tiktok
TikTok Username Overlay Safe Zone
@username + caption stack covers the bottom 22% on the left side. Plan creative bottom-up if your subject sits low.
The TikTok username overlay sits at the bottom-left of the canvas, covering approximately 70% of the width and 8% of the height. Below it, the caption block extends another 10% downward — so the bottom-left 70% × 18% region is double-occupied by username chrome. Anything you compose into that region disappears under the username, the caption, or both.
This is the safe-zone constraint that catches the most first-time TikTok ad designers. They've built creative for Instagram Reels, where the username is anchored to the bottom but the caption sits in a separate block. On TikTok, the username and the caption are stacked together in a single overlay region, and that region is much taller than you'd expect.
Plan creative around an inverted-L safe area: the right 30% of the bottom 22% remains usable (it's covered by the right rail icons but not by the username/caption), while the left 70% is fully obscured.
@brand
@brand username row covers bottom-left 22%
🎵 Original sound · brand
Verified 2026 safe zones
| Field | Hard max | Visible before truncate | Warn at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caption | 2200 | 100 | 80 |
| Display name | 40 | 40 | 30 |
Source: https://ads.tiktok.com/help/article/in-feed-ads-overview · Last verified 2026-04-15.
The bottom-left blackout
Treat the bottom-left 70% × 22% as a no-go zone. If you've imported assets from Instagram Reels — where the bottom-left has more room — re-crop them for TikTok or accept that the brand element disappears.
FAQ
- How tall is the username + caption block on TikTok?
- Approximately 18% of the canvas in worst case (8% username + 10% caption). That's 152 pixels on a 390 × 844 device.
- Can the user dismiss the caption?
- Tapping the caption can expand it but not hide it. The username block is always visible.
- What about creator-led Spark Ads?
- Spark Ads inherit the same overlay since they use the For You UI. Plan creative the same way as In-Feed.
- Why is TikTok's username block taller than Instagram Reels' username block?
- TikTok stacks the caption directly below the username. Instagram separates the caption to a different region of the canvas.