What's the Maximum File Size for a Google Ads Uploaded Image Display Ad?

A Google Ads uploaded static image display ad is capped at 150KB per file. This limit applies to GIF, JPG, and PNG image ads uploaded directly to run on the Google Display Network — exceed it, and Google Ads won't accept the upload or serve the ad, per Google's official ad specifications.

This Limit Only Applies to Self-Uploaded Static Images

The 150KB cap is specific to the classic "uploaded image ad" format, where the advertiser supplies one finished, fixed-size creative file. It does not apply to every Google Ads image format:

• Uploaded image ads (Display Network) — 150KB maximum, hard cutoff.
• Responsive Display Ads — landscape, square, and logo images can each go up to 5,120KB (5MB), since Google hosts the resizing and compression itself.
• Performance Max and Demand Gen image assets — also allow up to 5,120KB per image, following the same responsive-asset logic.

So an advertiser who hits the 150KB wall on an uploaded image ad isn't stuck — switching the same creative into a Responsive Display Ad or Performance Max asset group gives roughly 34 times more headroom.

Accepted File Types

Google only accepts GIF, JPG, and PNG for uploaded image ads — no other image formats are supported, regardless of file size. Animated GIFs count toward the same 150KB ceiling as static images; there's no separate, larger allowance for animation.

What Happens If the File Is Too Big

Google Ads doesn't compress an oversized file for you automatically. An image over 150KB is rejected at upload with an error, and the ad simply won't go live until the file is resized or compressed to fit under the cap. There's no manual override or exception request process for this limit.

Why the Limit Exists

A 150KB ceiling keeps uploaded display creative light enough to load quickly across the enormous range of sites and apps in the Display Network, many of which have their own page-weight and load-time constraints of their own. It's a page-speed guardrail for publishers as much as a storage limit for advertisers.

When This Format Still Makes Sense

With Responsive Display Ads, Performance Max, and Demand Gen all offering a much larger 5,120KB allowance, the plain uploaded image ad format has become something of a legacy option. It still gets used by advertisers who want pixel-perfect control over exactly what viewers see — no automated resizing, cropping, or text-image combinations generated by Google's system — which matters for brand guidelines that require a fixed, approved layout.

How to Stay Under 150KB

• Export as PNG-8 instead of PNG-24 when the image doesn't need a full 24-bit color palette — this alone can cut file size dramatically for flat-color or text-heavy creative.
• Reduce the canvas dimensions to the actual display size needed rather than uploading an oversized source image and letting the platform scale it down.
• Run the file through a dedicated image compressor before upload rather than relying on your design tool's default export settings.
• Simplify gradients and photographic detail, which inflate file size far more than flat colors and simple shapes.

Bottom Line

If a creative won't fit under 150KB after reasonable compression, don't keep fighting the uploaded-image-ad format — move it into a Responsive Display Ad or Performance Max asset group, where the limit jumps to 5,120KB.

Source: Google Ads Help, "Uploaded display ads specifications" (support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722096).