Google Ads Creative Sizes in 2026: The Complete Format Guide

| 31 May 2026 | 9 min read 0 views
Google Ads creative sizes 2026 — Spilno Agency cover

Google Ads creative sizes in 2026 boil down to a few universal aspect ratios: 1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5 for images and 1:1 and 4:1 for logos. This set covers Responsive Display, Performance Max and Demand Gen. Static Display Network banners (300×250, 728×90, 160×600 and others) and YouTube video ratios (16:9, 9:16, 1:1) live separately. Below is a complete reference with pixels, file weights and requirements per campaign type.

Over recent years Google Ads has gone through a major format unification. Separate ad types — Discovery, classic Image Ads, gallery ads — gave way to asset-based (responsive) campaigns, where you upload a set of images, videos and texts, and the system assembles the ads for every placement. In 2026 an advertiser does not need to memorise hundreds of sizes — the goal is to prepare the right minimal set of creatives in a handful of aspect ratios, so a campaign can cover Search, the Display Network, YouTube, Gmail, Discover and Maps.

This guide collects the current sizes across all major campaign types, file weight and format requirements, and the common mistakes that get ads rejected or shown cropped.

Campaign types and the creatives they need

Before preparing files, define the campaign type — it determines which formats you actually need. Here is the consolidated map for 2026.

Google Ads campaign types and required creatives — infographic
Campaign typeImagesVideoText
SearchOptional (image assets)RSA: 15 headlines + 4 descriptions
Responsive Display1.91:1, 1:1 + logoOptional5 headlines + 5 descriptions
Uploaded banners20+ fixed sizesBaked into the banner
Performance Max1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5 + logo≥1 video of 10 s5 headlines + 5 long + 5 descriptions
Demand Gen1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5 + logo16:9, 1:1, 9:165 headlines + 5 descriptions
Video (YouTube)16:9, 9:16, 1:1Headline + description + CTA
App1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5, portrait16:9, 9:16, 1:14 text lines

As you can see, three aspect ratios — 1.91:1, 1:1 and 4:5 — repeat almost everywhere. Prepare them once at the maximum recommended resolution and you cover most needs. Let us look at each type in detail.

Responsive Display: image and logo sizes

Responsive display ads are the base format of the Display Network. You upload images, logos and texts, and Google automatically adapts them to more than 3 million sites and apps. Here are the required sizes.

ElementRatioRecommendedMinimum
Landscape image1.91:11200×628600×314
Square image1:11200×1200300×300
Square logo1:11200×1200128×128
Landscape logo4:11200×300512×128

Uploaded Display banners: standard sizes

If you already have designed banners, you can upload them as Uploaded Display Ads in fixed sizes. This gives full control over the look but requires a separate file per format. Below are the most popular sizes grouped by orientation.

Standard Display Network banner sizes — infographic
GroupSizes (px)Where it works best
Rectangles and squares300×250, 336×280, 250×250, 200×200, 240×400, 580×400In-article, largest inventory
Skyscrapers (vertical)160×600, 120×600, 300×600, 300×1050Site sidebars
Leaderboards (horizontal)728×90, 970×90, 970×250, 930×180, 980×120, 468×60Page header and footer
Mobile320×50, 320×100, 300×50Smartphones, in-app

Short on time? Start with the “big five”: 300×250, 336×280, 728×90, 300×600 and 320×100. These five give over 90% of available Display impressions. An uploaded banner must not exceed 150 KB, in GIF, JPG, PNG or HTML5. An animated GIF can run up to 30 seconds at up to 5 frames per second.

Performance Max: the asset set

Performance Max is an end-to-end campaign that serves ads across all Google inventory at once: Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover and Maps. So the creative set here is the widest. For more on how the campaign works, see our Performance Max beginner’s guide.

ElementRatioRecommendedMinimum
Landscape image1.91:11200×628600×316
Square image1:11200×1200300×300
Portrait image4:5960×1200480×600
Square logo1:11200×1200128×128
Landscape logo4:11200×300512×128

Demand Gen: formats that replaced Discovery

Demand Gen has fully replaced the former Discovery campaigns. It is a visual format for YouTube (in-feed and Shorts), Gmail and Discover. Image sizes match Performance Max, but carousels and separate video requirements are added.

FormatRatioRecommended size
Single image — landscape1.91:11200×628
Single image — square1:11200×1200
Single image — portrait4:5960×1200
Carousel (2–10 cards)1.91:1 or 1:11200×628 / 1200×1200
Video16:9, 1:1, 9:16Uploaded via YouTube

For a carousel, use the same aspect ratio across all cards — you cannot mix 1:1 and 1.91:1 in one carousel. Minimum card resolution is 600×600 for square.

