Agent skill

video-ad-specs

Video ad creation with exact platform-specific specs for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn. Covers dimensions, duration limits, AIDA framework, and caption requirements. Use for: video ads, social media ads, paid media creative, video marketing, ad production. Triggers: video ad, social media ad, tiktok ad, instagram ad, youtube ad, facebook ad, linkedin ad, video creative, ad specs, paid media, video marketing, ad production, reels ad, stories ad, pre roll, bumper ad

View SKILL.md on GitHub Repository
Stars 247
Forks 46

Install this agent skill to your Project

npx add-skill https://github.com/inference-sh/skills/tree/main/guides/video/video-ad-specs

SKILL.md

Video Ad Specs

Create platform-specific video ads via inference.sh CLI.

Quick Start

Requires inference.sh CLI (infsh). Install instructions

bash
infsh login

# Generate a vertical video ad scene
infsh app run bytedance/seedance-1-5-pro --input '{
  "prompt": "vertical video, person excitedly unboxing a product, clean modern room, bright natural lighting, social media ad style, authentic feeling, 9:16 format"
}'

Platform Specifications

TikTok

Spec Value
Aspect ratio 9:16 (vertical)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 px
Duration 5-60 seconds (15-30s recommended)
File size Max 500 MB
Format MP4, MOV
Sound On by default (design with sound)
Text safe zone 150px from all edges
Hook window 1 second — first frame must grab attention

Instagram Reels

Spec Value
Aspect ratio 9:16 (vertical)
Resolution 1080 x 1920 px
Duration Up to 90 seconds (15-30s for ads)
Cover image Separate upload, shows in grid
Sound On by default
Caption area Bottom 20% reserved for text overlay

Instagram Stories

Spec Value
Aspect ratio 9:16
Resolution 1080 x 1920 px
Duration Up to 15 seconds per segment
Swipe-up/Link Available for ads
Top/bottom 14% top and 20% bottom = unsafe for key content

YouTube

Format Aspect Duration Skip
Bumper 16:9 6 seconds exactly Non-skippable
Non-skippable 16:9 15 seconds Non-skippable
Skippable (TrueView) 16:9 Any length Skip after 5 seconds
Shorts 9:16 Up to 60 seconds N/A

Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9) or 1080 x 1920 (Shorts)

Facebook Feed

Spec Value
Aspect ratio 1:1 (square) or 4:5 (recommended for mobile)
Resolution 1080 x 1080 or 1080 x 1350
Duration Up to 240 min (15-30s recommended)
Autoplay Silent — captions are essential
Sound 85% of Facebook video is watched without sound

LinkedIn

Spec Value
Aspect ratio 1:1 or 16:9
Resolution 1080 x 1080 or 1920 x 1080
Duration 3 seconds to 10 minutes (15-30s for ads)
Tone Professional
Autoplay Silent in feed

AIDA Framework for Video Ads

Phase Time Goal Technique
Attention 0-3s Stop the scroll Pattern interrupt, bold visual, question
Interest 3-10s Keep watching State the problem, show relevance
Desire 10-20s Want the solution Show the product/outcome, social proof
Action Final 3-5s Click/buy/sign up Clear CTA, urgency, offer

Hook Techniques (First 3 Seconds)

Technique Example
Bold statement "This tool replaced my entire marketing team"
Question "Why are you still doing this manually?"
Surprising visual Unexpected transformation, before/after reveal
Pattern interrupt Start mid-action, unusual angle, bright color
Social proof "2 million people switched to this"
Pain point "If you hate [common frustration], watch this"

Creating Video Ads

Vertical (TikTok, Reels, Stories, Shorts)

bash
# Hook scene (0-3s)
infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{
  "prompt": "vertical 9:16 video, close-up of hands struggling with tangled cables and messy desk, frustrated energy, shaky handheld camera, authentic social media style, bright lighting"
}'

# Solution reveal (3-15s)
infsh app run bytedance/seedance-1-5-pro --input '{
  "prompt": "vertical video, smooth product reveal, clean wireless charging station on minimalist desk, satisfying organization transformation, bright modern room, social media ad aesthetic"
}'

# Add voiceover
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Stop wasting time with this mess. This one product changed my entire setup. Everything charges. Everything is organized. Link in bio."
}'

# Merge video + audio
infsh app run infsh/video-audio-merger --input '{
  "video": "solution-reveal.mp4",
  "audio": "voiceover.mp3"
}'

# Add captions (critical for silent autoplay)
infsh app run infsh/caption-videos --input '{
  "video": "ad-with-audio.mp4",
  "caption_file": "captions.srt"
}'

Square (Facebook, LinkedIn Feed)

bash
infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{
  "prompt": "square 1:1 video, professional person at desk discovering a new software tool, laptop screen showing clean dashboard, natural office lighting, corporate commercial style, satisfied expression"
}'

YouTube Bumper (6 Seconds)

bash
# 6-second bumper: one message, one visual, one CTA
infsh app run google/veo-3-1-fast --input '{
  "prompt": "6 second product ad, quick montage of a sleek app being used on phone, fast cuts, modern, energetic, brand logo reveal at end, punchy and dynamic, wide 16:9"
}'

# Keep it tight
infsh app run falai/dia-tts --input '{
  "prompt": "[S1] Your reports. Automated. Try DataFlow free."
}'

Captions Are Mandatory

85% of Facebook and 40%+ of Instagram video is watched on mute.

Caption Best Practices

Rule Reason
Always add captions Silent viewing is the default on most platforms
Large, readable font Small text is invisible on mobile
High contrast White text with dark outline/background
Centered or bottom-third Standard viewing position
Max 2 lines at a time More text = can't be read fast enough
Key words in bold/color Draws eye to important words
bash
# Generate captions from audio
# (create SRT file from your script, then burn in)
infsh app run infsh/caption-videos --input '{
  "video": "ad-video.mp4",
  "caption_file": "ad-captions.srt"
}'

Ad Structure Templates

Testimonial Ad (15-30s)

Time Content
0-3s Customer states the problem they had
3-15s How they discovered and tried the product
15-25s The specific result they achieved
25-30s Product name + CTA

Demo Ad (15-30s)

Time Content
0-3s The problem (text or visual)
3-20s Product demo showing the solution
20-25s Key result/benefit
25-30s CTA + offer

Before/After Ad (15s)

Time Content
0-3s "Before" state (messy, slow, frustrating)
3-5s Transition / product introduction
5-12s "After" state (clean, fast, satisfying)
12-15s CTA

Common Mistakes

Mistake Problem Fix
No hook in first 1-3s Viewer scrolls past Open with pattern interrupt
Landscape video on TikTok/Reels Letterboxed, looks amateur Use 9:16 for vertical platforms
No captions Most viewers watch silent Always add captions
CTA too late Viewers already left Clear CTA within last 5 seconds
Too long for platform Forced skip or dropout Match platform duration norms
Same ad for all platforms Wrong specs, wrong tone Create platform-specific versions
Logo in first 3s Feels like a commercial, gets skipped Save branding for the end
Text in unsafe zones Cut off by platform UI Check safe zone per platform

Checklist

  • Correct aspect ratio for target platform
  • Hook in first 1-3 seconds
  • Captions added (readable, high contrast)
  • CTA clear and within final 5 seconds
  • Duration matches platform norms
  • Text outside platform unsafe zones
  • Audio designed for both sound-on and sound-off
  • Platform-specific version (not one-size-fits-all)

Related Skills

bash
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@ai-video-generation
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@video-prompting-guide
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@text-to-speech
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@prompt-engineering

Browse all apps: infsh app list

Didn't find tool you were looking for?

Be as detailed as possible for better results