Keep important content about 220 px from the top, 380 px from the bottom, 30 px from the left and 110 px from the right of a 1080×1920 frame. Snapchat Spotlight: the creator name and caption sit near the bottom, and the like, comment, share and save buttons run along the right edge.
Snapchat Spotlight is a smaller destination than TikTok or Reels, but it rewards the same discipline. The creator name and caption sit near the bottom, the action buttons run along the right, and a header strip covers the top. A video that ignores those bands loses its subtitles or its subject to the interface.
This guide explains the Spotlight layout and, just as important, the confusion around Spotlight length limits. Sources disagree about how long a Spotlight video can be, and we would rather show you that conflict than hide it. The overlay margins are measured estimates and not Snap specifications.
What the Spotlight interface covers
Our overlay reserves about 380 pixels at the bottom, 220 at the top, 110 on the right and only 30 on the left. The left is the safest edge by a wide margin, and the bottom is the busiest.
The side margins are tighter than on TikTok, so a full-width layout works well here. The top margin is deeper than you might expect, because the header takes space.
Snapchat does not have a measured native caption band in Frameguard, so the yellow subtitle zone is disabled. The tool tells you when an option is unavailable instead of silently doing nothing.
The length question
Many guides say Spotlight videos run from 5 to 60 seconds. One scheduling tool reports 5 to 300 seconds. A summary of a Snap announcement from March 2024 says uploads of up to five minutes became possible for Chats, Stories and Spotlight. These cannot all be right at once, and Snap's own help pages did not settle it for us.
Frameguard therefore shows the duration as varies and warns only when a video exceeds 60 seconds, the conservative figure. If you have a longer clip, check the upload screen in the app for your real limit.
Whichever limit applies, short videos tend to hold attention better, and a clip that loops cleanly is a good fit for the format.
Captions and on-screen text
The caption limit shown in the studio is 160 characters, the lower of two figures we found. Spotlight captions are brief, and a short, direct line works best.
Hashtags in Spotlight act as topics, and a few relevant ones help people find the video. Frameguard suggests about three and does not enforce a limit.
For text on the frame, keep it in the middle of the safe rectangle, away from the right-hand buttons and the bottom caption area. Check a still frame with the text collision tool.
Cross-posting from other apps
Snapchat is usually the third or fourth stop for a video made for TikTok or Reels. The margins here are different, with a deeper top and a thinner right side, so compare before you submit.
Remove other apps' watermarks. Spotlight videos with visible logos are not what the platform wants, and the logo often lands under Snapchat's own interface.
Export vertically at 1080×1920. A landscape file will be shown with large bars or cropped.
Common mistakes
Trusting a single length figure. Because sources conflict, assume the shorter one when you plan and test the longer one only if the app allows it.
Putting captions at the bottom. The creator name and caption area cover that space.
Assuming TikTok margins apply. The right side is thinner and the top is deeper on Spotlight.
Specs at a glance
Most Snapchat Spotlight figures in the table are marked as varies. That reflects genuine disagreement in the sources we found, not a gap in effort. Verify against Snap's help pages before relying on any of them.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Canvas | 1080 × 1920 px (9:16) |
| Safe margins (top / bottom / left / right) | 220 / 380 / 30 / 110 pxMeasured estimate |
| Native caption band | Not measured for this platform |
| Caption limit used by the tool | 160 characters. Sources conflict (160 vs 250). 160 is the conservative figure.Varies - verify |
| Visible caption lines (estimate) | 1Measured estimate |
| Hashtags | Not limited in the tool; about 3 recommended |
| Maximum duration | Sources conflict: many guides say 60 s, Snap reportedly allows uploads up to 5 minVaries - verify |
| Maximum file size | Sources conflict (500 MB vs 1 GB)Varies - verify |
Verification labels: Official means read on the platform's own help page; Official (quoted) means platform wording quoted by independent sources; Reported means secondary sources only; Varies means sources disagree. Reviewed 2026-10-26.
Pre-export checklist
- Export at 1080×1920 (9:16).
- Keep the bottom 380 pixels free of text.
- Keep the top 220 pixels free of titles.
- Check the right 110 pixels for key objects.
- Write a short caption under 160 characters.
- Keep clips short unless the app confirms longer.
- Remove other apps' watermarks.
- Run the text collision check on a still.
Snapchat Spotlight safe zone FAQ
How long can a Snapchat Spotlight video be?
Sources disagree. Many say 60 seconds, while a Snap announcement is reported to allow uploads up to five minutes. Check the upload screen in your app.
Where does Snapchat put its buttons on Spotlight?
Along the right edge, with the creator name and caption near the bottom. Frameguard reserves about 110 pixels on the right and 380 at the bottom.
Why is the subtitle zone disabled for Snapchat?
Because Frameguard has not measured a native caption band for Spotlight, and showing an unmeasured zone would be misleading.
Are these safe zones official?
No. The margins are Frameguard's own measured estimates, drawn conservatively. They are not published by the platforms, and apps change their layouts, so each page shows when it was last reviewed.
Is my video uploaded anywhere?
No. Frameguard runs entirely in your browser. Your file is decoded and drawn to a canvas on your device and never sent to a server. The optional text check loads a script library, but your image is still processed locally.
Can I download a template instead?
Yes. Use the Blank template button in the tool, or download ready-made PNG overlays from the safe zone templates page.
Other platform guides
- TikTok safe zoneMargins, caption limits and a template
- Instagram Reels safe zoneMargins, caption limits and a template
- YouTube Shorts safe zoneMargins, caption limits and a template
- Instagram Stories safe zoneMargins, caption limits and a template
- Facebook Reels safe zoneMargins, caption limits and a template
- LinkedIn Video safe zoneMargins, caption limits and a template
Need a file instead? Download a ready-made overlay from the safe zone templates, or compare sizes on the video sizes page.