Instagram Reels
Vertical video that reaches non-followers: hook in the first seconds, keep text in the safe zone and design a cover for the grid.
Reels are Instagram’s main way to reach people who don’t follow you yet. Instagram looks at how long people watch and how often they send a Reel to friends, so the first seconds and the ending matter most.
At a glance
| Spec | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,080 × 1,920 px (9:16) |
| Safe zone (approx.) | 1010×1250 px |
| Profile grid crop | 3:4 (1,080 × 1,440 px) |
| Length | 3 s – 15 min |
| Max file size | 300 MB |
| File types | MP4, MOV |
| Text length | 2,200 characters |
Safe zone
The top of a Reel holds the camera and audio labels; the bottom holds your name, caption and audio; the right side holds the like, comment and share buttons. Keep text, faces and logos inside the dashed area. On your profile grid the Reel is cropped to 3:4, cutting the top and bottom.
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
- Hook in the first second. Start with the result, a surprising visual or a direct question, not an intro.
- Put the hook on screen as text. Many people watch without sound.
- Move quickly. Cut dead air and change the shot every few seconds.
- Loop the ending. An ending that flows back into the start earns replays.
Design and edit
- Shoot vertical at 1080 × 1920. Horizontal video gets black bars and loses half the screen.
- Add captions. Burned-in subtitles keep silent viewers watching.
- Keep it original. Instagram favors original footage over reposted clips and visible watermarks from other apps.
- Design a cover. It’s the tile on your grid; keep its title in the 3:4 center.
Caption and copy
- Add context, not a transcript. One or two lines that say what the Reel is about help Instagram and viewers.
- Ask for a share. “Send this to someone who…” works because sends are a strong signal.
- Use a few relevant hashtags. They describe the topic; they don’t replace a good hook.
Timing and cadence
- Most Reels work best short. Aim for the shortest cut that tells the story; go longer only when the content holds attention.
- Post regularly. A few Reels a week keeps you in front of new viewers.
What to measure
Video views and reach show how far the Reel travelled; shares and saves show whether it was worth passing on. Compare Reels against each other, not against photo posts.
How Octapost reports these metrics
Do it in Octapost
- Use the Reels / Story preset (1080 × 1920) in the video or image editor.
- Add a cover image in the composer; Octapost sends it to Instagram as the Reel’s cover.
- A single video posted to Instagram is published as a Reel.
Creating posts in the composer
Checklist
- The video is vertical 9:16 at 1080 × 1920.
- The hook lands in the first second, on screen as text.
- Text and faces stay inside the safe zone.
- Captions are burned in for silent viewing.
- A cover is set and reads well cropped to 3:4.
Sources
Platform guidance changes often. These are the official pages we check this guide against.