What resolution should I use for Instagram Stories?

Instagram Stories require 1080×1920 (9:16 aspect ratio) for optimal quality. Videos in other aspect ratios will be letterboxed or cropped. The platform supports both 720×1280 and 1080×1920, but 1080×1920 provides the best quality on modern devices.

Can I use the same video for Instagram feed and Reels?

Instagram feed prefers 1080×1080 square format, while Reels work best at 1080×1920 vertical. Using square videos in Reels or vertical videos in feed will result in cropping or letterboxing. Create separate versions for each format, or use 1080×1920 and accept that feed posts will be cropped.

Do placeholder videos help with TikTok upload testing?

Yes. TikTok requires 1080×1920 for optimal quality, and videos outside this resolution may be upscaled or downscaled, affecting quality. Testing with placeholder videos helps validate your upload pipeline and ensures content meets TikTok's requirements before uploading production content.

Test Videos for Instagram, TikTok, YouTube

Generate correctly-sized placeholders for Stories, Reels, Shorts, feed posts, and cover videos.

About Social Media Testing

Social media platforms enforce strict video dimension requirements that vary by format and feature. Instagram Stories require 1080×1920 vertical videos, feed posts use 1080×1080 square format, and Reels support both vertical and square. TikTok mandates 1080×1920 for optimal quality, while YouTube Shorts accepts vertical videos up to 1080×1920. YouTube cover videos and Facebook posts typically use 1920×1080 landscape format. Testing with correctly-sized placeholder videos ensures content displays properly before uploading, preventing cropping, distortion, or quality degradation. Placeholder videos help social media managers validate content dimensions, test multi-platform publishing workflows, and preview how videos will appear in feeds.

Recommended Resolutions

When to Use Video Placeholders for Social Media Testing

Use video placeholders when testing social media content management systems, validating video upload pipelines, or previewing content before production. They're essential for developers building social media scheduling tools, content creators testing aspect ratios, and agencies managing multi-platform campaigns. Placeholders help identify dimension mismatches early—for example, a 16:9 video intended for Instagram feed will be cropped to square, losing important framing. They're also valuable for A/B testing video formats, validating thumbnail generation, and ensuring consistent quality across platforms.

Quick Start

Use this URL to generate a placeholder video:

https://placeholdervideo.dev/1080x1920

HTML Example

<video src="https://placeholdervideo.dev/1080x1920" width="1080" height="1920" controls></video>

Fixture Facts

Approx. MP4 size	250 KB-450 KB
Generation time	about 1-3 seconds uncached; repeat requests should hit cache
Video codec	H.264 / AVC, Baseline profile, yuv420p
Audio codec	AAC-LC silent stereo, 48 kHz
Browser support	Chrome, Edge, Safari, Firefox, iOS Safari, Android Chrome

Response Headers

Content-Type: video/mp4
Cache-Control: public, max-age=86400, immutable
Accept-Ranges: bytes
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
X-RateLimit-Limit: 60 standard / 10 heavy per minute

Technical Considerations

Social media platforms compress uploaded videos, often reducing quality and file size. Placeholder videos help test how platforms handle different resolutions and bitrates. Instagram compresses videos to approximately 3-6 Mbps for feed posts and Stories. TikTok maintains higher quality, typically preserving 4-8 Mbps bitrates. YouTube Shorts accepts higher bitrates but still applies compression. Testing with placeholder videos reveals how platforms crop content (Instagram crops 16:9 to 1:1 for feed), how they handle vertical videos (some platforms add letterboxing), and what quality degradation to expect. Most platforms also generate thumbnails automatically—placeholder videos help test thumbnail extraction and custom thumbnail uploads.

Common Questions

What resolution should I use for Instagram Stories?: Instagram Stories require 1080×1920 (9:16 aspect ratio) for optimal quality. Videos in other aspect ratios will be letterboxed or cropped. The platform supports both 720×1280 and 1080×1920, but 1080×1920 provides the best quality on modern devices.
Can I use the same video for Instagram feed and Reels?: Instagram feed prefers 1080×1080 square format, while Reels work best at 1080×1920 vertical. Using square videos in Reels or vertical videos in feed will result in cropping or letterboxing. Create separate versions for each format, or use 1080×1920 and accept that feed posts will be cropped.
Do placeholder videos help with TikTok upload testing?: Yes. TikTok requires 1080×1920 for optimal quality, and videos outside this resolution may be upscaled or downscaled, affecting quality. Testing with placeholder videos helps validate your upload pipeline and ensures content meets TikTok's requirements before uploading production content.