Reddit Ad Types Explained: Image, Video, Carousel, Free-Form and More (2026)
Reddit has four main ad types: image, video, carousel and free-form. Around them sit special formats and tools: Reminder ads and AMA ads for events, Interactive ads, commerce formats, and Max campaigns for automation. Every ad can run in two placements, the feed and conversation pages. The rule that decides most of it: pick the format by what you want people to do. Specs checked against Reddit's Ad Unit Specifications in October 2026.
What are the main Reddit ad types?
Ad type | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Image | One image, a headline and a link | Your first tests and simple messages |
Video | One video with a headline and a link; autoplays in the feed | Showing a product or a game in action |
Carousel | 2 to 6 swipeable cards, each with its own link and caption | Several products or steps |
Free-form | A post-style ad with up to 20 images, 5 videos and 40,000 characters of text | Stories, deep dives and launches |
Image ads
The simplest format and an easy place to start. The headline can be up to 300 characters, though Reddit recommends 100 or fewer and calls 80 the safer limit. Images can be JPG, PNG or GIF up to 3 MB. Sizes are in our Reddit ad specs, sizes and types.
Video ads
One video with a headline, MP4 or MOV, up to 1 GB, 2 seconds to 15 minutes. Videos autoplay in the feed on desktop and mobile. Full specs in our Reddit video ad specs.
Carousel ads
Up to 6 images or GIFs, each with its own destination link and a caption of up to 50 characters, so you can send people to a different page per card. Use the same aspect ratio on every card.
Free-form ads
Free-form ads look like a normal Reddit post, with rich text, inline links, images and video. Reddit said its early tests in 2024 showed free-form ads beating all other ad types on average click-through rate by 28%. Your results will vary, so test it. Free-form ads don't get an automatic thumbnail, so upload one.
What special Reddit ad formats exist?
Reminder ads: image or video ads with a "Remind Me" button. Reddit opened them to all advertisers on 13 April 2026. People who tap it get notified before and when your event goes live. Good for launches, drops and sales.
AMA ads (beta): promote a scheduled AMA with RSVP and reminders.
Interactive ads: quizzes, countdowns, trivia and custom games built on Reddit's Developer Platform. Reddit said it would roll them out to managed advertisers in 2026, so ask your Reddit rep about access.
Redditor Highlights: real, positive Reddit posts about your brand added to image and video ads. Generally available since June 2026.
Commerce formats: Collection ads and a Shopify product ads integration arrived in March 2026, and Shopping listing ads, which show products from several brands, were in alpha in June 2026.
Max campaigns: not a creative format but a campaign type where Reddit automates budget, bids and creative mixes. See Reddit Max campaigns in 2026.
What are the two Reddit ad placements?
Placements decide where your ad shows, not what it looks like. Both work with every ad type.
Feed: the Home, Popular and community feeds.
Conversation: the page where people read a post and its comments.
In our experience, feed is the safer choice for cold audiences, because conversation placements bring cheap clicks that are often accidental. See The most common Reddit ads mistakes.
Which Reddit ad type should you use?
Testing a first message: image ads
Showing a product or game in action: video ads
Selling several products or explaining steps: carousel ads
Telling a story, going deep or launching something: free-form ads
Promoting a date, like a launch or sale: Reminder ads or AMA ads
Scaling a setup you've already proven: Max campaigns
Whichever you pick, test more than one. In our eBook, we start with 4 to 6 ads in a single ad group and pause the weakest after 7 to 14 days.
Reddit ad types: FAQ
What are the main types of Reddit ads?
Image, video, carousel and free-form. Reddit also offers Reminder ads, AMA ads, Interactive ads and commerce formats.
Which Reddit ad type is best for beginners?
In our experience, image ads are the easiest place to start, followed by video.
Are free-form ads better than image ads?
Reddit's early tests in 2024 showed free-form ads beating other ad types on click-through rate by 28%. Results vary by product and audience, so test both.
What's the difference between ad types and ad placements?
Ad types are the creative format, like image or video. Placements are where the ad shows, either the feed or conversation pages.
Are Max campaigns an ad type?
No. Max is a campaign type where Reddit automates budget, bids and creative combinations.
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This post comes from my free eBook, How Reddit Ads Actually Works. It also covers targeting, creative, comments and measurement. Get it free, by email.
About the author
Written by Dāvis Lejnieks, CEO of Undecided Agency and a Redditor for 15+ years. He plans and runs Reddit ad campaigns for DTC, gaming and app brands, and shares what the data shows here.
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