TikTok In-Feed Ads: Creative, Specs and Campaign Management

TikTok ad creative best practices: what stops the scroll

On TikTok, an ad competes side by side with a friend's video the user has just watched. Videos that open with a logo and show the product in a studio shot in the first second mostly get scrolled past. That's why our creative brief starts with the hook: a question, a result shot or a face talking to the camera in the first seconds. The brand and product name become clear in the middle and at the close of the video.

TikTok is watched with sound on. We still add captions, because a sizable audience watches muted on public transport. We don't place text along the bottom and right edges of the screen, where the like and comment buttons and ad text overlap the video. Before launch, we open every video in the TikTok interface preview and check that the product and text stay visible.

TikTok In-Feed ad specs and common mistakes

TikTok accepts 9:16, 16:9 and 1:1 ratios for In-Feed, but horizontal or square video looks small in the feed. In performance campaigns, we use only 9:16 vertical video. For most ads that get stuck during setup, the problem lies less in file size and more in the ad text and format. The points below summarize the checklist we run before launch.

• Vertical video at least 540x960 pixels; we work with 1080x1920. File in .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .3gp or .avi, up to 500 MB.
• Ad text is shown as plain white text; clickable links, @ mentions and hashtags aren't supported. That's why we put the call to action inside the video.
• The profile image must be 98x98 pixels and under 50 KB; the logo needs to stay within the central 66x66 pixel safe area.
• Videos up to 10 minutes can be uploaded, but in performance campaigns we prefer to stay within 15-35 seconds.
• Cropping and uploading a TV commercial: text spills over the edges and the pacing doesn't fit the feed.

Managing creative fatigue on TikTok

On TikTok, a video's lifespan is shorter than an image's on Meta. When the same person sees the same ad several times, view rate falls and cost rises. That's why, instead of a single video per ad group, we use three to five variations that tell the same message with different hooks, and monitor frequency weekly.

Rather than setting a winning video aside, we multiply it: we add a new hook, a different narrator or another sound to the same body. We isolate which element works through creative analysis and test new hooks with controlled A/B testing logic, changing only one element per round. Changing both the hook and the music at once makes the result impossible to interpret.

In-Feed ads vs. Spark Ads

A classic In-Feed ad published from the ad account doesn't appear on the organic profile, and its engagement ends when the campaign ends. If the brand's organic account is active or we're working with a creator, we recommend running the same video as Spark Ads. For brands without an organic account, or those that want to produce variations quickly for product tests, classic In-Feed stays more flexible.

The post-click experience also shapes In-Feed results. Visitors from TikTok are on mobile and impatient; a slow-loading product page wastes the effort behind a good video. That's why we run a page speed check before the campaign and make sure the same offer as in the video appears on the first mobile screen. If the discount mentioned in the video isn't on the page, users bounce within seconds.

In-Feed Ads: when do we recommend it?

How we manage In-Feed Ads

1. Hook briefFor each video, we write separately what will be shown and said in the first seconds.
2. Safe area checkWe test in preview that text and product shots aren't hidden under interface elements.
3. Variation setupWe start with 3-5 videos per ad group and keep their hooks clearly different from one another.
4. View-through reviewWe use 2-second and 6-second view rates to find where a video loses viewers.
5. Refresh cycleWe replace videos with rising frequency and cost with new hooks.

In-Feed Ads: metrics and requirements

The Brand Move TikTok Team

To learn more about In-Feed Ads or other TikTok ad formats, contact The Brand Move TikTok team today.

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