The Complete Guide to LinkedIn Paid Ad Specs: Engineering Creative That Converts

Mastering LinkedIn advertising requires more than a compelling hook and a high-intent audience; it demands strict adherence to technical parameters. A brilliant creative asset will be rejected outright, awkwardly cropped, or compressed into a pixelated blur if it misses LinkedIn’s formatting windows by even a few pixels.

Whether you are launching broad B2B brand campaigns or hyper-targeted lead generation sequences, this reference guide covers the essential technical specifications, character limits, and creative dimensions for LinkedIn paid ads.

1. Single Image Ads

Single image ads live natively in the LinkedIn feed across desktop and mobile devices, making them the workhorse of B2B prospecting.

• Landscape (1.91:1):
  • Recommended Size: $1200 times 628$ pixels (Minimum: $640 times 360$ px)
  • Delivery: Desktop and mobile
• Square (1:1):
  • Recommended Size: $1200 times 1200$ pixels (Minimum: $360 times 360$ px)
  • Delivery: Desktop and mobile (Best for maximum feed real estate)
• Vertical / Portrait (4:5):
  • Recommended Size: $720 times 900$ pixels (Minimum: $360 times 640$ px)
  • Delivery: Mobile only
• Technical Constraints:
  • File Types: JPG, PNG, or GIF (non-animated)
  • Max File Size: 5 MB
• Copy Limits:
  • Introductory Text: Up to 150 characters recommended (255 max) to avoid truncation.
  • Headline: Up to 70 characters (up to 200 max, but truncated past 70 on most feeds).

2. Carousel Ads

Carousels allow you to tell a sequential story, display multi-product lines, or present step-by-step frameworks across a swipeable deck of cards.

• Card Dimensions: $1080 times 1080$ pixels (1:1 square ratio)
• Card Count: 2 to 10 cards per carousel
• Technical Constraints:
  • File Types: JPG, PNG, or non-animated GIF
  • Max File Size: 10 MB per card
• Copy Limits:
  • Introductory Text: Up to 255 characters (ideal under 150).
  • Card Headline: 45 characters max for cards with destination URLs or Lead Gen Forms.

3. Video Ads

Because a vast majority of users watch LinkedIn feeds on mute, your video specs must accommodate custom subtitle uploads alongside crisp visual framing.

• Aspect Ratios & Resolutions:
  • Landscape (16:9): $1920 times 1080$ px
  • Square (1:1): $1920 times 1920$ px
  • Vertical (4:5): $1080 times 1350$ px
  • Vertical (9:16): $1080 times 1920$ px
• Technical Constraints:
  • File Format: MP4
  • File Size Range: 75 KB to 500 MB
  • Duration: 3 seconds to 30 minutes (15–30 seconds performs best for direct response)
  • Frame Rate: 30 FPS or lower
  • Captions: Upload separate SRT files (strongly recommended since content often auto-plays silently).

4. Thought Leader Ads

Thought Leader Ads amplify organic posts written by employees or executives, turning individual voices into scalable brand demand.

• Underlying Specs: Inherits the technical parameters of the specific organic format being amplified (