KnectKnectADS MANAGER

§ AD SPECS

Every size we print.

43 spots across the web, the iPhone and Android apps and the Roku channel. Each one says where it shows, when it plays, the size it is drawn at, the size to make, the file kind, and how many letters fit. Every picture spot has a blank template with the safe area drawn on it.

Make the picture at the size we ask for, not the smallest we take. The size we ask for is at least twice the size it is drawn at, so it stays sharp on a phone. We check the size, the shape and the words when you save the ad.

Building against this? The same list is at /api/ads/specs.

§ WHAT WORKS

Nine shapes, drawn well.

Every spot below takes one of these shapes. Each example is the real frame we print, with the rules that get an ad tapped and the one mistake to skip. The sizes for each spot follow.

Reyna's KitchenSponsored
Taco Tuesday, tonight till lateOrder

§ A feed card

Drawn like a post: your name, the picture full width, the headline and a button.

What works

  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.
  4. Faces and food shot close, in daylight. Dark pictures lose the feed.
  5. Leave the bottom right of the picture quiet. The Sponsored tab sits there.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

New drop FridayReyna's Kitchen · SponsoredShop

§ A strip

A wide, short band between things in a list. The picture is on the left, the words beside it.

What works

  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.
  4. The button is the only other thing. One verb.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

Brunch, every SundayBook a tableSponsored

§ A hero

The big picture at the top of a page, with your headline across the foot of it.

What works

  1. The picture carries it. Pick your best one and give it room.
  2. Keep the lower third of the picture simple: the headline prints over it.
  3. A headline that names the place and the moment: Brunch, every Sunday.
  4. Four by three. Phones draw it tall, so keep the subject in the middle.

Skip this: Small text inside the picture. On a phone the hero is the width of a thumb.

Another tile
The Low End SessionsSponsored
Another tile

§ A tile

A square or tall card in a grid of other cards, marked Sponsored.

What works

  1. Square. A portrait or a product shot, centered, filling the frame.
  2. Your name is printed under it, so the picture does not need a logo.
  3. Strong color. Tiles sit beside a dozen others; the eye goes to contrast.

Skip this: A wide landscape picture. In a square tile it keeps only the middle.

The Culture Issue is outSponsoredRead

§ A leaderboard

A wide bar across the top or the foot of a page on a computer.

What works

  1. Logo left, headline middle, button right. It is a sentence read left to right.
  2. Words big enough to read at arm's length: at least a tenth of the bar's height.
  3. One color block behind the words. The bar sits on a busy page.

Skip this: A photo stretched the whole width with the words on top of it. Nothing is readable.

AD · 0:15[captions on]
Lost in Lagos, now streamingWatch

§ A video spot

Plays before the film or the show, full width, with your button under it.

What works

  1. Say or show what it is in the first two seconds. People decide to stay in that long.
  2. Fifteen seconds beats thirty unless the story needs it. We take up to 30.
  3. Captions on. Most phones play with the sound off.
  4. Sixteen by nine, 1920 by 1080, MP4. Sound level like a TV show, not louder.
  5. End on the name and the button text. The last frame is what they remember.

Skip this: A trailer cut for a cinema. It opens slow and the name arrives at the end, after they have skipped.

AD
ScanScan for tonight's special

Dashed: keep your words inside · the card is ours

§ A TV spot

Full screen in the breaks on Roku, with a scan card we print in the bottom right.

What works

  1. Fifteen or thirty seconds, exactly. 1920 by 1080, MP4, sound like broadcast.
  2. Big words. The screen is across the room: nothing smaller than a tenth of the frame.
  3. Keep the bottom right clear. The scan card sits there, 400 by 280, with your offer.
  4. Tell them what the scan gets them, out loud and on screen: Scan for the deal.
  5. No fine print. If it needs fine print, it needs a different offer.

Skip this: A phone-shaped vertical video. On a television it plays as a thin stripe.

AD · Reyna's Kitchen
Pull up FridayGet tickets

§ A vertical spot

Tall, full screen, between vertical episodes. The kicker runs across the top, the caption at the foot.

What works

  1. Nine by sixteen, 1080 by 1920. Shot tall, not a wide video turned sideways.
  2. The subject in the middle of the frame. The top and bottom carry our kicker and caption.
  3. Hook in the first second. Vertical viewers swipe fast.
  4. Captions, big, in the middle third.

Skip this: Letterboxed widescreen with black bars. It reads as broken.

The Low End Sessions, ThursdaysReyna's Kitchen · a 15 second spot · SponsoredListen

§ An audio spot

Plays before or between the shows and the tracks. A shelf card with your picture shows while it plays.

