Standard specs for TikTok ad videos: vertical 9:16 filling the screen (horizontal or square videos get black bars and perform visibly worse); minimum 720p, 1080p recommended; MP4/MOV format; and ad text up to 100 characters.
Optimal length by objective: 9–15 seconds for awareness (completion-first), 15–25 seconds for conversion (enough for a story plus CTA), 25–45 seconds for products needing explanation. Beyond 60 seconds almost always underperforms except deep-review content.
A proven 4-part structure: hook 1–3s (question, shocking result, eye-catching scene) → problem 3–8s (hit the viewer's pain point) → solution 8–20s (product appears, quick demo) → CTA in the last 3–5s (spoken + on-screen text).
Small details that matter: subtitles on every video (most watch muted); keep text out of the top 10% and bottom 15% of the frame where TikTok's UI covers it; and always preview on a phone before launch, not a desktop monitor.