[FAQ]

I’m creating a lot of video content to be posted natively on Facebook, and I want to make sure I’m exporting my files from my editing software with the ideal settings. I’ve noticed that sometimes Facebook can heavily compress my videos, which reduces the quality.

What are the most up-to-date, recommended export settings for 2025 to get the crispest and cleanest video possible on the platform? I’m looking for specifics on things like resolution, aspect ratio, file format, and bitrate.

[Jeff Bullas]

Uploading a video to Facebook with the correct export settings is important for preserving its quality and ensuring it provides a good viewing experience. While Facebook will always apply its own compression, starting with an optimised file gives you the best possible result.

Here are the key video specifications to focus on when you are exporting your video. First, for the file format and codec, the most reliable and universally compatible choice is to export as an MP4 file that uses the H.264 video codec and the AAC audio codec.

Second, regarding resolution, for most uses, exporting your video at 1080p provides an excellent balance of high quality and manageable file size. For a standard horizontal video, this would be 1920 by 1080 pixels.

Third, you should choose your aspect ratio based on where the video will primarily be viewed, which is almost always on a mobile device. For standard feed videos, a square (1:1) aspect ratio or a vertical (4:5) aspect ratio is highly recommended because these formats take up more screen space in the mobile feed than a traditional horizontal video. For Facebook Stories and Reels, you must use a vertical (9:16) aspect ratio.

Fourth, for the frame rate, it is best practice to export at the same frame rate that you filmed in. The most common and perfectly acceptable rates for web video are 25 or 30 frames per second (fps).

Fifth, concerning the bitrate, which influences the video’s detail and file size, there is no single official number from Facebook. However, a common professional recommendation for a 1080p, 30 fps video is to use a variable bitrate (VBR) with a target of around 10 to 15 Mbps (megabits per second). Exporting at a significantly higher bitrate is generally unnecessary, as Facebook’s compression will negate the benefit of the extra data.

Sixth, while Facebook supports very long videos (up to 240 minutes) and large files (up to 10 GB), it is important to remember that for user engagement, shorter videos almost always perform better in the feed.

And finally, always remember to add captions to your video, either by burning them into the video itself or by uploading an SRT file. A majority of users on Facebook watch videos with the sound off, so captions are essential for your message to be understood.

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