{"id":37723,"date":"2025-06-04T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-04T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cloudinary.com\/blog\/?p=37723"},"modified":"2025-11-01T06:12:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T13:12:03","slug":"test-aspect-ratios-video-campaigns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cloudinary.com\/blog\/test-aspect-ratios-video-campaigns","title":{"rendered":"Using Cloudinary to Test Aspect Ratios for Video Campaigns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Video dominates social media, but a one-size-fits-all approach doesn\u2019t work when it comes to aspect ratios. A video that looks great on YouTube would be cropped at an awkward angle on TikTok or Instagram. For this reason, you need to adjust videos to fit each platform\u2019s unique requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post explains how to adjust video aspect ratios in Cloudinary Studio, apply smart cropping, and use dynamic URLs to transform videos on the fly. It also covers how to test different aspect ratios through A\/B testing to see which performs best for your campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start by understanding what aspect ratios are and how they impact engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aspect Ratios and Video Engagement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Aspect ratio refers to the width and height <\/strong>of a video, typically expressed as W:H<\/strong> (e.g., 16:9, 9:16, 1:1<\/strong>). Each social media platform has its preferred formats, and optimizing videos to each platform means they\u2019re more likely to be shared, liked, and commented on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what do these aspect ratios look like in practice? Here\u2019s a quick comparison:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Comparison of different video aspect ratios on social media platforms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Choosing the proper aspect ratio isn\u2019t just about making your video fit. It directly impacts how viewers engage with your content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average attention span of human is 8.25 seconds<\/a> (down from 12 seconds in the last two decades). It\u2019s even shorter when we\u2019re using mobile devices. So, while someone is scrolling through their feed of endless video content, your video has only seconds to catch their eye and hold it. With a well-optimized aspect ratio, your content is displayed as intended, without awkward cropping or black bars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aspect ratio also impacts how social media algorithms rank your content, as most platforms prioritize videos that fit their native format to improve user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond algorithm ranking, using the wrong aspect ratio can negatively impact a campaign. For example, a horizontal YouTube video reposted on Instagram Stories will be cropped awkwardly and lose key details. Plus, even beyond visibility, aspect ratios influence your brand perception; a well-framed and properly formatted video appears more polished and professional, solidifying trust with your users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Set the Aspect Ratio for Videos in Cloudinary Studio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cloudinary eliminates the inconvenience of manually editing videos for multiple platforms with automated transformations<\/a>, smart cropping<\/a>, and dynamic delivery, which allow you to create multiple aspect ratios in minutes instead of hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To adapt your campaign videos to social media platforms’ preferred aspect ratios using Cloudinary, sign up<\/a> for a free account if you haven\u2019t already, or log in if you have. Navigate to Transformation Center<\/strong> in your dashboard and select New Transformation<\/strong>, as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cloudinary\u2019s Transformation Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From here, switch from the image to the video transformation<\/a> screen by clicking the video icon shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Switching to the video transformation screen in Cloudinary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You can now select the Fill<\/strong> transformation among the available actions on the Video Transformation screen to crop the video to the new aspect ratio while keeping the main subject in focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Selecting the Fill transformation to adjust aspect ratios automatically<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This will bring up fields where you can set values such as width<\/strong> and height<\/strong> or specify the aspect ratio precisely if known. Enter your preferred aspect ratio (for example, 9:16<\/strong> for TikTok videos and Instagram Reels) and set the Focus on<\/strong> option to Auto <\/strong>to automatically keep the most important part of the video in view during cropping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should instantly see that the selected video has been transformed from its original size to a properly cropped TikTok or Instagram Reel video, as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Setting aspect ratio values and focus options for precise video cropping<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With the Focus on<\/strong> option enabled, Cloudinary\u2019s AI-powered smart cropping will automatically detect the focal point of your video and adjust the framing accordingly. However, you can also adjust the value to your preferred direction or even detect and focus on a specified object if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you want the video to gravitate toward the top-left (northwest) position, you can set the Focus on<\/strong> option to Direction<\/strong> and select a point near the northwest region, as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adjust focus direction manually for better subject positioning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As you apply these values, you’ll notice that the URLs are generated automatically below the image, so you don\u2019t have to memorize numerous transformation parameters. If you prefer to skip the transformation dashboard altogether, the next section covers how to use dynamic URLs to achieve the same results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Transformation With Dynamic URLs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As an alternative to the transformation dashboard, you can use Cloudinary’s d<\/strong>ynamic URLs<\/strong> to resize your video’s aspect ratio. Dynamic URLs are parameter-based URLs that allow you to manipulate (e.g., resize, crop, filter) images and videos in real time without modifying the original file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, after uploading a video to Cloudinary, you can copy its URL by clicking the <><\/strong> icon that appears when you hover over the video, as shown below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Copying the video URL from the Cloudinary dashboard for dynamic URL transformations<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This will give you the base URL of the video, which looks something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Loading code examples<\/span>\n <\/cld-code-widget>\n \n\n\n\n <\/video>\n\n\n

To modify the video’s aspect ratio dynamically, you can add transformation<\/a> parameters directly to the URL. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, to convert the video into a 9:16 vertical format<\/strong> (ideal for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts), you can apply the following transformations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n