CAPQACapQA Safe Zone Index · TikTok · Reels · Shorts
Social media safe zones, in one pixel table.
By Antoni, founder · Updated
Every region TikTok, Reels and Shorts draw over a 1080×1920 video, 15 rectangles across four layouts, next to what each platform publishes. Version 11 September 2026.
- 15 regions measured
- 4 layouts
- 1080×1920 frame
Safe zones at a glance
Across the four layouts CapQA measures, the bottom band runs from 330 px on Reels to 484 px on TikTok Spark Ads, the top band from 130 px to 234 px, and the right-side buttons start between x 918 and x 996. All numbers are for a 1080×1920 frame.
Every interface region, in pixels
The table lists all 15 regions CapQA masks, one row each, as pixel rectangles on a 1080×1920 frame with their share of the frame's area. The same rows are available as a CSV file, generated from the masks the free check draws, so the file and the page never disagree.
Download: capqa-social-media-safe-zones.csv — one row per region, pixel columns, UTF-8.
What the platforms publish themselves
Only Meta states its safe zone as numbers: keep the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side of a Reels ad free of text — 269, 672 and 65 px on 1080×1920. TikTok says its safe area depends on format and caption length; Google publishes no pixel safe zone for Shorts.
How much of a bottom-third caption each layout hides
A two-line caption placed where auto-caption tools usually drop it — y 1382–1602 — loses 76% of its area on TikTok Spark Ads, 18% on organic TikTok, 18% on Shorts and 5% on Reels. The same two lines in CapQA's slot lose none of it on any of them.
One box that clears every placement
One rectangle clears every layout in the table: x 90 to x 918, y 260 to y 1436 on a 1080×1920 frame. For paid Reels, Meta's 35% margin moves the bottom limit up to y 1248. CapQA's caption slot, y 916–1244, sits above both bottom limits.
The left and top edges come from CapQA's 900×1400 safe zone, the right edge from TikTok's organic button rail (the furthest in of the four), and the bottom from the Spark Ads stack. At 720×1280 multiply every number by two thirds; at 1440×2560, by four thirds.
How to cite this data
Quote any number here with a link to this page and the version date, 11 September 2026. The CSV carries the same rows for charts and spreadsheets. When a platform moves its interface, the masks, this table and the file change together, and the version date moves with them.
CapQA, “Social media safe zones: pixel reference”, version 11 September 2026. https://capqa.app/guides/social-media-safe-zones
Safe zone reference questions
What are the safe zones for TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
On a 1080×1920 frame, by CapQA's masks: TikTok Spark Ads cover the bottom 484 px and a button rail from x 940; Reels Ads the bottom 330 px and a rail from x 996; Shorts Ads the bottom 345 px and a rail from x 936.
Is there one safe zone that works on every platform?
Yes: x 90–918 and y 260–1436 clears every layout in the table. For paid Reels, keep text above y 1248 too, to meet Meta's 35% margin.
Is the 900×1400 safe zone enough for ads?
Not on its own. Centred on 1080×1920, 900×1400 runs from x 90 to 990 and y 260 to 1660: it keeps text off the edges, but a TikTok Spark Ad's bottom stack starts at y 1436 and the organic button rail at x 918, both inside it. Keep text above y 1436 and left of x 918 too — CapQA burns captions from y 916 for that reason.
Are these numbers official?
No platform publishes a full pixel map. Meta states percentages for Reels ads, TikTok offers overlay files and Google publishes none for Shorts. The rectangles here are CapQA's measurements of each default layout, checked against those pages on 11 September 2026.
Can I use these numbers in an article or a template?
Yes — quote them with a link to this page and its version date. The CSV has every row, and the numbers change only when a platform's layout does.
Start
Numbers are the start. Burn captions where none of them land.
3 free videos a month · captions inside 900×1400 · no card