PostEaseThe short answer
Make TikTok videos vertical, 9:16, at 1080 × 1920 pixels. TikTok is watched full screen on phones, and that shape fills it. TikTok’s developer documentation, which sets the rules for videos posted through its publishing API, accepts MP4 (recommended), MOV or WebM, encoded in H.264 (recommended), H.265, VP8 or VP9, at 23 to 60 frames a second, with each side between 360 and 4,096 pixels, up to 4 GB.
Captions can be up to 2,200 characters, counted in UTF-16, which means some emoji count as two. Photo posts take JPEG or WebP images up to 1080p and 20 MB each.
Every limit, at a glance
These are the limits TikTok publishes for its Content Posting API, the route scheduling tools use. The app sets its own limits for what you record and upload directly, which TikTok does not list in the same place.
| What | Limit | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Video file | MP4, MOV or WebM | MP4 |
| Video codec | H.264, H.265, VP8 or VP9 | H.264 |
| Frame rate | 23 to 60 fps | |
| Picture size | 360 to 4,096 pixels on each side | 1080 × 1920 (9:16) |
| Video file size | Up to 4 GB | |
| Video length, via the API | Up to 10 minutes | Trimmed in the app to the account’s limit |
| Photo file | JPEG or WebP, up to 1080p | |
| Photo file size | Up to 20 MB each | |
| Caption | Up to 2,200 characters (UTF-16) |
Why 9:16 at 1080 × 1920
TikTok is a full-screen vertical feed, so a 9:16 video uses the whole phone screen, and a square or landscape one leaves bars above and below. 1080 × 1920 is the standard full-HD vertical size, well inside TikTok’s 4,096-pixel ceiling, and what most phones record when held upright.
Leave room at the edges. TikTok draws the caption, the creator’s name and the like, comment and share buttons over the bottom and right of the video, so keep faces and on-screen text in the middle of the frame.
Frame rate and file
Record at 30 frames a second for most videos, or 60 for fast motion; anything from 23 to 60 is accepted. Export as MP4 with H.264, TikTok’s recommended pairing, which every phone and editor supports. At 1080p a video of a few minutes stays far below the 4 GB limit.
| Setting | Use |
|---|---|
| Size | 1080 × 1920 |
| Shape | 9:16, vertical |
| Frame rate | 30 fps, or 60 for fast motion |
| File | MP4 |
| Video codec | H.264 |
Why a TikTok looks blurry
Most blurry TikToks were made blurry before they were posted. A video exported below 1080 pixels wide, or saved through a messaging app that compresses it, has already lost detail TikTok cannot restore. Export straight from your editor at 1080 × 1920, 30 or 60 frames a second, in MP4 with H.264, and upload that file.
- Check the export size is 1080 × 1920, not 720 × 1280.
- Upload the exported file itself, not a copy sent through a chat app.
- Keep the frame rate the same as you recorded; converting 24 to 60 adds nothing.
Captions
TikTok counts captions in UTF-16 units, up to 2,200. Letters and most punctuation count as one, but many emoji count as two, so a caption full of emoji runs out sooner than its length suggests. Put the words people would search for early, since TikTok uses captions to understand what a video is about.
Photo posts
Photo posts take JPEG or WebP images up to 1080p, each up to 20 MB. Use vertical images at 1080 × 1920 to fill the screen the way a video does, and keep text away from the bottom, where the caption sits.
Questions
What is the best video size for TikTok?
1080 × 1920 pixels, 9:16 vertical. It fills a phone screen and is well inside TikTok’s limits of 360 to 4,096 pixels on each side.
What is the TikTok caption limit?
2,200 characters for posts made through TikTok’s publishing API, counted in UTF-16, where many emoji count as two.
What file format does TikTok accept?
MP4, MOV or WebM for video, with MP4 and H.264 recommended. JPEG or WebP for photo posts.
What frame rate should a TikTok be?
30 fps for most videos, 60 for fast motion. TikTok accepts anything from 23 to 60.
Can I post 4K video on TikTok?
Yes. TikTok accepts sides up to 4,096 pixels, so a vertical 2160 × 3840 video fits, within the 4 GB limit.
What size should TikTok photo posts be?
Vertical, up to 1080p, in JPEG or WebP, each up to 20 MB. 1080 × 1920 fills the screen like a video.
Can I post a landscape video on TikTok?
Yes, any shape with sides between 360 and 4,096 pixels is accepted, but a landscape video shows small with bars above and below on a vertical phone screen. Reframe it to 9:16 if you can.
How long can a scheduled TikTok be?
Up to 10 minutes through TikTok’s publishing API, which is what scheduling tools use. The creator can trim it in the app to fit their account’s limit.
Sources
- TikTok, Content Posting API: media transfer guide, checked October 2026.
- TikTok, Content Posting API: direct post reference, checked October 2026.
- TikTok, How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou, June 2020.