Aspect Ratio Variations

Meta shows ads in many placements, and each one prefers a different shape: square in the feed, tall in Stories and Reels, wide in some others. Upload several aspect ratios of the same creative and Ads Uploader pairs them into a single ad, then sends each version to the placements it fits best.

How It Works

When you upload files that share a base name and carry a recognised ratio token, Ads Uploader groups them as one ad with several variants (a variant is one aspect ratio version of the same creative). At launch, each Meta placement gets the variant that matches its preferred ratio. If that ratio is missing, it falls back through a priority order you can change.

Selecting summer_sale files in 1x1, 4x5, 9x16 and 16x9, seeing them grouped in Selected Files, uploading, the v1 v2 h chips in the table, and stepping through the ratio tabs in the preview

Recognised Ratios

You can upload up to five ratios per group.

Ratio	Token	Typical placements
1:1	`1x1`	Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, Marketplace, Search
4:5	`4x5`	Vertical feed slots, Threads, Profile feeds
9:16	`9x16`	Stories, Reels, Explore Home (video)
16:9	`16x9`	In-Stream Video, Right Column, Search Results
1.91:1	`1.91x1`	Wide placements, Marketplace, Audience Network

Only these five tokens group files at upload. Other spellings of a ratio, such as 191x100 or 19x10, are not recognised, so those files upload on their own.

The legacy words vertical and horizontal still work and mean 9:16 and 16:9. They must be at the end of the name, for example summer_sale_vertical.mp4.

Tokens are not case-sensitive: summer_sale_9X16.mp4 works the same as summer_sale_9x16.mp4.

Where the Token Can Go

The ratio token can sit anywhere in the file name, as long as the base name matches across the group:

Position	Example
End (recommended)	`summer_sale_4x5.mp4`
Middle	`summer_sale_4x5_v2.mp4`
Start	`4x5_summer_sale.mp4`

The legacy words vertical and horizontal only work at the end.

What Groups Together

Files join the same group only when:

The base name matches. The base name is the file name without the ratio token and extension. Case is ignored.
The media type matches. Images group with images and videos with videos. summer_sale_1x1.jpg and summer_sale_9x16.mp4 stay separate.
Each ratio appears once. If two files would fill the same ratio (for example two 9x16 files with the same base name), Ads Uploader keeps the one closest to the exact ratio. The other is listed under Variant Grouping Conflicts in the Selected Files list, so you can remove it or upload it separately.

Name a Variant Set

There are two ways to name a set. Both work, and you can mix them in one upload.

Every File Has a Token

Every file carries a ratio token. Ads Uploader uses the one closest to square as the main file of the group.

summer_sale_1x1.jpg
summer_sale_4x5.jpg
summer_sale_9x16.jpg
summer_sale_16x9.jpg
summer_sale_1.91x1.jpg

A Base File Plus Tokens

One file has no token, and the others carry tokens. The file without a token is treated as the square (feed) version and becomes the main file.

summer_sale.jpg
summer_sale_9x16.jpg
summer_sale_16x9.jpg

Check Your Groups

After upload, a group shows as a single row in the Uploaded Media table. Small chips show which extra ratios are linked to the main file:

Chip	Meaning
`v`	One vertical version is linked: either 9:16 or 4:5
`v1`	The 4:5 version, shown only when both vertical versions are linked
`v2`	The 9:16 version, shown only when both vertical versions are linked
`h`	The 16:9 version
`w`	The 1.91:1 version

Hover a chip to see the linked file name and its ratio. To see each version, open the preview and click through the ratio tabs.

Uploaded Media table with grouped rows showing v, v1, v2, h and w chips next to the media type

Choose Where Each Ratio Goes

Every Meta placement has a default priority order: the ratios it prefers, in order. If a placement's first choice is not in your group, the next ratio in its list is used. You can reorder these lists for your account in Account > Defaults > Placements. See User Defaults.

Change the Separator

The separator is the character between the base name and the ratio token. The default is an underscore (_). Change it in Account > Defaults > Placements > Filename Separator:

Option	Example
`_` (default)	`summer_sale_9x16.mp4`
`-`	`summer-sale-9x16.mp4`
Both	Accepts `_` and `-`
Custom	Up to 3 characters of your choice

Avoid Both if your base names contain hyphens, such as my-product_4x5.jpg.

A space is not a separator by default. If your file names have a space before the token (for example summer sale 9x16.mp4), the files will not pair. Rename them to use your separator, or choose Custom and enter a space.

Carousels

Aspect ratio variations work for carousel ads too. Upload each card's ratios with the same naming rules, and every card adapts to the placement it lands in. There are no extra steps in the builder.

One limit: a carousel that contains aspect ratio variants can have only one primary text.

Group Variations into Ad Sets

Aspect ratio grouping is different from variation grouping. Variation grouping puts related files (such as video1-hook1.mp4 and video1-hook2.mp4) into the same ad set. It only happens when you turn on Group variations under Create new ad set per upload or group. See Ad Grouping.

Files Without Tokens

Files without a recognised token upload as standalone, single-ratio creatives. Each one serves the placements that suit its actual shape.

Documentation