What works

  1. Say the name twice: once at the start, once at the end.
  2. Fifteen or thirty seconds. One offer, one place to go.
  3. A real voice, close to the mic, no music bed louder than the voice.
  4. Say where to find you: on Knect, at the shop, on Frequency.
  5. MP3 or M4A, as loud as the show it sits in. We do not re-level it.

Skip this: A spot read fast to fit. Cut words, not pace.

§ THE FEED

The feed.

The main scroll, where most people spend their time.

Feed strip.

Blank template
  • iPhone
  • Android

A wide strip on the Today and Food screens in the iPhone and Android apps.

Where
iPhone and Android: on the Today tab, after the deals rail, and on the Food tab, under the search and filters. The web does not draw it, but a Feed strip fills many other strips on the web and on a computer when nobody bought them.
When
Once on each screen, every time the screen opens. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • iPhone, Today and Food: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn as your picture across the top with the headline and button in a row under it.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

In-feed card.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card that sits in the feed like a post, marked Sponsored.

Where
Web and computer: in the Feed at /pulse, between posts, and between the first and second groups of search results at /search. iPhone and Android: in the Feed tab, between posts.
When
After the 3rd post, then after every 5th post (before posts 4, 9, 14 and so on), for as long as people scroll. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone: 350 by 197 px
  • Computer: 600 by 338 px
  • iPhone: 350 by 197 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn as a post: your name and Sponsored, the headline and button text above, the picture full width, then the button.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

Feed rail.

Blank template
  • Computer

The card in the right column beside the feed on a computer.

Where
Computer: the foot of the right column beside the Feed at /pulse, docked under the header once the column's cards have scrolled by.
When
Once per visit. It stays on screen while the feed scrolls; a 300 by 600 is only asked for when the window is tall enough to hold it. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, 300px column, 320px from 1280px wide: 300 by 169 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

§ EXPLORE

Explore.

Where people go looking for something new.

Explore hero.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

The big picture at the top of Explore.

Where
Web: Explore, For You, after the first four results (never between the tabs and the filters). Computer: the same spot, drawn as a wide strip. iPhone and Android: the top of Explore, For You, and on the Watch tab after the featured rails.
When
Once per visit. On the Watch tab it hides while someone is searching. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone: 354 by 266 px
  • Computer, about, cropped to 3:1: 1,216 by 405 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 266 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 1,200 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 900 px
Shape
4:3
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
A computer crops this picture to a 3:1 strip across the page. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. The picture carries it. Pick your best one and give it room.
  2. Keep the lower third of the picture simple: the headline prints over it.
  3. A headline that names the place and the moment: Brunch, every Sunday.

Skip this: Small text inside the picture. On a phone the hero is the width of a thumb.

See a hero drawn.

Explore feed.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A strip inside the Explore grid.

Where
Web and computer: inside the Explore For You grid, in one column. iPhone and Android: between the two halves of the Explore For You grid.
When
Web: after the 6th tile, then every 11 tiles. iPhone and Android: once, only when the grid has at least 8 tiles. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone, one of 2 columns: 173 by 58 px
  • Computer, one of 4 columns: 292 by 97 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On the web it is one grid column wide, so the headline prints small. Keep the picture simple.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Explore map.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A strip on the map and in the Near You grid.

Where
Web and computer: inside the Explore Near You grid, and along the bottom of the map at /map. iPhone and Android: under the map in Explore, The Map.
When
Near You: after the 6th tile, then every 11 tiles. The map: whenever no place is picked and the list is closed. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, Near You, phone: 173 by 58 px
  • Web, map, phone: 366 by 122 px
  • Computer, Near You: 292 by 97 px
  • iPhone: 330 by 110 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Detail promo.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card beside the feed and stories on a computer, and in Explore on the iPhone.

Where
Computer: the middle card in the right column beside the Feed, and the last card in the column beside a story. iPhone and Android: under the lead tile in Explore, For You, and in Explore, Near You.
When
Feed and story: once per page. iPhone Near You: after every 8 places. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, Feed column, cropped to 16:9: 300 by 169 px
  • Computer, story column, cropped to 16:9: 320 by 180 px
  • iPhone, cropped to 3:1: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 1,200 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 900 px
Shape
4:3
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Nothing draws this at 4:3 today: a computer crops it to 16:9 and the iPhone to 3:1. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. The picture carries it. Pick your best one and give it room.
  2. Keep the lower third of the picture simple: the headline prints over it.
  3. A headline that names the place and the moment: Brunch, every Sunday.

Skip this: Small text inside the picture. On a phone the hero is the width of a thumb.

See a hero drawn.

Explore tile.

Blank template
  • iPhone
  • Android

A square tile in the Explore grid on the iPhone, shaped like everyone else's.

