Facebook Reels
Short vertical video for Facebook Pages: fast hooks, captions and room for the right-hand buttons.
Facebook Reels are short vertical videos shown to people beyond your Page’s followers. They reward the same things as Instagram Reels: a strong start and a reason to watch to the end.
At a glance
| Spec | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,080 × 1,920 px (9:16) |
| Safe zone (approx.) | 895 × 1250 px |
| Length | 3 s – 90 s |
| File types | MP4 |
| Cover | Facebook picks a frame |
Safe zone
Facebook puts its like, comment and share buttons on the right and your Page name and caption at the bottom. Keep important content inside the dashed area.
Platforms don’t publish exact overlay sizes, and their apps move buttons between versions. These insets are deliberately conservative: preview on a phone before you post.
Hook
- Open with the payoff. Show the result first, then how you got there.
- Add on-screen text to the first frame. It explains the video to silent viewers.
- Keep the pace up. Trim pauses and change the shot often.
- Make the ending rewatchable. A loop or a reveal at the end earns replays.
Design and edit
- Vertical 9:16 at 1080 × 1920. Keep text away from the right and bottom.
- Burn in captions. Most people start watching with the sound off.
- Use your own footage. Original content does better than reposted clips.
Caption and copy
- Keep the description short. One line of context is enough.
- Ask a question. Comments help the Reel reach more people.
- Use one or two hashtags. Only if they genuinely describe the topic.
Timing and cadence
- Keep it under 90 seconds. Facebook Reels published through the API must be between 3 and 90 seconds.
- Reuse your vertical video. A Reel made for Instagram or TikTok works here too, without the other app’s watermark.
What to measure
Video views show how many people started watching; shares and comments show whether it resonated.
How Octapost reports these metrics
Do it in Octapost
- Choose Reels / Shorts in the composer and use the Reels / Story preset.
- Facebook picks the cover frame for Reels published through its API, so make sure the first frames look good.
- Post the same video to Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts in one go, with a caption tuned for each.
Creating posts in the composer
Checklist
- The video is 9:16 and between 3 and 90 seconds.
- The first frame works as a cover.
- Text avoids the right-hand buttons and the bottom caption.
- Captions are burned in.
- No watermark from another app.
Sources
Platform guidance changes often. These are the official pages we check this guide against.