How to Resize a Video for Facebook

Getting your video clipped, captioned, and ready for Facebook shouldn't feel like a chore, but it often does when it gets cropped in awkward ways or displays with those frustrating black bars. A properly sized video not only looks more professional but also performs significantly better. This guide will walk you through exactly why resizing matters, the specific dimensions you need for every Facebook placement, and step-by-step instructions on how to do it using tools you probably already use.

Why Resizing Your Facebook Video is a Non-Negotiable Step

You might be tempted to upload the same 16:9 widescreen video everywhere, but that's a mistake that can seriously hurt your reach and engagement. Taking a few extra minutes to resize your content for each specific placement on Facebook is one of the easiest ways to improve your social media performance. Here’s why it’s so important.

It Creates a Better User Experience

Think about how you scroll through Facebook. On a mobile device, your screen is vertical. A video formatted to fill that screen feels native, seamless, and immersive. A horizontal video crammed into a vertical space, surrounded by big black bars, feels jarring and out of place. It immediately signals to the viewer that the content wasn't designed for them on that platform. Optimizing your video's dimensions shows your audience you care about their experience, making them more likely to stop scrolling and watch.

It Maximizes On-Screen Real Estate

Vertical formats like 4:5 for the Feed and 9:16 for Reels and Stories take up more of the user's screen. On a mobile device, this is a massive advantage. A video that fills the screen is more attention-grabbing and visually dominant than a small, horizontal one. It pushes competitor content and other distractions out of view, focusing all the user’s attention on your message. More screen space means more impact and less reason for someone to scroll past.

It Boosts Engagement and Watch Time

Facebook’s algorithm favors content that keeps users on the platform. Videos that are properly sized for mobile viewing are proven to have higher engagement rates and longer watch times. Studies by Facebook itself have shown that mobile-first vertical video ads consistently outperform horizontal or square video ads. When a video is easy and pleasant to watch, people stick around longer, are more likely to comment or share, and send positive signals to the algorithm, which in turn shows your content to more people.

Facebook Video Specs: A Quick-Reference Guide for 2024

Facebook's ecosystem has multiple places where video can appear, each with its own ideal format. Keeping them straight can be tough. Below is a simple breakdown of the most common placements and the dimensions that perform best.

• Aspect Ratio: This is the proportional relationship between the width and height of your video (like 1:1 for a perfect square).
• Resolution: This is the number of pixels in the frame, which determines the quality (e.g., 1080 x 1920 pixels). Always aim for the highest resolution possible.

Facebook Feed Videos

This is the most common placement. While you can upload horizontal (16:9) video here, vertical formats perform much better on mobile, which is where most people will see your content.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 4:5
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1350 pixels
• Also supported: 1:1 (1080 x 1080 pixels). While not quite as dominant as 4:5, square videos still perform exceptionally well and are a massive leap in performance over traditional 16:9 widescreen videos.

Facebook Reels & Stories

These two formats are designed to be full-screen, immersive vertical experiences. Using anything other than a 9:16 aspect ratio will result in black bars or parts of your video being zoomed in and cropped off automatically.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 9:16
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Important Note: Be mindful of the "safe zone." Facebook overlays your username, captions, and engagement buttons on top of the video near the top and bottom. Keep any important text, logos, or visual elements near the center of the frame to prevent them from being covered up.

In-Stream Video Ads

These are the ads that play before, during, or after another video on Facebook. Since they appear within a traditional video player, the standard horizontal format is best.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 16:9
• Recommended Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels

Carousel Video Ads

Carousels allow you to showcase multiple videos (or images) in a single, swipeable ad unit. For consistency and a clean look, all videos in your carousel should be the same size.

• Recommended Aspect Ratio: 1:1
• Recommended Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels

How to Resize a Video for Facebook: 3 Simple Methods

Now that you know the 'what' and 'why,' let's get into the 'how.' You don't need to be a professional video editor to do this. Here are three methods, from easy online tools to professional desktop software.

Method 1: The Easy Way (Online Video Resizing Tools)

For most creators and marketers, free online tools like Canva or Kapwing are the fastest and most intuitive option. They have presets for every social media format, making resizing as simple as a few clicks.