Where
iPhone and Android: inside the Explore For You grid, under a tile in the same column. The web Explore grid does not carry it.
When
After the 4th tile, then every 11 tiles, at most 6 on the page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • iPhone: 173 by 173 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 1,600 px
Never smaller than
1,080 by 1,080 px
Shape
1:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Sponsored tile
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn like the tiles around it, with a caption bar under the square.
What works
  1. Square. A portrait or a product shot, centered, filling the frame.
  2. Your name is printed under it, so the picture does not need a logo.
  3. Strong color. Tiles sit beside a dozen others; the eye goes to contrast.

Skip this: A wide landscape picture. In a square tile it keeps only the middle.

See a tile drawn.

§ THE DIRECTORY

The directory.

Shops, restaurants and services.

Creators tile.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A tall tile in the creators directory.

Where
Web and computer: in the grid at /creators. iPhone and Android: in the Creators directory grid.
When
After the 4th creator, then every 9, at most 6 on the page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone, one of 2 columns: 171 by 214 px
  • iPhone: 171 by 214 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 2,000 px
Never smaller than
1,080 by 1,350 px
Shape
4:5
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Sponsored tile
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On a computer it is one of 4 columns. On the iPhone a round initial sits on the bottom edge of the picture.
What works
  1. Square. A portrait or a product shot, centered, filling the frame.
  2. Your name is printed under it, so the picture does not need a logo.
  3. Strong color. Tiles sit beside a dozen others; the eye goes to contrast.

Skip this: A wide landscape picture. In a square tile it keeps only the middle.

See a tile drawn.

Food list.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A strip on the food pages.

Where
Web and computer: above the Browse by mood grid at /food, and cards in the restaurant list (phone) and grid (computer). iPhone and Android: on the Food tab, after the 3rd section.
When
The band once per visit, only when nobody is searching and the All tab is open. The list: after the 4th, then every 9th, and never closer than a screen and a half to another ad on a phone (the computer grid's first is its 7th cell). On the iPhone only when 4 or more sections are showing. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone: 350 by 117 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The computer grid card crops the picture to 16:9. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Shops list.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A spot in the shops and businesses list.

Where
Web: cards in the business list at /business. Computer: a wide band after the deals at /business, and cards in the business grid. iPhone and Android: in the Businesses list once a search, category or Open now is picked.
When
Web and computer lists: after the 4th, then every 9th, and never closer than a screen and a half to another ad on a phone (the computer grid's first is its 6th cell). The band once per page. iPhone and Android: after the 7th business, then every 6. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, band, picture panel: 420 by 160 px
  • Computer, business page, cropped to 16:9: 328 by 185 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The phone web does not draw it. The computer crops the picture to 16:9 or a 420 by 160 panel. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Jobs board.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A band on the jobs pages.

Where
Computer: on /resources, after the jobs list, and at the top when the Jobs category is picked. iPhone and Android: on the Find help screen, after the results.
When
Once per page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, band with a 90 by 90 picture: 728 by 90 px
  • Computer, Jobs category, 460 by 250 picture panel: 970 by 250 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The phone web does not draw it. On a computer the headline is typeset beside a square or a 460 by 250 panel of the picture, so no words in the picture.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Detail rail.

Blank template
  • Computer

The card in the side column of a business, an event or a creator's page on a computer.

Where
Computer: under the action card on a business page, under the ticket card on an event page, and docked at the foot of the side column on a creator's page.
When
Once per page. Never on a creator's page with Ad-free Profile. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, the 360px business column: 328 by 185 px
  • Computer, event and creator columns: 300 by 169 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

Index leaderboard.

Blank template
  • Computer

The thin band under the top of the big directory pages on a computer.

Where
Computer: on /events after the featured event, on /culture/stories under the search, and on /creators after the cover.
When
Once per visit to each page, never above the page's title or its lead picture. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, band with a 90 by 90 picture: 728 by 90 px
Make it this big
1,456 by 180 px
Never smaller than
728 by 90 px
Shape
728x90
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 1 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 8 px from the top, 8 px from the right, 8 px from the bottom and 96 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On a computer only a 90 by 90 square of the picture shows, at the left, and the words are typeset.
What works
  1. Logo left, headline middle, button right. It is a sentence read left to right.
  2. Words big enough to read at arm's length: at least a tenth of the bar's height.
  3. One color block behind the words. The bar sits on a busy page.

Skip this: A photo stretched the whole width with the words on top of it. Nothing is readable.

See a leaderboard drawn.

§ EVENTS

Events.

What is happening this week.

Events strip.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A strip on the events pages.

Where
Web and computer: in the list at /events, at the foot of an event page, and between Highlights and Links on a person page in the reader. iPhone and Android: on the Events screen before the featured events, and at the foot of an event page.
When
The events list: after the 4th, then every 9th, and never closer than a screen and a half to another ad on a phone. Everywhere else: once per page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, events list, phone: 318 by 106 px
  • Web, event page, phone: 350 by 117 px
  • Computer, event page band, picture panel: 420 by 160 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On a computer the events list draws it as one card in the grid. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

§ THE READER

The reader.

