Guide · LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn Video Ads
Native video that auto-plays muted in the feed. The exact specs, the duration limits, and the honest benchmarks: why video buys the cheapest impressions and the most expensive clicks, and the few cases where it is still the right call.
Last verified June 2026 against LinkedIn's Help Center
The short answer
Video is the second most-funded format on LinkedIn, taking roughly 32% of total ad budget, and one of the least efficient places to put it. Median CTR is 0.24%, the lowest of any format, and median CPC is $15.61, the highest. The honest framing: video is a brand-awareness and retargeting tool, not a direct-response tool.
Its one real edge is cost per impression. At a $38.94 CPM, video is the cheapest way to get in front of people on LinkedIn. So it buys reach well and clicks badly. Use it deliberately, for funny or relatable brand spots, warm-audience retargeting, motion demos, and real testimonials. For cold lead gen, single image ads and thought leader ads return far more clicks per dollar. For every format's dimensions in one place, see the full ad specs guide.
Video ads at a glance
The quick orientation before the spec tables: what the format is, where it runs, and what it is actually good at.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format family | Sponsored Content, native in the feed, auto-plays muted |
| Placement | Desktop and mobile feed, plus LinkedIn Audience Network |
| Objectives | Awareness, engagement, video views, website visits, lead gen, conversions |
| Ad sets | Supported by both Classic and Accelerate ad sets |
| Sound | Off by default. Members tap to unmute, so design for silent viewing |
| Best for | Brand awareness, retargeting warm audiences, motion demos, testimonials |
Video specs
MP4 only (Apple ProRes not supported), H.264 or VP8 codec, AAC or MPEG4 audio under 64 KHz, frame rate under 30 fps, file size 75 KB to 500 MB. Aspect ratio tolerance is 5%. Thumbnail: JPG or PNG, max 2 MB, matching the video. Upload from desktop only.
| Orientation | Aspect ratio | Recommended | Min / Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical (recommended) | 4:5 (0.80) | 720 x 900 px | 360x450 / 1080x1350 |
| Vertical | 9:16 (0.56) | 720 x 1280 px | 360x640 / 1080x1920 |
| Square | 1:1 | 1080 x 1080 px | 360x360 / 1920x1920 |
| Horizontal / landscape | 16:9 (1.78) | 1920 x 1080 px | 640x360 / 1920x1080 |
Aspect ratios at a glance
The four shapes you can export, drawn to scale. 4:5 and 1:1 take the most mobile feed space; 16:9 leaves letterbox bars. Tap a size to copy it.
Vertical · recommended
Vertical · full screen
Square · feed
Landscape
Keep it under 30 seconds
LinkedIn allows 3 seconds to 30 minutes, but recommends 15 to 30 seconds so the video qualifies for all placements across the feed and the Audience Network. With a median watch time of 5.86 seconds, anything that needs a 30-second build-up loses most of the audience before the payoff.
Completion drops fast with length: under 15 seconds lands 35 to 45%, 15 to 30 seconds lands 25 to 35%, and past a minute you are under 15%. Reserve videos over 60 seconds for retargeting warm audiences only, people who already have a reason to invest the time.
Text and character limits
Keep intro text under 150 characters so it shows in full on mobile before the truncation point. CTAs are chosen from a preset list (Learn More, Sign Up, Register, Download, Request Demo, and more); there is no free-text CTA. Note the destination domain does not appear in the video headline the way it does on single image ads.
| Field | Max characters | Recommended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ad name (optional) | 255 | n/a | Internal only, not shown to members |
| Introductory text | 600 | 150 or fewer | First ~150 chars visible on mobile before truncation |
| Headline | 200 | 70 or fewer | Truncates above 70. Destination domain is not shown in the headline |
| Destination URL | 2,000 | n/a | http:// or https:// required; CTA chosen from a preset list |
Creative best practices
Video is the most over-allocated format on LinkedIn, so the bar for making it work is high. These are the patterns that separate a budget sink from a scroll-stopper. Most strong videos nail the first four.
