Mastering LinkedIn Paid Ad Specs: The Ultimate Creative and Technical Blueprint

Running high-performing campaigns on LinkedIn requires more than just a compelling hook and a solid target audience. If your creative assets don’t match the platform’s strict technical requirements, your ads will face rejection, formatting glitches, or sluggish performance.

Whether you are launching a full-scale account-based marketing (ABM) strategy or promoting thought leadership content, hitting the exact pixel dimensions and character limits is critical. This comprehensive breakdown covers everything you need to know about LinkedIn paid ad specs.

1. Single Image Ads

Single image ads appear natively in the LinkedIn feed on both desktop and mobile. They are ideal for quick announcements, infographics, data visualizations, and driving lead generation.

• File Types: JPG, PNG, or GIF (static)
• Max File Size: 5 MB
• Aspect Ratios & Dimensions:
  • Landscape (1.91:1): 1200 x 627 px (or 1200 x 628 px)
  • Square (1:1): 1200 x 1200 px
  • Vertical (4:5): 720 x 900 px (Mobile only)
• Text Limits:
  • Introductory Text: Up to 150 characters recommended (though truncation occurs further down).
  • Headline: Up to 70 characters (recommended to keep under 50 to prevent cutoff).

2. Carousel Ads

Carousel ads let you showcase a series of swipeable cards, making them perfect for step-by-step guides, product feature breakdowns, or storytelling.

• Card Count: 2 to 10 cards
• File Types: JPG or PNG
• Max File Size: Up to 10 MB per card
• Dimensions: 1080 x 1080 px (1:1 Square mandatory for consistency)
• Text Limits:
  • Introductory Text: Up to 255 characters
  • Card Headline: Up to 45 characters per card

Design Tip: Keep critical text and logos away from the bottom edges of carousel cards to prevent overlap from UI elements or CTA buttons.

3. Video Ads

Native video captures high attention across the buyer’s journey. LinkedIn supports multiple orientations depending on where you want the user’s focus.

• File Format: MP4
• File Size: 75 KB to 500 MB
• Duration: 3 seconds to 30 minutes (though 15–30 seconds typically yields the highest engagement)
• Aspect Ratios & Recommended Sizes:
  • Landscape (16:9): 1920 x 1080 px
  • Square (1:1): Up to 1920 x 1920 px
  • Vertical (4:5): 720 x 900 px (Recommended for feed performance)
  • Vertical (9:16): Up to 1080 x 1920 px
• Thumbnails: JPG or PNG, max 2 MB, matching the video’s exact aspect ratio.

Quick Reference: Other Key Formats

| Ad Format | Core Asset Spec | Character / Text Constraints |
| :— | :— | :— |
| Document Ads | PDF, PPT/PPTX, DOC/DOCX (Up to 100 MB, 300 pages) | Intro Text: 150 characters recommended |
| Text Ads | 100 x 100 px logo (JPG/PNG, max 2 MB) | Headline: 25 chars
Description: 75 chars |
| Spotlight Ads | 100 x 100 px logo + optional 300 x 250 px background | Headline: 50 chars
Description: 70 chars |
| Conversation Ads | Optional 300 x 250 px desktop banner | Custom Message: Up to 8,000 chars
CTA Button: 25 chars |

Best Practices for Seamless Approvals

1. Watch the File Weight: While LinkedIn allows up to 10 MB for carousels and 5 MB for single images, compressing files slightly below these caps prevents loading delays and potential rendering bugs on mobile connections.
2. Design for Sound-Off Viewing: Most professionals scroll LinkedIn with audio muted. Always bake open captions directly into your video files to retain viewer attention.
3. Double-Check Safe Zones: Keep text centered and avoid putting vital brand elements too close to the borders where user interface overlays can crop them out.

By adhering strictly to these specifications, your creative team can avoid frustrating ad rejections and ensure your campaigns look sharp across every professional feed.