Outbrain image specs
Outbrain ad images: 1,200 × 800 pixels recommended, 3:2 ratio, PNG or JPG, 2.5 MB maximum; carousel cards are 1:1, up to 1,200 pixels.
All Outbrain image requirements
Source: Outbrain Help Center — Ads Specs; What are Outbrain's best practices for creating content on Amplify?; How do I create a carousel campaign?; How do I add content to my campaign?; Outbrain Advertising Guidelines. Checked 12 October 2026. Read again · 12 October 2026
- Size
- 1,200 × 800 pixels is the recommended image size for standard native ads
- Aspect ratio
- 3:2 is recommended for Standard campaigns and 1:1 for Carousel and App Install campaigns
- Formats
- PNG or JPG
- File size
- 2.5 MB maximum image weight
- Cropping
- Three image formatting options: Automatic cropping (recommended), Blur padding and Colour padding; images are resized to suit each publisher's widget
- Text on images
- Avoid images that contain text, including promotional messages; where an image carries text or a logo, blur or colour padding keeps it displayed
- Not allowed
- Thumbnails cannot include nudity or sexual imagery, weapons, circles or arrows highlighting part of the image, zoomed-in body parts, before/after photos or a video player icon; images altered with Photoshop or other graphic editing software are not permitted
- Carousel
- 3 to 10 cards; card images are JPG or PNG in a 1:1 ratio, minimum 300 pixels and maximum 1,200 pixels, displayed at 300 × 300 pixels
- Animated GIFs
- Clip ads take a GIF or MP4 in a 3:2 ratio, up to 30 MB and 15 seconds; carousel cards support GIFs up to 1,200 pixels
- AI images
- Images generated or materially modified with AI must be clearly labelled as AI-generated at the point of first exposure; AI must not be used to produce synthetic before-and-after imagery
What Outbrain asks for, covered.
Outbrain recommends 1,200 × 800 pixels at a 3:2 ratio and limits an image to 2.5 MB. Herofab has no 3:2 format: the 16:9 banner from its ad creative tool, 2,048 × 1,152 pixels, is the closest landscape shape, and Outbrain's automatic cropping, blur padding or colour padding fits an image to each publisher's widget. A 2K PNG can weigh more than 2.5 MB, so the JPG download is the safer file. Herofab images are AI-generated: Outbrain requires images generated or materially modified with AI to be clearly labelled as AI-generated at the point of first exposure, and its guidelines do not permit images altered with graphic editing software.
No 3:2 format
The 16:9 ad banner, 2,048 × 1,152 pixels, is Herofab's closest shape to the 3:2 Outbrain recommends; Outbrain crops or pads it.
JPG under 2.5 MB
A 2K PNG can weigh more than Outbrain's 2.5 MB limit; the JPG download is the safer file.
Label AI images
Outbrain requires AI-generated images to be clearly labelled as AI-generated at the point of first exposure.
Outbrain, answered.
What image size is right for Outbrain?
Outbrain ad images: 1,200 × 800 pixels recommended, 3:2 ratio, PNG or JPG, 2.5 MB maximum; carousel cards are 1:1, up to 1,200 pixels.
Which image formats can be used for Outbrain?
PNG or JPG. Source: Outbrain Help Center — Ads Specs; What are Outbrain's best practices for creating content on Amplify?; How do I create a carousel campaign?; How do I add content to my campaign?; Outbrain Advertising Guidelines, checked 12 October 2026.
How large can an image file be for Outbrain?
2.5 MB maximum image weight. Source: Outbrain Help Center — Ads Specs; What are Outbrain's best practices for creating content on Amplify?; How do I create a carousel campaign?; How do I add content to my campaign?; Outbrain Advertising Guidelines, checked 12 October 2026.
What is not allowed in images for Outbrain?
Thumbnails cannot include nudity or sexual imagery, weapons, circles or arrows highlighting part of the image, zoomed-in body parts, before/after photos or a video player icon; images altered with Photoshop or other graphic editing software are not permitted. Source: Outbrain Help Center — Ads Specs; What are Outbrain's best practices for creating content on Amplify?; How do I create a carousel campaign?; How do I add content to my campaign?; Outbrain Advertising Guidelines, checked 12 October 2026.
What are the rules for AI-generated images in Outbrain?
Images generated or materially modified with AI must be clearly labelled as AI-generated at the point of first exposure; AI must not be used to produce synthetic before-and-after imagery. Source: Outbrain Help Center — Ads Specs; What are Outbrain's best practices for creating content on Amplify?; How do I create a carousel campaign?; How do I add content to my campaign?; Outbrain Advertising Guidelines, checked 12 October 2026.
Can I check my images before uploading?
Yes. The free image size checker reads each file in your browser and tests it against these rules; the image is not uploaded.
Where do these figures come from?
From Outbrain Help Center — Ads Specs; What are Outbrain's best practices for creating content on Amplify?; How do I create a carousel campaign?; How do I add content to my campaign?; Outbrain Advertising Guidelines, read on 12 October 2026. Platforms update their specs; the official page is the final reference.
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