LinkedIn Ad Formats and Ad Specs

LinkedIn has proven itself to be the premier B2B advertising network over the last few years. LinkedIn has really grown into its own with a vast array of ad formats and specs to target various goals. Here’s a detailed primer on LinkedIn ad format, image size requirements, and character limits.

The Different LinkedIn Ad Formats

LinkedIn offers several different Ad Formats:

• Single Image Ad

• Carousel Ad

• Video Ad

• Text Ad

• Spotlight Ad

• Follower Ad

• Message Ad

• Conversation Ad

• Single Job Ad

• Jobs Ad

With any format, it’s best to have at least 2-3 variations that LinkedIn can test. Different formats are better suited for different goals; check out our blog to find out which one is right for your objective.

Single Image Ad

Image Size: Size your image to 1200x1200. This will allow LinkedIn to serve to both mobile and desktop. It’s helpful to include copy in the image as this is the largest part of the ad and what users will see and read first.

Body Message: Advertisers can write up to 600 characters, but it’s recommended to stay at 150 characters or less. Users are quickly scrolling through their feed, so it’s best to keep it short and simple. This also prevents your message from getting truncated across multiple devices.

Headline: There’s a 200 character limit, but 70 characters and under is ideal to prevent it being truncated across devices.

Carousel Ad

Image Size:1200x1200; 2 card minimum and 10 card maximum. As carousel ads are extremely visual, it’s best to use these to tell an interactive story that will entice users to scroll through the entire carousel.

Body Message: There is a 255 character limit, and the copy will truncate after 150 characters. 

Headline: There’s a 45 character limit for carousel ads that direct to a landing page, and a 30 character limit for carousel ads with a Lead Gen Form Call-to-Action. Advertisers can mention CTAs in these headlines to encourage users to take action. At minimum, it’s best to have a CTA on the last card to encourage readers to swipe through the end.

Video Ad

Video size: Aspect ratio 9:16 and 16:9 or 1:1

Body Message: 600 character max. As the video should do most of the storytelling, it’s best to keep this as short as possible.

Headline: 200 characters max, but 70 characters max is recommended.

Captions: It's best to have captions baked into the video as the video will automatically begin playing on mute.

Text Ad

Image Size: 100x100

Body Message: 75 character max. Be sure to include a strong CTA.

Headline: 25 character max. Use an attention-grabbing headline that leads the reader to take click-through.

Spotlight Ad

Image Size: There is no main image, but advertisers have the option of adding a 300x250 background image to the ad. LinkedIn automatically takes the company’s profile image to appear in the ad as well, but advertisers have the option to upload a different one.

Headline: 50 character max. This both acts as the headline and body text, so this is where advertisers should write their offer.

CTA: Advertisers can write out their own call-to-action, with 18 characters max.

Follower Ad

Image Size: There is no main image, but advertisers have the option to upload a different company image if they prefer to not use their current LinkedIn profile photo. This means advertisers can test the company logo, CEO profile photo, or other options.

Body Message: 70 characters max. This appears at the very top of the image and can give readers more insight into your offer.

Headline: 50 character max. This is where advertisers should highlight a CTA.

Message Ad

Image Size:There is no main image, but advertisers have the option to upload a 300x250 banner image. Adding a banner creative reserves the ad space for you and if clicked will direct to the associated ad landing page. If you don’t include one, other ads will show up to the right of the message (see example below). The banner only shows in the inbox on desktop, not on mobile or the conversation window.

Subject: This is essentially the headline and allows up to 60 characters max. It’s important to give the reader a reason to open and read the message, so be sure to have an irresistible subject.

Body Message: There are no character limitations here, but still important to keep the message concise and easy to read with bullet points or small paragraphs.

CTA: Advertisers can create their own CTA text up to 20 characters. Keep this short and specific.

Conversation Ad

Image Size: There is no main image, but advertisers have the option to upload a 300x250 banner image. Just like message ads, if a banner is not added other ads might appear next to it. Banners for conversation ads are not clickable. The banner only shows in the inbox on desktop, not on mobile or the conversation window.

Body Message: LinkedIn offers several templates advertisers can choose from to get started, or they can write their own from scratch. These templates include “Drive Event or Webinar Registrations,” “Drive Trials and Demos,” “Promote Your Podcast,” and more.

While there is no character limit, it’s best to break out your messaging into paragraphs or bullets instead of using dense text bodies. If desired, advertisers can also upload a 250x250 image within the message to give more context.

CTA: Advertisers can choose up to 5 call-to-actions recipients can choose from. Each CTA must be 25 characters or less. It’s encouraged to include CTAs that meet your business objectives.

Single Job Ad

Body Message: Advertisers can discuss the job with up to 600 characters. Bullet points and breaking up large bodies of text is recommended.

Job: Advertisers can look up the desired job title.

Jobs Ad

Headline: 50 character max. This is where advertisers should highlight their offer.

Have any more questions about advertising on LinkedIn? Reach out for a free audit or strategy session!