LinkedIn Ad Specs: 10 Key Specifications and Tips

LinkedIn Ads may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re thinking about advertising your business, but they sure are a great way to reach more people and grow your company. In fact, LinkedIn’s algorithms are intended to spread information fast. Amazing, right? But before you dive into this awesome opportunity, it’s important to understand how to correctly place them. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to walk you through everything you need to know about the LinkedIn Ad specs, including image dimensions and character limits. Take a look!

Types of LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions has come a long way since 2005 when it placed its first advertisement on this platform. LinkedIn generates an astonishing 277% more leads compared to Facebook and Twitter. So we can safely say that LinkedIn Ads are more than effective and if placed correctly, can do much more than simply promote your business on this platform. At present, LinkedIn supports the following ad types:

• Sponsored Content Ads

Also known as “native ads,” these allow you to promote your content in the newsfeed of LinkedIn users on desktop and mobile. They are by far the most popular type of ads used on LinkedIn and do an excellent job at generating leads, driving brand awareness, or nurturing relationships through the sales cycle.

To distinguish them from content posted by the average LinkedIn user, the platform marks these as “promoted” content. Sponsored content ads can be a single image, carousels, or LinkedIn video ads that have different specs and dimensions.

• Sponsored Messaging (InMail)

This type of advertising, formerly known as Sponsored InMail, is a highly valued tool for marketing and salespeople because it enables them to get to their target consumers directly, without having to go through the process of acquiring email lists. The catch, however, is that the platform restricts the number of members that can receive LinkedIn InMails per month and limits the number of times an ad will be shown to them.

• Text Ads

These ads appear on the right side of LinkedIn’s desktop feed and come with small images. They are great because they are not intrusive, do not cost much, and are ideal for those looking to generate qualified leads with a professional audience.

• Dynamic Ads

Albeit a fairly new addition to LinkedIn’s advertising arsenal, dynamic ads have already made quite a splash. They can be Follower or Sponsored (Spotlight or Jobs) and run on LinkedIn’s right rail giving you the power to speak to your audiences directly by using personalized content. And even though they only appear on desktops, they are still worth it since almost half of LinkedIn’s members use their computers to access the platform. The only downside is that these ads may be blocked if members find them too invasive.

LinkedIn Ad Specs and Dimensions

Now that we’ve gone through the different types of LinkedIn Ads, it’s time to move on and see what goes into making each one of them. Below we’ve listed all the necessary information regarding LinkedIn ad formats including image sizes, character limits, and other specs for every type of LinkedIn-supported ad.

LinkedIn Sponsored Content Specs

The image is one of the most important parts of any ad, as it’s usually the first thing people will see. That’s why it’s important to make sure your images are the correct size, so they look good and don’t get cut off. So, here is the recommended LinkedIn Sponsored Content image size and other specs for both single image and carousel ads.

LinkedIn Single Image Ad Specs

• Ad title: Up to 255 characters.
• Image size: 1,200 x 628 pixels and a max of 400px in width with 1.91:1 ratio (horizontal and vertical, desktop and mobile). Or for square 1,200 x 1,200 pixels with 1:1 ratio.
• Max file size: 10MB.
• Introductory text: Up to 150 characters for mobile (up to 600 for desktop) but we suggest you stick to the mobile limit to optimize it across all devices.
• URL length: URLs with 23 characters are automatically converted into short links.
• Destination URL: URLs must include the “http://” “or https://” prefix with up to 2,000 characters for the destination link.
• Rich media formats: JPG or PNG.
• Headline: Up to 70 characters max to avoid truncation on mobile devices is the recommendation but the maximum is 200 characters.
• Description: 100 characters is more than enough since this way you will avoid truncation on mobile. Otherwise, the maximum number of characters allowed is 300.
• CTA button: This is optional but in case you wish to use it, LinkedIn allows a wide variety of CTAs including, subscribe, download, sign up, register, join, attend, etc.

LinkedIn Carousel Ad Specs 

• Ad title: Up to 255 characters.
• Introductory text: Up to 150 characters for mobile with a limit of 255 characters for desktop though we recommend opting for the mobile so as to avoid text cuts on some devices.
• Cards: From a minimum of two to a maximum of 10 cards can be used for the LinkedIn Carousel Ads and each card needs to be a maximum of 10 MB.
• Recommended LinkedIn image specs for each card: 1,080×1,080 pixels with a 1:1 aspect ratio or maximum image dimension of 6012 x 6012px
• Rich media formats supported for these ads are JPG, PNG, and non-animated GIFs.
• The headline text for each card should be up to two lines anything more than that will result in truncated text.
• Character limits: a 45-character limit on ads directing to a destination URL; a 30-character limit on ads with a Lead Gen Form CTA.

Learn more: LinkedIn Banner Size

LinkedIn Ads Specs for Sponsored InMail

Unlike with Sponsored Content where the image is the most important aspect of the ad, here it’s the subject of the message, the text and links included, and of course, CTA. So, here are the LinkedIn specs for Sponsored Messaging:

• Ad title: Up to 50 characters.
• Sender: You can select or add a sender.
• Subject line: No more than 60 characters.
• Message text: Up to 1,500 characters.
• Clickable links: No more than three.
• Hyperlinked text: Up to 70 characters max (with spaces and punctuation).
• Custom Terms & Conditions: Use up to 2,500 character max (with spaces and punctuation).
• CTA button: No more than 20 characters (with spaces).
• Landing page URL in hyperlink or CTA: URLs must include the “http://” or “https://” prefix. Use up to 1,024 characters for your destination link.
• Banner creative: JPEG, PNG, GIF (non animated). Size: 300x250px with 40kb.

Learn more: LinkedIn banner size

LinkedIn Specs for Text Ads

In addition to being LinkedIn’s answer to Google AdWords, these ads are pretty straightforward and consist of a headline, some copy, and a CTA. So, here are the recommended LinkedIn Ad sizes and dimensions for text advertising:

• LinkedIn image ad size, type, and format should be 100×100 pixels, JPG or PNG, and no more than 2MB.
• Headline: Up to 25 characters.
• Description: Up to 75 characters.
• LinkedIn supports click tracking for destination URLs.

Also, available LinkedIn Ad sizes for text are: 300×250, 17×700, 160×600, 728×90 or 496×80.

LinkedIn Specs for Dynamic Ads

As we’ve said, LinkedIn Dynamic Ads are tailored to each individual user, based on their interests and profile information. So, the images and copy will be different for each person who sees the ad. However, here are some general LinkedIn Dynamic Ads specs:

• Ad description: Up to 70 characters but be mindful that your text will not be automatically translated.
• Ad headline: Up to 50 characters.
• Company name: A maximum of 25 characters with the option to display the company name when the user places their cursor on your logo.
• Ad image: 100 x 100px for JPG or PNG.
• CTA button: You may choose between a variety of call-to-action buttons. Or you can use up to 18 characters (including spaces).

Note that if you’re using a custom background image for this type of ad, LinkedIn image specs suggest it must be exactly 300 x 250px and 2MB or less.

The Takeaway

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for B2B marketers and, as such, it’s important to know how to create ads that will make the most impact. By following the specs we’ve outlined in this article, you can be sure that your ads will look great and be effective in driving conversions.

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By Maja Josifovska