What is the safe zone for Reels ads?
The safe zone is the part of a 9:16 ad where text, logos and key visuals will not be cropped or hidden by the app's interface, such as the profile icon or call to action. Meta says to keep the top, bottom and side edges clear, and to leave the bottom 40% free if your Reels ad carries a disclaimer.
Full-screen vertical ads share the screen with interface elements such as your profile icon and the call to action. Anything you place under those elements can be covered, and anything near the very edge can be cut off on some phones. The safe zone is Meta’s name for the area that stays visible, and it is where your headline text, price, logo and product should sit.
Where is the safe zone on a 9:16 ad?
Meta’s rule depends on the shape of the ad:
| Ad shape and placement | Keep these edges free of text, logos and key visuals |
|---|---|
| 9:16 in Stories, Reels, Feed and Facebook in-stream reels | Top, bottom and both sides |
| 9:16 video in Instagram Feed | Top, bottom and both sides, the same as Reels and Stories |
| 1:1 or 4:5 in Instagram Feed | Bottom and both sides |
| Reels ad with a disclaimer | The bottom 40% of the ad |
Meta’s safe zone article does not give pixel measurements for the margins. Instead, it points you to a guardrail inside Ads Manager.
How do you see the safe zone in Ads Manager?
- Build or edit your ad and add your 9:16 image or video.
- Turn on the safe zone guardrail toggle.
- Look for the yellow overlay on your creative; the safe zone is the area inside it.
- Move text and logo overlays inside that area, using the grid tool to position them.
What happens on phones taller than 9:16?
Meta says it may do one of two things on screens taller than 9:16: zoom the creative to fill the screen, which can crop anything outside the safe zone, or show the ad at its original 9:16 ratio with a black background filling the extra space. Keeping key elements comfortably inside the safe zone protects them in both cases.
How should text overlays look?
Meta’s text overlay best practices are:
- Use a modern, clean font, large enough to read, in a contrasting colour.
- Do not cover the visuals.
- Keep to one message, since an ad usually has one call to action.
- Stay inside the safe zone.
Meta’s Instagram video best practices add that bold, clear text in the middle of the screen is most effective in Reels and Stories, and that tall feed videos (taller than 4:5) are no longer cropped, so you should follow the Reels safe zone for them too.
FAQ
Does the safe zone apply to Facebook Reels too?
Yes. Meta’s guidance covers 9:16 ads in Reels, Stories, Feed and Facebook in-stream reels. Facebook also offers overlay ads, which appear as banners on a creator’s reels; Meta says post-loop ads on Reels stopped being available from November 2025, while the overlay format continues.
Why does my logo get covered in the preview?
Meta says to keep the top, bottom and side edges of 9:16 ads free of logos, text and key creative elements, so they are not cropped out or covered by the interface, such as the profile icon or a call to action. Turn on the safe zone guardrail to see the safe area.
Do I need the 40% rule for every Reels ad?
Meta ties the 40% rule to disclaimers: if your Reels ad includes one, leave the bottom 40% free of text, logos and other key elements. For other 9:16 ads, Meta’s guidance is to keep the top, bottom and side edges clear rather than a fixed percentage.
Sources
- About text overlays and the safe zone for ads in Stories and Reels (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- Best practices for Instagram video ads (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
- About ads on Facebook Reels (Meta, checked 2 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.