Glossary / A 

# Aspect ratio

 What it means The relationship between an ad’s width and its height, written as two numbers (9:16, 4:5, 1:1) or as one, width divided by height. Two sizes with the same aspect ratio are the same shape at different resolutions and take the same layout; two sizes with different ratios need different layouts, however close their pixel counts.

 Also called Ratio, shape Applies to Every image and video size Set by Each placement’s specs Abinash Senapati Founder, eonik Updated 26 Oct 2026 Sizes checked against Meta and Google on 26 Oct 2026 
## The common ones
 Ratio Example size Width ÷ height Shape 9:16 1 1440×2560 0.56 Tall: Stories, Reels 4:5 2 1440×1800 0.80 Portrait: Feed 1:1 1080×1080 1.00 Square 300×250 3 300×250 1.20 Near square: display 728×90 3 728×90 8.09 Banner: display 

Display sizes are listed in pixels rather than as ratios; the division gives their shape. 3 

## A worked example

 Example numbers. Is 1440×2560 the same shape as 1080×1920? Divide each: 1440 ÷ 2560 = 0.5625 and 1080 ÷ 1920 = 0.5625. Same number, same shape: a layout made for one fits the other without moving anything. Is 1440×1800 the same shape as 1080×1080? 0.80 against 1.00: no, and a square layout placed on a 4:5 frame leaves a band empty at the bottom.

## What it means in practice

Group the sizes in a media plan by ratio before making any of them: each ratio is one layout, however many sizes and placements share it. The smaller the width-to-height number, the taller the size, so a 300×600 half page (0.50) belongs with the 9:16 Story layout (0.56), not with the banners.

A change of ratio is a change of layout, never a crop. Cropping a 4:5 master to 9:16 keeps 70% of its width, and the edges it loses are usually where the logo and price sit.

## Common mistakes

- Treating close ratios as the same . 4:5 and 9:16 look close; the same layout does not fit both.

- Grouping by platform instead of ratio . A half-page display ad shares a layout with a Story, not with a leaderboard.

- Making every size from the square . Every shape that is not square then needs a crop or a gap.

## Sources

- Image ad specs on Instagram Stories , Meta Ads Guide . 9:16, 1440×2560, and the 14% / 35% / 6% safe zone. Checked 25 Oct 2026 

- Image ad specs, Facebook Feed , Meta Ads Guide . 4:5, 1440×1800. Checked 25 Oct 2026 

- About common sizes for responsive display ads , Google Ads Help . Common display sizes on computers and mobile. Checked 25 Oct 2026 

## Related
 Safe zone Glossary Master Glossary How to resize one ad into every placement Learn On this page The common ones A worked example What it means in practice Common mistakes Sources 
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