Stories and the magazine.

Culture calendar leaf.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card in the arts calendar, shaped like an event.

Where
Web and computer: the 4th card in On the calendar at /culture. iPhone and Android: on the Reader front, after On the calendar.
When
Once per visit. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone rail, cropped to 4:3: 220 by 165 px
  • iPhone, thumbnail beside the words: 54 by 54 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 1,600 px
Never smaller than
1,080 by 1,080 px
Shape
1:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The web crops the square to 4:3. The iPhone shows the whole square small, beside a date block and the headline, so a logo or a single object reads best.
What works
  1. Square. A portrait or a product shot, centered, filling the frame.
  2. Your name is printed under it, so the picture does not need a logo.
  3. Strong color. Tiles sit beside a dozen others; the eye goes to contrast.

Skip this: A wide landscape picture. In a square tile it keeps only the middle.

See a tile drawn.

Reader front.

Blank template
  • Web
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card on the magazine's front page on a phone.

Where
Web: on /culture after the feature, and after every second section. iPhone and Android: on the Reader front before the section rails, and after the 2nd and 4th rails.
When
Web: one after the feature, then one after every second section. iPhone and Android: up to 3 on the page. A computer shows the Culture leaderboard and the Reader spread here instead. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone: 354 by 199 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 199 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn as a post: your name and Sponsored, the headline, the picture full width, then the button.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

In-article.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card in the middle of a story.

Where
Web, computer, iPhone and Android: between paragraphs of a story.
When
By length: the first after at least 4 paragraphs and a phone screen of reading, then at least 6 paragraphs and a screen and a half apart, never beside a picture or pull quote and never in the last 2 paragraphs. At most one per 500 words and 4 a story; stories under 450 words carry none. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone, edge to edge: 390 by 219 px
  • Computer, about: 800 by 450 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 199 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

In-article video.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer

A short muted video between the paragraphs of a long story.

Where
Web and computer: once in a long Culture story (8 paragraphs and 600 words or more), between two paragraphs near the middle, at least a phone screen away from any in-article card.
When
Only once a spot is ready to play; nothing is drawn otherwise. Plays muted while at least half of it is on screen and pauses when it scrolls away or the tab is hidden. Sound and close after it starts. Readers who ask for reduced motion tap to play. It folds away when it ends. Counted on its first frame, seen after 2 seconds in view.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone, the text column: 343 by 193 px
  • Computer, the text column, 640 wide at most: 640 by 360 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9 video
File
MP4, MOV, up to 500 MB
How long
Up to 30 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Video spot
Good to know
16:9, 1920 by 1080, MP4 or MOV, up to 30 seconds. It starts with no sound, so the first seconds must work silent: put your name on screen early. Your button sits in a bar under the picture.
What works
  1. Say or show what it is in the first two seconds. People decide to stay in that long.
  2. Fifteen seconds beats thirty unless the story needs it. We take up to 30.
  3. Captions on. Most phones play with the sound off.

Skip this: A trailer cut for a cinema. It opens slow and the name arrives at the end, after they have skipped.

See a video spot drawn.

Reader spread.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

The wide band across the magazine front on a computer, and a card on the iPhone.

Where
Computer: on /culture, after every second section. iPhone and Android: on the Reader front, after the brief list, when there is a lead story.
When
Computer: up to one per two sections. iPhone and Android: once. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, the picture fills the right 460 by 250: 970 by 250 px
  • iPhone, cropped to 16:9: 354 by 199 pt
Make it this big
1,940 by 500 px
Never smaller than
970 by 250 px
Shape
970x250
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 16 px from the top, 16 px from the right, 16 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On a computer the headline is typeset on the left and the right 460 by 250 of your picture shows. The iPhone crops the same file to 16:9. Keep the subject at the right of centre and no words in the picture.
What works
  1. Logo left, headline middle, button right. It is a sentence read left to right.
  2. Words big enough to read at arm's length: at least a tenth of the bar's height.
  3. One color block behind the words. The bar sits on a busy page.

Skip this: A photo stretched the whole width with the words on top of it. Nothing is readable.

See a leaderboard drawn.

Culture leaderboard.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

The thin band on the magazine front on a computer, and a strip on the iPhone.

Where
Computer: on /culture, after the feature. iPhone and Android: on the Reader front, the first thing under the search.
When
Once per visit. The iPhone hides it while someone is searching. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, band with a 90 by 90 picture: 728 by 90 px
  • iPhone, cropped to 3:1: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,456 by 180 px
Never smaller than
728 by 90 px
Shape
728x90
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 1 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 8 px from the top, 8 px from the right, 8 px from the bottom and 96 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On a computer only a 90 by 90 square of the picture shows, at the left, and the words are typeset. The iPhone crops the file to 3:1.
What works
  1. Logo left, headline middle, button right. It is a sentence read left to right.
  2. Words big enough to read at arm's length: at least a tenth of the bar's height.
  3. One color block behind the words. The bar sits on a busy page.

