The Instagram story size is 1080×1920 pixels, a 9:16 vertical frame. Keep text, faces and products out of roughly the top 250 pixels and bottom 340 pixels, where the profile bar and reply box sit. Story videos play in clips of up to 60 seconds, and every account can add a link sticker.
Stories are the place where followers actually tap through to buy, because a link sticker sits right on the image. They're also the place where most layouts get spoiled: a price hidden under the reply box, a product photo shrunk into a tiny square in the middle of a black screen, a headline covered by the progress bar. This guide covers the exact size, the safe zones, video length, link stickers and how to turn ordinary product photos into Stories that fill the screen.
- Size: 1080×1920 px (9:16). Minimum width 600 px, but anything under 1080 looks soft.
- Safe zone: keep key content inside the central 1080×1330 or so, clear of the top 250 px and bottom 340 px.
- Video: up to 60 seconds per Story clip; longer uploads are split into several Stories.
- Links: any account can add a link sticker. Place it in the safe zone, away from the reply bar.
- Photos that aren't 9:16 get a colored background or a crop. Extend or redesign them for a full-screen look.
What is the Instagram story size?
Instagram Stories are 1080 pixels wide by 1920 pixels tall, an aspect ratio of 9:16. That matches the full screen of most phones, so a 9:16 Story fills the display edge to edge. The same frame is used for Reels, Facebook Stories and TikTok, so one vertical file can serve all of them.
| Spec | Recommendation | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 1080×1920 px | Larger files are scaled down to this |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 | Other ratios get a background fill or crop |
| Minimum width | 600 px | Expect visible softness below 1080 |
| Photo format | JPG or PNG | JPG in sRGB is the safest |
| Video format | MP4 or MOV, H.264 | 30 fps is plenty for product clips |
| Video length | Up to 60 s per clip | Longer videos are split into several Stories |
| How long it stays up | 24 hours | Save to a Highlight to keep it on your profile |
Instagram's Story size, video length and link sticker rules were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
Instagram's own help pages are short on numbers, so the minimum width and file details here come from Meta's ad specs and widely tested guides. Older articles still say Story videos are cut into 15-second pieces; Instagram moved to 60-second clips in 2022, though behaviour can vary by app version. If your photo isn't 9:16 yet, the free Instagram image resizer has a 1080×1920 story size and works in your browser.
What are the Instagram story safe zones?
Keep important content out of about the top 14% and bottom 18% of the frame. On a 1080×1920 Story that's roughly the top 250 pixels (profile picture, name, progress bar, close button) and the bottom 340 pixels (reply box, share and like buttons). Meta's ad guidance uses the same 250-pixel figure for the top edge.
| Zone | Pixels on a 1080×1920 Story | What covers it |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 0–250 | Progress bar, profile picture, account name, menu |
| Middle (safe) | 250–1580 | Nothing. Put the product, text and stickers here |
| Bottom | 1580–1920 | Reply box, like and share buttons |
| Sides | About 60 px each | Rounded corners and screen edges on some phones |
Reels cover more of the bottom than Stories do, because captions, the audio label and the like, comment and share column sit there. If one file will run as both, design for Reels: keep text out of about the bottom third and the right-hand edge. Background colors and photos can run to the edges; only words, faces, prices and stickers need to stay inside.
The Story editor hides the reply box while you design, so text that looks fine there can end up covered. Share a test Story to a Close Friends list containing only a second account, view it from that account, then delete it.
How do I fit a photo to an Instagram story without cropping?
A photo that isn't 9:16 gets placed in the middle of the screen with a background behind it. You can leave that, choose the background yourself, or change the photo's shape before uploading.
- Use the built-in background. Upload the photo, pinch to size it, then tap the drawing tool, pick a color and press and hold on the background to fill it. Quick and free, but it looks like a photo on a card.
- Crop to 9:16. Works for tall phone photos. Our free image cropper locks the box to 9:16 and shows the output size in pixels.
- Pad to 1080×1920. The free marketplace image resizer has an Instagram story preset that fits the whole photo and fills the rest with white or a color, or fills the frame and crops the center.
- Extend the scene. An AI extender generates more of the background above and below the product, so a square photo becomes a full-screen Story with no visible border.
For more padding options, see how to resize an image for Instagram without cropping.
Turn a square product photo into a full-screen 1080×1920 Story, with AI filling the space above and below the product.
Extend to 9:167 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardHow long can an Instagram story video be?
