What's the Maximum Length and File Size for X (Twitter) Video Ads?

A video ad on X (formerly Twitter) can run up to 1GB in file size and up to 2 minutes 20 seconds long under the platform's standard ad specifications, per X's own creative ad specifications help page. Approved advertisers can request an extended limit of up to 10 minutes, though X itself recommends trimming any longer file to roughly 9 minutes 55 seconds even once that extension is granted.

The Standard Spec Most Advertisers Should Plan Around

• File format — X accepts MP4 or MOV containers for video ads.
• File size ceiling — 1GB is the maximum X's ad system will accept, though X's own guidance recommends keeping the actual file under 30MB for faster, more reliable delivery.
• Length — videos up to 2 minutes 20 seconds are supported under the standard spec, with X recommending 15 seconds or shorter for the strongest performance.

The Extended Limit for Approved Advertisers

X allows select advertisers to request permission for video ads up to 10 minutes long, well beyond the 2:20 standard cap. That extension is meant for longer branded content — a trailer, a documentary-style piece, an extended product demo — rather than a typical direct-response ad, and X still recommends trimming toward the shorter end even for advertisers who have the extended limit unlocked, since feed behavior rewards brevity regardless of the technical ceiling.

Standard Spec vs. Organic Post Limits

Don't confuse the ad-specific 1GB and 2:20 ceiling with the limits on a regular, unpromoted X post, which follow a separate set of rules tied to account tier rather than the ad system. Mixing up organic upload limits with paid ad specs is a common source of confused creative briefs, since a video that uploads fine as an organic post can still be rejected or trimmed differently once it's submitted through Ads Manager.

Why the 30MB Recommendation Matters More Than the 1GB Ceiling

Most advertisers will never approach the 1GB technical maximum, but plenty hit real delivery problems by ignoring X's 30MB performance recommendation instead. A larger file takes longer to load on a mobile connection before autoplay kicks in, which works against a format that depends on capturing attention in the first second or two of an in-feed scroll. Optimizing file size down toward that 30MB guidance, not just staying under the 1GB hard cap, is the detail that actually affects whether a video ad performs.

What This Means for Creative Planning

Treat the 1GB and 2:20 figures as the outer technical boundary, not the brief. A video built to roughly 15 seconds and well under 30MB will load faster, autoplay more reliably on mobile data, and match the platform's own stated best practice — three advantages a file sitting closer to the 1GB, 2:20 ceiling gives up for no real creative benefit in a standard direct-response campaign.

Bottom Line

Build X video ads to the standard spec — MP4 or MOV, under 30MB, 15 seconds or shorter — rather than designing toward the 1GB and 2:20 technical ceiling. Reserve the extended 10-minute allowance for genuinely long-form branded content, not a direct-response ad that happens to run long.

Source: X Help Center, "Creative Ad Specifications" (help.x.com/en/business-and-advertising/creative-ad-specifications).