Here’s the general process:

1. Upload Your Video: Visit a site like Canva, create a new video project, click "Uploads," and add your video file.
2. Choose the Right Preset: Most online editors have a "Resize" or "Format" button. In Canva, for example, you can select "Magic Switch" and choose from presets like “Facebook Reel” or simply type in your custom dimensions (e.g., 1080x1350).
3. Reframe Your Shot: Once the canvas changes shape, your video may seem off-center or zoomed in. Simply double-click on the video and drag it around or use the corner handles to scale it. The goal is to keep the main subject of your video in focus.
4. (Optional) Add a Background: If cropping your horizontal video to a vertical format cuts out too much important information, you can scale the video down and place it on a blurred or solid-colored background. This technique preserves the full frame while still fitting the new aspect ratio.
5. Export and Download: When you're happy with the result, hit the "Export" or "Share" button and download your newly-resized video as an MP4 file.

Method 2: The On-the-Go Way (Mobile Editing Apps)

If you create a lot of content on your phone, mobile editing apps like CapCut and InShot are excellent for quick resizes. They are built for creating social-first content and make this process incredibly simple.

Here’s how you’d resize in an app like CapCut:

1. Start a New Project: Open the app and import the video from your camera roll.
2. Find the Aspect Ratio Menu: Look for a button called "Aspect Ratio" or "Canvas" in the main editing toolbar (it's usually near the "Format" setting on the bottom).
3. Select a Size: The app will show you icons for all the standard social formats, like 9:16 (the TikTok/Reels icon), 1:1 (the Instagram post icon), and 4:5. Tap the one you need for Facebook.
4. Pinch to Zoom and Reposition: Use your fingers on the video preview to zoom in or out and drag the clip up or down until the subject is perfectly framed within the new aspect ratio.
5. Export: Tap the export icon (usually in the top right corner) to save the finished video back to your phone.

Method 3: The Pro Way (Desktop Editing Software)

If you’re already familiar with more advanced software like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, you have precise control over every element. The process is similar, but more manual.

Here is a quick overview for Adobe Premiere Pro:

1. Create the Right Sequence: Go to File >, New >, Sequence. In the settings tab, change the Frame Size to your target dimensions (e.g., 1080 width and 1350 height for a 4:5 video).
2. Add Your Footage: Drag your video clip from the project panel onto the new timeline you just created. When a pop-up asks about mismatched sequence settings, select "Keep existing settings."
3. Adjust Scale and Position: Select the clip on your timeline and go to the "Effect Controls" panel. Here, you can manually adjust the "Scale" (to zoom in) and "Position" (to move the video vertically or horizontally) until the subject is framed correctly.
4. Use Auto Reframe for a Shortcut: For an even faster workflow, right-click your clip and select "Auto Reframe." Premiere Pro’s AI will analyze the motion in your video and automatically reframe it for different aspect ratios (like Vertical 9:16 or Square 1:1), doing most of the hard work for you. It's an incredibly powerful feature.

Quick Tips for Better Performing Resized Videos

Getting the dimensions right is just the first step. Follow these simple rules to ensure your resized video isn't just technically correct, but also highly engaging.

• Tell Your Story Without Sound. The vast majority of Facebook videos are watched with the sound off. Always add clear, easy-to-read captions to make your video understandable to everyone.
• Plan Your Shots in Advance. If you know a video needs to work in both 16:9 and 9:16 formats, film your subject with plenty of 'breathing room' around them. This gives you more flexibility to crop in later without cutting off something important.
• Never Stretch Your Video. If your video doesn't perfectly fit the new frame, it’s always better to crop it or place it on a background than to stretch it to fit. Stretched, distorted video looks unprofessional and is hard to watch.
• Keep the Focus Front and Center. In vertical formats especially, key elements must be in the center of the frame. This ensures they're immediately visible and not accidentally hidden by Facebook's user interface elements.

Final Thoughts

Resizing your videos for Facebook is no longer a "nice-to-have" detail - it's a fundamental part of a successful social media strategy. By tailoring your content to each placement, you respect the user's experience, maximize your impact, and give your videos the best possible chance to be seen and engaged with.

Once you’ve perfected your resized videos for all the different placements, you need a scheduling platform that can handle modern video formats without a headache. This is why we created Postbase with a video-first approach from the ground up, unlike older tools that tacked video on as an afterthought. You can schedule your Reels, Stories, and feed videos across all platforms from one central calendar, knowing with confidence that they’ll publish reliably without glitches or compression issues.