Skip this: A photo stretched the whole width with the words on top of it. Nothing is readable.

See a leaderboard drawn.

Story rail.

Blank template
  • Computer

The tall card docked beside a story on a computer.

Where
Computer: the right column of a Culture story, under the short version, the writer and more stories, docked under the header as the story scrolls and let go before the page's foot.
When
Once per story. It stays on screen while the story is read; a 300 by 600 is only asked for when the window is tall enough to hold it. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, the 320px story column: 300 by 169 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

End card.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer

A card at the end of a story or a page, just before more like it.

Where
Web and computer: after the last paragraph of a story, before the writer and more stories; at the foot of a business page, before more like it.
When
Once per page, and only a screen and a half or more from any other ad. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone: 343 by 193 px
  • Computer, about: 640 by 360 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn as a post: your name and Sponsored, the headline, the picture full width, then the button.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

§ KNECT TV

Knect TV.

Films, shows and the TV channel.

Video pre-roll.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A short video before a film starts.

Where
Web and computer: before a film at /live/watch, before a show, and before a video or live stream on /live. iPhone and Android: before a film in the player. Also the ads in the breaks on the Knect TV Live channel, on the web and the iPhone.
When
Before the film, after the resume choice. Never before a title under 4 minutes. On the iPhone, never before a trailer, a free preview or a live stream. Skip shows after 5 seconds (3 seconds on /live). In the Knect TV Live breaks: after at least 4 minutes of programme, one long spot or 2 to 3 short ones back to back, with no skip.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone, full width player: 390 by 219 px
  • iPhone, full width player: 390 by 219 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9 video
File
MP4, MOV, up to 500 MB
How long
Up to 30 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Video spot
Good to know
Plays inside the 16:9 player with sound. A vertical video is letterboxed on black. Tapping the button pauses the film and opens your page.
What works
  1. Say or show what it is in the first two seconds. People decide to stay in that long.
  2. Fifteen seconds beats thirty unless the story needs it. We take up to 30.
  3. Captions on. Most phones play with the sound off.

Skip this: A trailer cut for a cinema. It opens slow and the name arrives at the end, after they have skipped.

See a video spot drawn.

Vertical break.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A full-screen phone video between the episodes of a vertical series.

Where
Web, iPhone and Android: its own page between episodes in the vertical player (On Air › Vertical), and the breaks on Knect TV · Upright, the phone's channel. On a computer the same, inside the centred phone-shaped stage.
When
After at least 4 minutes of episodes have played, one spot of 25 seconds or more or 2 to 3 short ones back to back. Skip shows after 5 seconds. On Upright there is no skip. Nothing is drawn over your picture; the button sits in a bar under it.
Drawn at
  • Web, full screen, 9:16: 390 by 693 px
  • iPhone, full screen, 9:16: 390 by 693 pt
  • Computer, the centred phone stage: 560 by 995 px
Make it this big
1,080 by 1,920 px
Never smaller than
720 by 1,280 px
Shape
9:16 video
File
MP4, MOV, up to 500 MB
How long
Up to 30 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Video spot
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 120 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 220 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The kicker runs across the top and the caption sits at the foot.
Good to know
1080 by 1920, MP4 or MOV, up to 30 seconds, with sound. Keep words 120 px from the top and 220 px from the bottom. A still? Export it as a six-second MP4 and it plays as one. We do not even out loudness.
What works
  1. Nine by sixteen, 1080 by 1920. Shot tall, not a wide video turned sideways.
  2. The subject in the middle of the frame. The top and bottom carry our kicker and caption.
  3. Hook in the first second. Vertical viewers swipe fast.

Skip this: Letterboxed widescreen with black bars. It reads as broken.

See a vertical spot drawn.

TV billboard.

Blank template
  • Computer

The wide band on the TV page on a computer.

Where
Computer: on /live, after the top film and again after the 2nd shelf.
When
Up to twice per visit. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, picture panel, 140 to 160 tall: 420 by 160 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The headline is typeset beside a panel of your picture up to 420 by 160, so keep the subject in the middle and no words in the picture.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

TV watch rail.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

The card beside the player on a computer, and under it on the iPhone.

Where
Computer: the top of More from this channel beside the film player. iPhone and Android: on a film's page, under the channel and Sponsored by rows.
When
Once per film page. On a computer only when the channel has more films. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer: 360 by 203 px
  • iPhone: 358 by 201 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The iPhone draws it as a post: your name and Sponsored, the headline, then the picture.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

TV spot.

