What's the Maximum Video Length and File Size for a Pinterest Ad?

A Pinterest video ad can be as long as 15 minutes and as large as 2GB, per Pinterest's official video ad specifications. The technical ceiling is generous, but Pinterest's own recommended length for a video ad is far shorter — just 6 to 15 seconds — and the minimum allowed length is 4 seconds.

The Full Technical Specs

• Minimum length — 4 seconds.
• Maximum length — 15 minutes.
• Maximum file size — 2GB.
• File formats — .MP4, .MOV, or .M4V, encoded in H.264 or H.265.
• Recommended length — 6 to 15 seconds, well below the technical ceiling.

Why Pinterest Recommends 6-15 Seconds When 15 Minutes Is Allowed

Pinterest functions more like a visual search and discovery engine than a social feed people scroll passively for long stretches. Video ads autoplay silently in-feed, so the creative has to communicate its idea without relying on sound or sustained attention — a short, visually clear loop tends to outperform a longer video that depends on the viewer sticking around and turning the sound on to follow a narrative.

Aspect Ratio Matters As Much As Length

For standard-width video ads, Pinterest requires an aspect ratio shorter than 1:2 (width:height) or taller than 1.91:1, with square (1:1) or vertical formats (2:3, 4:5, or 9:16) recommended. Max-width video ad placements follow a different rule: the aspect ratio can't exceed the height of a 1:1 square. Getting the length right doesn't help if the aspect ratio gets the creative rejected or cropped awkwardly in-feed.

Text Specs While You're At It

Alongside the video file itself, Pinterest ad titles can run up to 100 characters and descriptions up to 800 characters — both well above what's needed for a scannable Pin, similar to how the 15-minute video ceiling is well above what most ads actually need. A title closer to the length of a short, specific search query tends to match how people browse Pinterest in the first place.

When a Longer Video Might Still Make Sense

The 15-minute ceiling exists mainly to accommodate longer-form content formats, such as a how-to or tutorial-style video repurposed for Pinterest from another channel, rather than as a target length for a typical direct-response or awareness campaign. Outside of that kind of repurposed long-form content, there's little reason to push video length toward the technical maximum.

File Size Rarely Becomes the Binding Constraint

In practice, the 2GB file-size ceiling is far less likely to limit a Pinterest video ad than the recommended length is. A well-compressed video running the recommended 6 to 15 seconds at a reasonable bitrate typically lands well under 100MB, leaving enormous headroom before the 2GB cap becomes relevant. The file-size limit mainly matters for longer, higher-resolution repurposed content rather than for creative built specifically for Pinterest's short-form recommendation.

Bottom Line

Technically, a Pinterest video ad can run 15 minutes and weigh up to 2GB, but for a cold-traffic campaign, build to the 6-15 second recommended window and a vertical or square aspect ratio first — the extra runway exists for edge cases, not as a default target.

Source: Pinterest Business Help, video ad specifications (help.pinterest.com/business/article/pinterest-product-specs).