Hook in the first 3 seconds
- Median watch time is 5.86 seconds, so the opening frame decides everything.
- Open with a result, a stat, or a striking visual. No logo fades or “Hi, I’m…” intros.
Design for sound-off
- Video auto-plays muted in the feed. Most viewers never tap to unmute.
- Burn in captions or upload an SRT file so the message lands silently.
Front-load the message
- Say the one thing you need to say early. There is no room for a slow build.
- Anything that needs a 30-second setup loses most of the audience.
Keep it under 30 seconds
- Under 15 seconds for cold awareness, 15 to 30 for teasers and value props.
- Completion rate falls off a cliff past 60 seconds.
Lead with vertical or square
- 4:5 and 1:1 take up the most mobile feed space and stop the scroll.
- 16:9 leaves letterbox bars on mobile and shrinks your footprint.
Upload a custom thumbnail
- The auto-grabbed frame is rarely the strongest one.
- A clean custom thumbnail (JPG or PNG, under 2 MB) lifts the still impression.
Match the objective to reality
- Auto-play inflates “views,” so an engagement objective rewards vanity metrics.
- Use website visits as the objective when you want real downstream action.
Save video for warm audiences
- Retargeting CTR climbs to 0.5%+ versus 0.24% cold.
- People who already know your brand watch longer and click more.
Use real people for testimonials
- A named customer or founder on camera builds trust text cannot match.
- Keep testimonials to 30 to 45 seconds with name, title, and company on screen.
Performance benchmarks
Video wins on exactly two metrics, CPM and engagement rate, and loses on everything else. That is the central tension: cheapest impressions, most expensive outcomes. A $1,000 video budget returns about 62 landing-page clicks, versus ~71 for single image and ~327 for thought leader ads. Data from the ZenABM 2026 benchmarks (211 companies, 2,828 ads).
| Metric | Video | Single image | Thought leader | Carousel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median CTR | 0.24% | 0.42% | 2.68% | 0.32% |
| Median CPC | $15.61 | $13.23 | $2.29 | $13.30 |
| Median CPM | $38.94 | $59.15 | $49.37 | $45.28 |
| Efficiency score | 1.5 | 3.2 | 9.5 | 3.8 |
How to set one up
Seven steps from a fresh campaign to a clean, testable video ad.
- 1
Pick the objective first
Video belongs on awareness and retargeting goals, not cold lead gen. Your objective controls the available bids, optimization goals, and whether the ad uses a destination URL or a form.
- 2
Cut for 15 to 30 seconds
Front-load the hook and end before attention drops. With a median watch time under 6 seconds, length works against you.
- 3
Export MP4, square or vertical
1080 x 1080 (1:1) or 4:5 vertical, H.264 codec, under 200 MB so it processes fast. MP4 only, Apple ProRes is not supported.
- 4
Add an SRT caption file
Non-negotiable for a muted feed. SRT format only, text without custom font or color formatting.
- 5
Upload a custom thumbnail
JPG or PNG under 2 MB, matching the video aspect ratio and resolution. It is the still frame members see before playback starts.
- 6
Write to the limits
Land the hook in the first 150 characters of intro text and keep the headline at 70 or fewer. Remember the destination domain does not show in the video headline.
- 7
Launch and prune on data
Retire any video that underperforms once it passes 1,000 impressions, and refresh creative before fatigue sets in on narrow audiences.
LinkedIn video ads FAQ
- MP4 file, 75 KB to 500 MB, 3 seconds to 30 minutes (15 to 30 seconds recommended). Aspect ratios run from 9:16 to 16:9, with 4:5 vertical and 1:1 square recommended for mobile. Codec is H.264 or VP8, frame rate under 30 fps, audio AAC or MPEG4.
Sources
All specs verified against LinkedIn's official documentation.
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