Blank template
  • Roku TV

A 15 or 30 second ad before a film on Knect TV on a Roku. It shows a code people scan for your deal.

Where
Roku: full screen, before a film on Knect TV.
When
One spot before the film starts. Never before a title under 4 minutes, a trailer or a rental preview. It cannot be skipped. Pressing Back leaves the film.
Drawn at
  • Roku TV, full screen: 1,920 by 1,080 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,920 by 1,080 px
Shape
16:9 video
File
MP4, MOV, up to 500 MB
How long
Up to 30 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Video spot
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 460 px from the right and 340 px from the bottom, at the size we ask for. We print the scan code in that corner.
Good to know
We print a 400 by 280 scan card into the bottom right corner, 60 px from each edge, for the whole spot. Keep the right 460 px and bottom 340 px clear, and keep words inside the TV safe area: 96 px from the sides and 54 px from the top and bottom. MP4 or MOV, 1920 by 1080, 15 or 30 seconds. We do not even out loudness, so mix it to broadcast level.
What works
  1. Fifteen or thirty seconds, exactly. 1920 by 1080, MP4, sound like broadcast.
  2. Big words. The screen is across the room: nothing smaller than a tenth of the frame.
  3. Keep the bottom right clear. The scan card sits there, 400 by 280, with your offer.

Skip this: A phone-shaped vertical video. On a television it plays as a thin stripe.

See a tv spot drawn.

TV break.

Blank template
  • Roku TV

The same TV spot inside the ad breaks on the live channels and between records.

Where
Roku: full screen, in the breaks on the live channels and between songs and episodes on Frequency.
When
Live channels: in the scheduled breaks, about every 10 minutes of programming, inside long shows at a natural pause and between shows, and in the time before each :00 and :30. A break is about two minutes, filled with as many spots as fit, one per advertiser, then slides. Frequency: between items once 4 minutes have played, never on a skip. It cannot be skipped.
Drawn at
  • Roku TV, full screen: 1,920 by 1,080 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,920 by 1,080 px
Shape
16:9 video
File
MP4, MOV, up to 500 MB
How long
Up to 30 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Video spot
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 460 px from the right and 340 px from the bottom, at the size we ask for. We print the scan code in that corner.
Good to know
The same file as the TV spot, with the same 400 by 280 scan card in the bottom right. Keep the right 460 px and bottom 340 px clear, and words 96 px from the sides and 54 px from the top and bottom. On Frequency the music stops and your spot plays full screen with sound.
What works
  1. Fifteen or thirty seconds, exactly. 1920 by 1080, MP4, sound like broadcast.
  2. Big words. The screen is across the room: nothing smaller than a tenth of the frame.
  3. Keep the bottom right clear. The scan card sits there, 400 by 280, with your offer.

Skip this: A phone-shaped vertical video. On a television it plays as a thin stripe.

See a tv spot drawn.

TV slide.

Blank template
  • Roku TV
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A full-screen picture for 8 seconds inside the breaks on Knect TV, Knect Family and Knect Faith.

Where
Roku: full screen inside a station break, after the video spots. Web and computer: in the Live player during a break. iPhone and Android: full screen in the On Air player during a break.
When
In every scheduled break on the live stations once its video spots have played, sold slides before the house ones. Each slide stays up 8 seconds. On Knect Family and Knect Faith only slides marked family-safe air.
Drawn at
  • Roku TV, full screen: 1,920 by 1,080 px
  • Web, the player, full width: 1,280 by 720 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
TV slide
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
1920 by 1080, JPG or PNG. It fills the whole screen with a small AD label in the top left, so keep words 96 px from the sides and 54 px from the top and bottom, and the top-left 240 by 80 clear.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

TV sponsor card.

  • Roku TV
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

Your card beside the picture on Knect TV on a Roku, on the title page of what you sponsor, and under the player on the web and the iPhone.

Where
Roku: in the sponsor panel beside the live picture, and in the sponsor row on the title page. Web and computer: in Sponsored by under a film and under the Knect TV Live player. iPhone and Android: in the Sponsored by row under a film and on the Watch tab.
When
Roku panel: when a viewer presses right while the live front plays; it closes on Back or when a break starts. Title page: whenever the page is open. Web, iPhone and Android: whenever the film or channel page is open. Sponsors are picked again every 30 minutes.
Drawn at
  • Roku TV, sponsor panel: 160 by 90 px
  • Roku TV, title page, 576 by 324 when picked: 396 by 223 px
  • Web: 96 by 54 px
  • iPhone, square: 36 by 36 pt
Shape
16:9
File
Nothing to upload. We use your business photo.
Ad kinds
Sponsor card
Good to know
Nothing to upload. Every sponsor card draws the first photo on your business profile, and an event sponsorship uses the event's picture on the Roku and the web. Make that photo 16:9 with the subject in the middle: the iPhone crops it to a small square.