Each Story clip can be up to 60 seconds. If you upload something longer, Instagram splits it into consecutive Stories, which play one after another. A photo Story shows for about five seconds unless the viewer holds it.
For product Stories, shorter usually works better. Viewers tap forward quickly, so put the product on screen in the first second and keep each clip to one idea. Five to fifteen seconds per clip is a good target. If you don't have video, you can animate a still product photo into a short clip with image to video (15 credits per 5-second clip).
How do link stickers work in Instagram stories?
Any Instagram account can add a link sticker; the old 10,000-follower swipe-up rule is gone. Tap the sticker icon in the Story editor, choose Link, paste the URL and, optionally, customise the sticker text (for example "Shop the mug").
- Place it in the safe zone, ideally in the lower-middle area just above the reply box.
- Change the text from the raw URL to a short action.
- Tap the sticker to cycle through color styles until it stands out from your background.
- Link to the exact product page, not your homepage. Every extra tap loses buyers.
- Check your insights to see link taps per Story and learn which layouts work.
If you have products tagged through an Instagram Shop catalog, you may also see a product sticker. Features vary by country and account; see our Instagram Shop product image size guide for catalog images.
Instagram story ideas for product sellers
The Stories that sell are usually simple: one product, one message, one link. Some formats that work with photos you already have:
| Story idea | What to show | Sticker to add |
|---|---|---|
| New arrival | Full-screen product in a styled scene | Link to the product page |
| This or that | Two colors or variants side by side | Poll sticker |
| Price drop | Product with old and new price in the safe zone | Link plus countdown |
| Behind the scenes | Packing an order, making the product | Question sticker |
| How to use | 3–4 Stories, one step each | Link on the last Story |
| Customer photo | A real buyer's photo, shared with permission | Link to the same product |
| Restock alert | Product plus "back in stock" text | Countdown or link |
For text overlays on a product photo, our free add-text tool adds headlines, SALE and discount badges and price tags in your browser. For more styled layouts, AiArter's design templates include social posts and sale banners. Our lifestyle product photography ideas have scene ideas that crop well to 9:16.
Instagram story checklist
- File is 1080×1920 (9:16), JPG or MP4.
- No text, price or face in the top 250 px or bottom 340 px.
- Product fills a good share of the screen, not a small square in the middle.
- Each video clip is 60 seconds or less; ideally 5–15.
- Link sticker has custom text and sits in the safe zone.
- Link goes to the exact product page.
- Best Stories saved to a Highlight so they outlast 24 hours.
Making Story-sized product images with AiArter
- Story size (8 credits). Get a 1080×1920 version of any product photo; AI fills the extra height instead of stretching or cropping.
- Lifestyle scenes (8 credits). Your product is kept exactly as photographed and placed in a generated scene, such as Bathroom shelf or Holiday, for a Story that doesn't look like a catalog shot.
- Short clips (15 credits). Animate a product photo into a 5-second vertical clip.
- Batches of up to 50 photos with one ZIP download; failed photos aren't charged.
AiArter doesn't post Stories for you; download the files and upload them in Instagram. For feed sizes, see our Instagram post size guide.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an Instagram story?
An Instagram story is 1080×1920 pixels, a 9:16 aspect ratio. That fills a phone screen edge to edge. The same size works for Reels, Facebook Stories and TikTok.
What is the safe zone for Instagram stories?
Keep text and key details out of roughly the top 250 pixels and bottom 340 pixels of a 1080×1920 Story. The profile bar covers the top and the reply box and buttons cover the bottom.
How long can Instagram story videos be?
Each Story clip can be up to 60 seconds. Longer videos are split into several consecutive Stories. For product content, 5 to 15 seconds per clip usually holds attention better.
Can everyone add links to Instagram stories?
Yes. Any account can add a link sticker from the sticker tray; there's no follower minimum. You can change the sticker's text to something like "Shop now".
Why does Instagram crop or zoom my story photo?
Because the photo isn't 9:16. Instagram fits it on a background or lets you zoom in, which crops it. Resize it to 1080×1920 first by cropping, padding or extending the background.
What size is an Instagram highlight cover?
Upload highlight covers as 1080×1920 images, like a Story. Only a small circle from the center shows on your profile, so keep the icon or word in the middle.
Upload a product photo and get a 1080×1920 Story with the extra space filled by AI, plus styled scenes and short clips, with your product kept as it is.
Start free trialSee pricing7 days free · 50 credits · No credit card. Trial images carry a small “Made with aiarter” mark; paid plans export clean files you can use commercially.
