Instagram ad mockup generator: Feed, carousel, Stories and Reels (free, video too)
An Instagram ad mockup is a picture of how an ad will roughly look in Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels or a carousel, made before it exists in Ads Manager. The free generator below draws one from your image or video and text, with the account name, the “Ad” label and the button where Instagram puts them, and saves a PNG — nothing is uploaded. For client approval it makes one sheet with every placement and a link that carries the texts.
Open the free ad mockup generator for Instagram ↓
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Free Instagram ad mockup generator
Ad mockup generator for Instagram
For client approval
The link carries only the texts, after “#”, which browsers never send to a server; images and video stay on your device, so attach the sheet or PNG.
An illustration drawn with neutral shapes, not Meta’s interface. Facebook and Instagram are trademarks of Meta Platforms, Inc.; Variafy is not affiliated with or endorsed by Meta. Real ads differ by device, app version and settings — check the final ad in the Ads Manager preview.
The mockup is drawn in your browser with neutral shapes, so it is safe to send and does not pretend to be the Instagram app. For Facebook placements, use the Facebook ad mockup generator; for exact sizes of every placement, our Facebook and Instagram ad sizes guide.
What does an Instagram ad look like in 2026?
| Where it is | In the generator | |
|---|---|---|
| Account name and “Ad” label | Above the image, next to the profile picture | Account name field and Label |
| Image or video | 4:5 in Feed, 9:16 in Stories and Reels | Drop images or a video |
| Button | Usually a bar right under the image in Feed; at the bottom in Stories and Reels | Button |
| Primary text (caption) | Under the icons, after the account name in bold, cut with “more” | Primary text |
Instagram shows the account name — a handle such as northwind.studio — rather than a Page name, so type it the way it appears in the app. Meta recommends 125 characters of primary text for Instagram Feed and 40 for the headline (Meta Ads Guide); it does not publish where “more” cuts in, so the generator cuts after about two lines.
Ads that were previously marked with a “Sponsored” label will now display an “Ad” label instead.
On Instagram the change is already live (Social Media Today); switch the label to “Sponsored” only if a client still sees the old one.
Instagram Feed, Stories and Reels: what changes in the mockup?
| Shape | Primary text | What covers the image | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feed | 4:5, 1440×1800 (1:1 also works) | 125 characters (Meta) | Nothing; the button bar sits below |
| Stories | 9:16, 1440×2560 | 125 characters (Meta) | Profile at the top, button at the bottom |
| Reels | 9:16, 1440×2560 | 44 characters (Meta) | Icons on the right, name, text and button at the bottom |
Consider leaving roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom, and 6% on each side of your asset free from text, logos, or other key creative elements
Switch on “Safe zones” in Stories or Reels to see those margins over your image. In Reels the buttons also cover the bottom-right corner; our ad sizes guide measures it.
How do you mock up an Instagram carousel ad?
Choose “Instagram carousel” and drop 2 to 10 images; Meta allows 2 to 10 cards per carousel (Meta). In Instagram, image carousels use 4:5 cards that people swipe one at a time, with dots under the image and a “1/5” counter on it. The mockup shows the first card, which is the one most people see — make it work on its own.
Can you mock up an Instagram video or Reels ad?
Yes. Drop an MP4 or MOV file: the generator shows it in the placement, lets you play it or pick a frame with the slider, and saves the frame you see as a PNG. Pick a frame where your hook is visible. The video is played by your browser from your device and never uploaded; if it does not open, export it as MP4 (H.264).
How do you get an Instagram ad approved by a client?
- Send the approval sheet. “Approval sheet” saves one PNG with Feed, carousel, Stories and Reels side by side, the date, and a “☐ Approved ☐ Changes” line under each.
- Paste the texts. “Copy texts for the client” puts the caption, headline, button and cards into your clipboard for an email or chat, so the client can edit words, not pictures.
- Share the link with a teammate. “Copy link with these texts” opens the generator with the same texts; add the images again on their side.
- Check Meta’s preview before launch. Ads Manager shows Meta’s own rendering of the real ad; Meta calls those previews “only examples” too (Meta).
Why the link carries no images
Uploading a client’s creatives to a website just to share a preview is a data risk. The link keeps the texts after “#”, a part of the address browsers never send to a server, and the images stay on your device until you attach the sheet yourself.
Can you use the Instagram name and look in a mockup?
you may only use Instagram to say that your app is "for Instagram" or that the name of your campaign is "on Instagram" in a descriptive manner.
Instagram’s guidelines also ask that only logos and screenshots from Meta’s Brand Resource Center are used. The generator therefore draws no Instagram logo, camera icon or brand gradient — only neutral outlines and the placement name in plain text — and adds “illustration, not Meta’s interface” to each PNG by default.
How does Variafy fit into an Instagram campaign?
Once the ad is agreed, Variafy lets you work with your Meta ad account in ChatGPT or Claude: compare how your current Instagram placements perform, ask for caption variants within 125 or 44 characters, and create the new ad paused so you can check Meta’s preview before it spends. See the Meta Ads MCP guide for how it connects.
How we checked
Checked on 23 Oct 2026 against Meta’s Ads Guide (Instagram Feed, Stories and Reels), Meta Business Help (ad labels and safe zones, carousel ads, ad previews), the Meta Brand Resource Center’s Instagram guidelines and Social Media Today’s report on the label change. Where Meta publishes no number — the exact point where captions are cut, the layout of Stories and Reels — the mockup follows what the apps usually show and says so.
The generator runs in your browser. Images and video are read from your device; nothing is sent to our server.
Questions
What is an Instagram ad mockup?
A picture of how an ad will roughly look in Instagram Feed, Stories, Reels or a carousel, made before the ad exists in Ads Manager, usually to agree on images and words with a client or team.
What size is an Instagram ad?
Feed: 4:5 at 1440×1800. Stories and Reels: 9:16 at 1440×2560. Image carousels: 4:5 cards.
How long can an Instagram ad caption be?
Meta recommends 125 characters for Feed and Stories and 44 for Reels; longer text is cut with “more”.
Can I mock up an Instagram video ad?
Yes: drop a video, play it or pick a frame, and save that frame as a PNG. The video never leaves your device.
How do I show a client an Instagram ad before it goes live?
Send the approval sheet with every placement and the texts, then check Meta’s own preview in Ads Manager before launch.
Does Instagram still say “Sponsored” on ads?
Instagram has replaced “Sponsored” with “Ad”. The generator uses “Ad” and can switch back if a client still sees the old label.
Where should I keep text in Instagram Stories and Reels ads?
Out of the top 14%, the bottom 35% and 6% on each side of the 9:16 frame; in Reels also clear of the buttons in the bottom-right corner.
Can I use the Instagram logo in a mockup?
Only Meta’s official files from its Brand Resource Center, unaltered. The generator uses no Instagram logos.