Instagram Story Safe Zone Template (1080 × 1920)
Verify your vertical story photos and video clips against the Instagram Story top progress bars, account info, and bottom "Send message" reply box.
Text, subtitles & CTAs placed here are guaranteed never to be covered anywhere.
Drop your 9:16 video or image
Drag & drop here or click to browse.
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Export Safe Zone Templates
High-resolution transparent PNG guide overlays
Transparent PNG ready to drag into your timeline.
Includes all 6 platforms (TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Stories, Ads & Universal) + Readme.
- Place the exported PNG on top of your video track in CapCut, Premiere, or DaVinci.
- Align subtitles and callouts inside the safe boundary box.
- Mute or delete the overlay track before exporting your final video.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Instagram Stories Safe Zone Margins & Dimensions
Pixel specifications for organic Stories and sponsored Story ads.
980 × 1450
pixels in 1080×192068.5%
of total frame usable220 px
Reserved for header250 px
Captions & actionsInstagram Stories Exact Pixel Dimensions (1080 × 1920)
9:16 Aspect Ratio| Zone | Margin (px) | Percentage | Covering UI Elements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Danger Zone | 220 px | 11.5% | Search bar, camera icon, category tabs (Following/For You), stories timeline. |
| Bottom Danger Zone | 250 px | 13.0% | Creator username, full caption, hashtags, audio title marquee, platform navigation bar. |
| Right Rail Danger Zone | 50 px | 4.6% | Profile avatar with plus icon, Like button, Comments counter, Share arrow, Remix/Save. |
| Left Edge Buffer | 50 px | 4.6% | Curved phone bezel padding & edge swipe navigation margin. |
| Guaranteed Safe Zone | 980 × 1450 px | 68.5% | 100% visible zone for subtitles, call-to-actions, speaker faces, and logos. |
How to Use Safe Zone Overlays in Video Editors
Quick setup guides for Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, CapCut, and Final Cut Pro.
Adobe Premiere Pro
Timeline Overlay Method- Set your Sequence to 1080 × 1920 (Sequence Settings > Frame Size).
- Download our transparent 1080×1920 PNG template.
- Drag the PNG into your project bin and place it on your top track (V3 or V4).
- Stretch the clip duration to match your entire edit length.
- Align all captions and graphic titles inside the highlighted safe area.
- Click the track eyeball icon to hide the overlay before export.
DaVinci Resolve
Vertical Resolution Timeline- Under Project Settings > Master Settings, check "Use vertical resolution".
- Drag the transparent PNG overlay into the Media Pool.
- Drop the PNG on video track V2 above your main footage.
- Verify the Inspector scaling is set to "Fit" with 1.000 zoom for exact 1:1 pixel alignment.
- Keep key subject faces and subtitles inside the bounding box.
- Select the PNG clip and press 'D' to disable before rendering in the Deliver page.
CapCut (Desktop & Mobile)
Overlay Track Method- Set your project aspect ratio to 9:16.
- Tap Overlay > Add Overlay and choose the saved transparent PNG.
- Ensure the overlay fills 100% of the screen without cropping.
- Generate your Auto-Captions and reposition them so they don't hit the bottom 380px danger zone.
- Simply delete or hide the overlay layer before tapping Export.
Final Cut Pro
Connected Clip Guide- Create a new Project with Video Format set to Vertical (1080 × 1920).
- Connect the safe zone PNG above your primary storyline.
- In the Video Inspector, confirm Spatial Fitting is set to Fit.
- Format your title generators and lower-thirds safely inside the margins.
- Press 'V' to toggle clip visibility off prior to sharing your master file.
Frequently Asked Questions About Safe Zone Templates
Everything you need to know about vertical video margins, platform guidelines, safe zones, and editing workflows.
What is the safe zone for Instagram Stories in 2026?
The safe zone for Instagram Stories is 980 × 1450 pixels on a standard 1080×1920 canvas. The top margin is 220px (for the segmented progress bar, username, and close icon), bottom margin is 250px (for the 'Send message' reply pill and direct reaction icons), and left and right side buffers are 50px each.
Why do Instagram Stories cut off the top and bottom on certain phones?
Modern smartphones have varying aspect ratios (ranging from 16:9 up to 20:9 on tall Android devices and newer iPhones). Instagram scales Stories to fill the device screen, which can clip content placed within the top 220px and bottom 250px margins.
Where should interactive stickers (polls, links, questions) be placed?
Position interactive link stickers and polls in the center band between 400px and 1400px from the top to ensure viewers can easily tap them without accidentally triggering navigation or closing the Story.