TikTok Slideshow Size: The Pixel Numbers for Photos, Video and Ads

Make each photo in a TikTok slideshow 1080x1920 pixels. That is a 9:16 portrait shape, the vertical format TikTok asks for in its own creative guidance.

That one number is the answer most people need. But TikTok publishes three different sets of numbers for slideshows, and guides often mix them up. The app's photo post, the posting API that scheduling tools use, and the carousel ads in Ads Manager each have their own rules. This guide keeps them apart, then shows where your text can sit so TikTok's buttons do not cover it.

Key Takeaways

• Export slideshow photos at 1080x1920 pixels (9:16).
• A photo post takes up to 35 photos.
• Tools that post for you send JPEG or WebP images of up to 1080p and 20 MB each.
• Carousel ads have their own specs, with 720x1280 as the vertical size.
• Keep text inside a box of roughly 756 by 1,209 pixels, clear of the tabs, buttons and caption (Wavegrain's working numbers, not a TikTok figure).

The Short Answer: 1080x1920

TikTok's help pages do not give an official size for photo posts. TikTok's creative best practices, written for ads, say to orient content "vertically at 9:16" (checked on 2026-11-02). 1080x1920 is the full-HD size of that shape.

The steps for posting are in the main guide on how to make a TikTok slideshow.

TikTok's Three Sets of Numbers

1. A photo post made in the app

This is what most people mean by a TikTok slideshow. TikTok's help page on making a post says to tap Add post, then Photo, then Upload, and that you can add up to 35 photos (checked on 2026-11-02). On the next screen you can add a filter, sound, text or stickers, or crop your photos.

The page says nothing about pixel size, file type or file size. The app takes the photos from your device.

2. A photo post sent by a tool

A tool that posts for you uses TikTok's Content Posting API, and that API is stricter. Its photo post reference accepts up to 35 photo URLs in one post. Its media transfer guide lists the image rules: WebP or JPEG, at most 1080p, and at most 20 MB for each image.

PNG is not on that list. If you export PNG files and post them yourself in the app, this does not matter. If a tool posts them for you, the tool has to send JPEG or WebP. Wavegrain's TikTok sender, for example, prepares each slide as a JPEG of up to 20 MB, with 1 to 35 slides per post.

3. A slideshow posted as a video

Some people join their slides into one video instead of posting photos. The same media transfer guide sets the video rules for the API: MP4, WebM or MOV, 23 to 60 frames per second, and at least 360 and at most 4,096 pixels on each side. A 1080x1920 MP4 fits inside those limits.

For tips or lists that people need to read at their own pace, we think a photo post is the better fit.

Carousel Ads Have Their Own Specs

If you run a carousel as a paid ad, a different page applies. TikTok's specifications for carousel ads, last updated in September 2026, list these:

These numbers are for Ads Manager only. Do not shrink an ordinary slideshow to 720x1280 or 100 KB because an ads page says so. A 1080x1920 slide has the same 9:16 shape, so it can be resized for an ad without cropping.

Where Your Text Can Sit

The right size is only half the job. TikTok's creative guidance asks you to keep content "visible within the UI safe zone", because the app draws its own interface on top of every post: tabs at the top, a stack of buttons on the right, and the username, caption and sound name at the bottom. Text placed there is hidden or hard to read.

Wavegrain's editor uses one caption-safe box for every 1080x1920 TikTok slide. These are our working numbers, not an official TikTok figure, and the real interface changes with the phone and the app version.

That leaves a box of about 756 by 1,209 pixels, a little left of centre. Put the headline near the top of that box and keep body lines short.

You can test your own slides against these numbers in the free TikTok safe zone checker. It shows where the buttons and caption fall, runs in your browser, and gives you the overlay as a 1080x1920 PNG.

Reusing Slides From Instagram

Wavegrain's Instagram carousel sizes are 4:5 (1080x1350) and 3:4 (1080x1440). Both shapes are shorter than 9:16. TikTok's help pages do not say how a photo post shows a shorter image, so do not count on it filling the screen.

The safer route is to export a separate 9:16 version. Move any text that sat near the bottom of the Instagram slide, because the bottom of a 9:16 TikTok slide sits under the caption. The Instagram carousel size guide has the Instagram side of the numbers.

A Checklist Before You Post

1. Every slide is 1080x1920.
2. No headline sits in the top 250 pixels or the bottom 461.
3. No text runs under the button stack on the right.
4. The files are numbered, so you can select them in order.
5. If a tool posts for you, it sends JPEG or WebP, each under 20 MB.
6. You checked the preview in the app before you tapped Post.

Making Slides at the Right Size

You can set the canvas size in any design tool, and the numbers above are all you need. The slow part is placing text on each slide so it stays in the safe box. The free TikTok slideshow maker handles both in your browser: add photos, write a line per slide, and download 1080x1920 JPEG files with the text kept clear of the buttons.

Wavegrain does that step for you. It writes the slide text from a topic, and its TikTok profile exports 1080x1920 slides with the text placed inside the box above. You get a ZIP of numbered PNG files to upload in the app, or a vertical MP4 if you want a video. If you post on a schedule, the guide to automating TikTok slideshows explains what TikTok allows tools to do for you.