§ FREQUENCY

Frequency.

Music and podcasts.

Radio pre-roll.

  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A short audio spot before a show or track.

Where
Web and computer: in the Frequency player, before a track or an episode. iPhone and Android: in the Frequency player, before a track or an episode.
When
Before the item starts. Skip shows after 5 seconds. Subscribers to the channel never hear one. On the web it plays only when a spot was ready when the album or show page opened; otherwise the music starts straight away. On the iPhone, next and seek wait until the spot ends.
Shape
Audio only
File
MP3, MP4, M4A, AAC, WAV, up to 50 MB
How long
Up to 60 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Audio spot
Good to know
Audio only: the player shows Ad, your headline and a skip count. MP3, M4A, AAC or WAV, up to 60 seconds. We do not even out loudness, so match the music.
What works
  1. Say the name twice: once at the start, once at the end.
  2. Fifteen or thirty seconds. One offer, one place to go.
  3. A real voice, close to the mic, no music bed louder than the voice.

Skip this: A spot read fast to fit. Cut words, not pace.

See an audio spot drawn.

Radio mid-roll.

  • iPhone
  • Android

A short audio spot partway through a show in the iPhone and Android apps.

Where
iPhone and Android: in the Frequency player, partway through a podcast episode. The web does not play it.
When
Once per episode, 40% of the way through, on episodes longer than 4 minutes. The episode picks up where it stopped. Skip shows after 5 seconds.
Shape
Audio only
File
MP3, MP4, M4A, AAC, WAV, up to 50 MB
How long
Up to 60 seconds
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, button 20.
Ad kinds
Audio spot
Good to know
Audio only. MP3, M4A, AAC or WAV, up to 60 seconds. We do not even out loudness, so match the show.
What works
  1. Say the name twice: once at the start, once at the end.
  2. Fifteen or thirty seconds. One offer, one place to go.
  3. A real voice, close to the mic, no music bed louder than the voice.

Skip this: A spot read fast to fit. Cut words, not pace.

See an audio spot drawn.

Frequency shelf.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

The band on the music page on a computer, and a strip on the iPhone.

Where
Computer: on /frequency, between Albums and EPs and Podcasts. iPhone and Android: at the top of the Frequency screen, under the tabs, on every tab.
When
Once per visit. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, picture panel, 140 to 160 tall: 420 by 160 px
  • iPhone, cropped to 3:1: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
On a computer the headline is typeset beside a panel of the picture up to 420 by 160. The iPhone crops it to 3:1. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

Frequency detail.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

The card beside an album or show on a computer, and under its header on the iPhone.

Where
Computer: at the foot of the left column on an album, playlist or podcast page. iPhone and Android: on an album or podcast page, under the header and the Tip button.
When
Once per page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer: 380 by 285 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 266 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 1,200 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 900 px
Shape
4:3
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. The picture carries it. Pick your best one and give it room.
  2. Keep the lower third of the picture simple: the headline prints over it.
  3. A headline that names the place and the moment: Brunch, every Sunday.

Skip this: Small text inside the picture. On a phone the hero is the width of a thumb.

See a hero drawn.

§ LIVE

Live.

While somebody is streaming.

Live lower third.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A strip across the bottom of a live stream or a film.

Where
Web and computer: over live streams on /live and channel pages, above the bottom bar. iPhone and Android: over live streams and films, inline and full screen, over trailers full screen, and over the Knect TV Live and city channels.
When
Web: slides up 20 seconds in, stays 12 seconds, comes back every 200 seconds, and hides while a shop sheet is open. iPhone and Android: slides up 15 seconds in, stays 12 seconds, comes back 3 minutes after it leaves, and holds off while a pre-roll, a commercial or the player controls are on screen. Counted the first time it is on screen.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone, up to 520 wide, 56 by 56 picture: 362 by 80 px
  • iPhone, words only: 366 by 46 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Lower third, Picture ad, Video spot
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The web shows a 56 by 56 square of your picture beside the headline. The iPhone shows only the words: your name, the headline on one line and the button. Keep the headline short.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Live sponsor strip.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A strip under the live player.

Where
Web and computer: on /live, after the Now playing card under the Knect TV Live player, inside the page's margins (a card on a phone). iPhone and Android: on the Watch tab, under the Knect TV Live player.
When
Once, for as long as the player is on the page. The iPhone keeps it while someone searches. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, picture beside the words: 96 by 54 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The web shows a 96 by 54 picture beside the headline, cropped to 16:9. The iPhone draws the full 3:1 strip.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

§ PROFILES

Profiles.

Creator and member pages.

Creator profile.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card on a creator's page, unless they bought it off.

