop for the current version.