YouTube video ads: aspect ratios

Video in Google Ads is always uploaded to YouTube, and a link is added to the campaign. The key is to prepare the clip in the right orientation for the placement.

Google Ads creative aspect ratios — infographic
OrientationRatioWhere it shows
Horizontal16:9In-stream on desktop, TV, tablets
Vertical9:16YouTube Shorts, mobile
Square1:1In-feed, Discover
Portrait4:5Mobile feed

App campaigns

Images in Search ads (image assets)

File requirements: weight and formats

Creative typeFormatsMax weight
Responsive (Display / PMax / Demand Gen)JPG, PNG, static GIF5120 KB
Uploaded Display bannersGIF, JPG, PNG, HTML5150 KB
Animated GIFGIF150 KB, ≤30 s, ≤5 fps
LogoJPG, PNG (transparent bg)5120 KB
VideoUploaded to YouTubeNo weight limit in Ads

Common creative-size mistakes

  1. Only one image ratio. If you upload only 1.91:1, the ad will not show on vertical placements — you lose Shorts and mobile-feed inventory. Always supply all three ratios.
  2. Text over the image. Google lowers the rating of creatives where text covers more than 20% of the area. Put the message in text fields, not the picture.
  3. Logo without a transparent background. A logo on a white “rectangle” looks messy on coloured placements. Use a transparent PNG.
  4. Exceeding banner weight. A file over 150 KB for uploaded banners simply is not accepted.
  5. No video in PMax. Without your own clip the system generates a slideshow from your images — usually with lower CTR.
  6. Key elements near the edges. Responsive cropping can cut the edges. Keep the logo and main object in the central “safe zone”.

The minimal creative set for 2026

To launch most campaigns, prepare this universal package:

This set covers Performance Max, Demand Gen, Responsive Display and YouTube video — almost everything a modern advertiser needs. Creative sizes are only the foundation; the bigger picture is media planning, which we cover in our article on the marketing funnel and digital marketing tools.

FAQ: Google Ads creative sizes

What image sizes do I need for Google Ads in 2026?

The core set is three aspect ratios: landscape 1.91:1 (1200×628 px), square 1:1 (1200×1200 px) and portrait 4:5 (960×1200 px), plus two logos — square 1:1 (1200×1200) and landscape 4:1 (1200×300). This set covers Responsive Display, Performance Max and Demand Gen. The maximum weight per image is 5120 KB, accepted formats are JPG, PNG or static GIF.

What are the standard Google Display Network banner sizes?

The highest-performing static banners are 300×250 (medium rectangle), 336×280 (large rectangle), 728×90 (leaderboard), 300×600 (half-page), 160×600 (skyscraper) and mobile 320×50 and 320×100. These formats have the largest impression inventory. An uploaded banner must not exceed 150 KB, in GIF, JPG, PNG or HTML5.

How do Performance Max creative sizes differ from Responsive Display?

The aspect ratios are identical (1.91:1, 1:1, 4:5), but Performance Max also uses video and serves creatives across Search, Maps, YouTube, Gmail and Discover at once. So for PMax it is critical to upload all three image ratios, both logos and at least one video of 10 seconds or more — otherwise the system auto-generates a lower-quality video.

Which aspect ratios are needed for YouTube video ads?

In 2026 use three orientations: landscape 16:9 for in-stream on desktop and TV, vertical 9:16 for YouTube Shorts and mobile, and square 1:1 for in-feed. Ad formats include skippable in-stream, non-skippable (15–30 s), bumper (6 s) and Shorts ads. All videos are uploaded to YouTube and linked inside Google Ads.

What are the file size and format limits in Google Ads?

For responsive formats (Display, PMax, Demand Gen) the limit is 5120 KB per image, in JPG, PNG or static GIF. For uploaded Display Network banners the limit is stricter — 150 KB, in GIF, JPG, PNG or HTML5. An animated GIF can run up to 30 seconds at up to 5 frames per second. Logos should sit on a transparent or solid background.


Need creatives and Google Ads set up end-to-end?

Spilno Agency prepares banners, video and assets in every required size, then launches and manages Performance Max, Demand Gen and Display campaigns for businesses across Europe — from creative production to daily optimisation and ROAS reporting. Get in touch — let’s work it out together.

Валерій Красько Spilno Agency All articles by author →
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