Safe zone checker for Reels, TikTok and Shorts
Short answer: keep text, faces and logos away from the top, the bottom and the right-hand side of a vertical video, where each app draws its buttons and captions. For Reels, Meta suggests leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side clear (Meta ads guide). Check your own frame below.
Choose an image or video to start. The overlay PNG works without one.
How to use it
- Load a frame. Choose a screenshot or the video file itself. For a video, drag Pick a frame to the moment with the most text or the most important face.
- Pick the framing. Fill shows what a 9:16 crop keeps; Fit shows the whole image with bars.
- Pick a safe zone. The Reels preset uses Meta's published percentages. For TikTok or YouTube Shorts, load the platform's own template (links below), or enter your own margins.
- Download. Overlay PNG is a transparent 1080 × 1920 guide you can place on top of your timeline in any editor. Preview PNG is your frame with the overlay, handy for a quick review with a client or teammate.
Where the safe zone figures come from
| Platform | What the platform publishes | How to use it here |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram and Facebook Reels | "Consider leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side" of the asset free from text, logos and key elements. Source: Meta ads guide, Instagram Reels. | Built-in Reels preset. On 1080 × 1920 that is about 269 px top, 672 px bottom and 65 px each side. |
| TikTok | TikTok says the safe zone "is determined by the dimension (vertical, horizontal, or square), ad caption length" and offers downloadable safe zone files rather than fixed numbers. Source: TikTok Ads help, In-Feed ads. | Download TikTok's file, then load its image in step 4. |
| YouTube Shorts | Google shows the vertical safe area for video ads as a 1080 × 1920 template image. Source: Google Ads Help, video ad specs. | Save Google's template image, then load it in step 4. |
These figures come from each platform's ads guidance; we did not find separate official numbers for ordinary posts, which use a similar on-screen layout. Layouts change and screens differ, so this is a planning aid, not a guarantee. Always preview the real post. Last checked 30 October 2026.
Tips for staying inside the safe zone
- Put the hook text in the upper-middle. Below the top margin and well above the bottom caption area is the space least likely to be covered.
- Leave the right edge clear. Like, comment and share buttons sit in a column on the right in all three apps.
- Check burned-in captions last. They are the element most often hidden behind the app's own caption and username.
- Reframing from landscape? Use Fill here to see what a 9:16 crop keeps, then follow landscape to vertical. Sizes for each platform are in the video size guide.
Then trim and export the clip
Millwards Studio is a browser video clipper for your own videos: upload a file, trim the hook, choose 9:16, 1:1 or 16:9, add captions and export. Free exports are 720p WebM made in your browser with a watermark; Pro (£12 per month) gives 1080p MP4 with no watermark.
FAQ
What is a safe zone on Reels, TikTok and Shorts?
It is the part of a vertical video that the app's own buttons, captions, profile name and progress bar are unlikely to cover. Text, faces and logos placed inside it stay readable.
What are the Instagram Reels safe zone margins?
Meta's ads guide for Reels suggests leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side free from text, logos and other key elements. On a 1080 x 1920 frame that is about 269 px at the top, 672 px at the bottom and 65 px on each side.
Why is there no fixed TikTok or YouTube Shorts preset?
TikTok says its safe zone depends on the video's shape and caption length and publishes downloadable template files instead of fixed numbers. Google shows its vertical safe zone as a template image. Load either official template into this checker as an overlay rather than relying on copied numbers.
Is my video uploaded?
No. The image or video you choose is read by your browser and drawn on a canvas on your device. Nothing is sent to Millwards Studio.
Are these margins guaranteed?
No. Platforms change their layouts, and screens differ. Treat the overlay as a planning aid and preview the real post before publishing.