Where
Web and computer: on a profile, between the featured pin and the shelves. iPhone and Android: on a profile, before Moments, and between posts in the list view.
When
Once near the top. On the iPhone list view, also after every 5th post. Never on a profile with Ad-free Profile. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone: 350 by 197 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 199 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn as a post: your name and Sponsored, the headline, the picture full width, then the button.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

§ GROUPS

Groups.

Group pages and their feeds.

Groups feed.

Blank template
  • Web
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A card on the groups page.

Where
Web: a strip at the foot of /groups, and a card between posts on a group's wall. Computer: a card in the 7th spot of the groups grid, a wide band at the foot of the page, and cards between posts on a group's wall. iPhone and Android: one card on the Groups screen, under the search and filters.
When
Once per visit to the groups page. On a group's wall: after the 4th, then every 9th, and never closer than a screen and a half to another ad on a phone. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Web, phone strip, cropped to 3:1: 350 by 117 px
  • Computer, band, picture panel: 420 by 160 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 199 pt
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The phone web strip crops to 3:1 and the computer band shows a 420 by 160 panel of the picture. Every screen crops your picture to fill its box, so keep the subject in the middle.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

§ HELP

Help.

The help and resources pages.

Health list.

Blank template
  • Computer
  • iPhone
  • Android

A band on the health pages.

Where
Computer: on /resources, after the health list, and at the top when the Health category is picked. iPhone and Android: on the Health screen, after the events.
When
Once per page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, band with a 90 by 90 picture: 728 by 90 px
  • Computer, Health category, 460 by 250 picture panel: 970 by 250 px
  • iPhone: 354 by 118 pt
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
The phone web does not draw it. On a computer the headline is typeset beside a square or a 460 by 250 panel of the picture, so no words in the picture.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

§ CITY

City.

City pages.

City page hero.

Blank template
  • iPhone
  • Android

The picture at the foot of My City in the iPhone and Android apps.

Where
iPhone and Android: the last card on the My City screen, after Resources. The web does not draw it.
When
Once per visit, for people who have verified their address. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • iPhone: 354 by 266 pt
Make it this big
1,600 by 1,200 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 900 px
Shape
4:3
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
What works
  1. The picture carries it. Pick your best one and give it room.
  2. Keep the lower third of the picture simple: the headline prints over it.
  3. A headline that names the place and the moment: Brunch, every Sunday.

Skip this: Small text inside the picture. On a phone the hero is the width of a thumb.

See a hero drawn.

§ COMPUTER

Computer.

The wide layout on a computer.

Desktop rail.

Blank template
  • Computer

The slot at the foot of the left menu on a computer.

Where
Computer: at the foot of the left menu, on every page.
When
Always on screen while the menu shows. The menu stays put from page to page, so one ad can stay up for a whole visit. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, 228 by 76 from 1280px wide: 208 by 69 px
Make it this big
1,800 by 600 px
Never smaller than
1,200 by 400 px
Shape
3:1
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 40 letters, body 80, button 16.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 24 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 24 px from the bottom and 120 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Small: about 208 px wide. Use a logo or one bold picture and no words in the picture.
What works
  1. Three times wider than tall, so shoot or crop with the subject in the middle third.
  2. Five words or fewer in the headline. The strip is read in a glance.
  3. A plain background behind the subject. Busy strips disappear into the list.

Skip this: A square picture stretched wide. We refuse the wrong shape, but a tight crop of a square still loses heads and feet.

See a strip drawn.

Front page fold.

Blank template
  • Computer

The card in the right column of the front page on a computer.

Where
Computer: on the front page, at the foot of the right column, after On Air now.
When
Once per visit to the front page. Counted as seen once half of it has been on screen for 1 second.
Drawn at
  • Computer, about, at 1440px wide: 360 by 203 px
Make it this big
1,920 by 1,080 px
Never smaller than
1,280 by 720 px
Shape
16:9
File
JPEG, PNG, WEBP, up to 2.5 MB
Words that fit
Headline 60 letters, body 120, button 20.
Ad kinds
Picture ad
Safe area
Keep faces, prices and phone numbers 40 px from the top, 24 px from the right, 88 px from the bottom and 24 px from the left, at the size we ask for. The PAID tab and the button sit there.
Good to know
Drawn as a post: your name and Sponsored, the headline, the picture full width, then the button.
What works
  1. One picture, one thing in it. A plate, a face, a product. Not a collage.
  2. Say the offer in the headline, not in the picture. Words baked into the picture get cropped on phones.
  3. A button that says what happens: Order, Book, Get tickets. Never Click here.

Skip this: A flyer with six things on it. In the feed it reads as noise and gets scrolled past.

See a feed card drawn.

§ READY

Put it in front of people.

Tell us what you want to happen and where. The ads desk writes back within two business days with the spots that fit.

Start the conversation.