What is the safe zone for Instagram stories?

The safe zone for Instagram stories is the 1080 x 1610 pixel area in the center of your story where content won't be covered by UI elements. It excludes the top 155 pixels (username, timestamp) and bottom 155 pixels (reply bar, stickers).

What gets covered on Instagram stories?

The top of your story shows the username, timestamp, and close button. The bottom shows the reply bar, message input, and interactive stickers. Important text or CTAs in these areas will be partially hidden.

How do I use a safe zone overlay?

Download the overlay PNG, then import it as a layer in your design tool (Canva, Figma, Photoshop). Place it over your design, reduce opacity to see through it, and ensure important content stays within the clear center area.

What are the safe zone margins for Instagram stories?

Safe zone margins are: Top: 155px, Bottom: 155px. This leaves a safe area of 1080 x 1610 pixels in the center of your 1080 x 1920 canvas.

Do Instagram story ads have different safe zones?

Story ads have similar safe zones but may include additional UI elements like 'Sponsored' labels and CTA buttons. Keep critical content even further from edges for ads.

Where should I place CTAs on Instagram stories?

Place CTAs in the middle-to-lower-middle section of the safe zone. Avoid the very bottom as it competes with the swipe-up/link area. The sweet spot is roughly 1200-1500 pixels from the top.

Instagram Story Safe Zone Checker

Last updated: January 2026

Upload your story image or video to check the Instagram story safe zone and avoid text getting cut off by Instagram.

Upload your file

Preview safe zones

Click to upload

9:16 recommended

Instagram Story Safe Zone Dimensions

These safe zone dimensions apply to the standard Instagram story size of 1080 x 1920 px. Keep important content within these boundaries to ensure full visibility on all devices.

Top Margin: 155px

Username, profile picture, timestamp, and close button appear here.

Bottom Margin: 155px

Reply bar, message input, and interactive stickers cover this area.

Safe Area: 1080 x 1610px

This centered content area is always fully visible.

Instagram Story safe zone diagram showing 155px top and bottom margins with 1080x1610px safe area

What is the Instagram Story Safe Zone?

The Instagram story safe zone is the area of your story where content won't be covered by Instagram's interface elements. On a standard 1080 x 1920 pixel story, the safe zone is 1080 x 1610 pixels centered in the middle of the canvas.

Instagram overlays UI elements that partially cover your content: the top 155 pixels display your username, profile picture, timestamp, and close button, while the bottom 155 pixels show the reply bar, message input, and interactive stickers like polls or questions.

Any text, logos, or call-to-actions placed in these danger zones will be partially or fully hidden from viewers, reducing engagement and making your stories look unprofessional.

How to Use This Safe Zone Checker

Upload Your Image

Upload your story image or video (9:16 vertical format recommended). We support JPG, PNG, WebP images and MP4, MOV, WebM videos.

View Safe Zones

The tool overlays Instagram's UI elements on your image so you can see exactly what's covered and what remains visible.

Optimize Your Content

Adjust text placement, logos, faces, or CTAs to stay within safe zones for maximum visibility and engagement.

Download Safe Zone Template

Get a transparent PNG overlay (1080 x 1920px) to import into your design tool. Layer it over your designs in Canva, Figma, Photoshop, or any image editor.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

CTA at the Bottom

"Swipe up" or link buttons get covered by the reply bar. Move them to the middle-lower section of the safe zone (around 1200-1500px from top).

Text Touching Edges

Text that runs to the edge looks unprofessional and may be cut off on some devices. Add at least 40-60px padding from left and right edges.

Important Info Behind Username

Your profile picture and name cover the top-left corner. Keep this area clear of text, logos, or faces.

Ignoring the Reply Bar

The bottom area is partially transparent but still obscures content. Test your story with our checker above to see exactly what's covered.

Story Safe Zone vs Reels Safe Zone

While Instagram Stories and Reels both use the 9:16 vertical format (1080 x 1920 pixels), their safe zones differ slightly:

Format	Top Margin	Bottom Margin	Safe Area
StoriesThis page	155px	155px	1080 x 1610px
Reels	~250px	~340px	1080 x 1330px
Instagram carousel size →	Different format - see carousel size guide

Reels have larger danger zones because they display more UI elements: captions, username, audio info, and engagement buttons on the right side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions

Create Instagram Stories in Seconds

Use Overvisual's AI-powered story maker to automatically add perfectly positioned text to your photos. Smart face detection ensures your overlays never cover faces.

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