Upload failed

Why it happens

• The file does not meet Meta’s requirements. For Facebook Feed, Meta’s Ads Guide asks for:
  • format: MP4, MOV or GIF;
  • compression and image: H.264, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan;
  • audio: stereo AAC, 128kbps or more;
  • length, file size and minimum size: 1 second to 241 minutes, 4GB at most, at least 120 x 120 pixels;
  • container: no edit lists, an advanced export setting.
• The upload gets stuck in the browser. A frequent symptom in the threads: the upload bar stays at 100% for 5 to 20 minutes, then “Upload failed” appears. Switching browsers or uploading another way sometimes did the trick.
• An outage on Meta’s side. Advertisers report dated waves: July 29, 2025 (videos only, images went through), May 4 to 12, 2026, then June 2026. In those cases nothing works on your side.
• A message with no code. “Upload failed” does not say which rule blocks the file: you have to rule out the causes one by one.

How to fix it

1. Rule out an outage first: if all your videos fail while images go through, or if other advertisers report the same problem on the same day, it may be an outage. In that case, wait before you rework your files.
2. Remove the media and upload it again: in the ad, under Ad setup, remove the media that failed, then add the video again with the upload button instead of dragging and dropping it. It is the most confirmed fix (18 replies, detailed below).
3. If the upload stays stuck, check your connection and try another browser.
4. Then check the file specs against Meta’s Ads Guide: file type, compression, audio, length, size and dimensions.
5. If needed, export the video again with those settings: MP4 in H.264, fixed frame rate, stereo AAC audio, under 4GB.

If the video uploads but publishing then fails with “Something Went Wrong”, see the “Something Went Wrong” (#1487470) page: advertisers saw an outage there that only hit video ads in November 2025.

What worked for other advertisers

On r/FacebookAds, r/PPC and r/metaads, advertisers stuck with “Upload failed” share what got their video through:

1. In the ad, don’t use Edit media: remove the media with the trash icon, then click + Upload or Add video on the same page and pick the file, instead of dragging and dropping it. If it still fails, switch browsers or delete your Facebook cookies. 18 replies confirm it, for example “That fixed it!!! Thanks!” (r/FacebookAds thread).
2. When several accounts and countries are hit on the same day, wait: “failed” videos sometimes reappear all at once in the library when the service is back, “same issues there so i guess its something with meta today” (3 confirmations, May 2026).
3. Upload from another browser when the upload bar never fills, “I solved the problem. Just use an different browser” (2 confirmations, February 2020). The same advice comes back in September 2023 and July 2025, without confirmations.
4. A workaround reported in September 2026, without confirmations: post the video on your Instagram business account, then use that post as the ad. The downside: your followers see it (r/metaads thread).

With even fewer confirmations: convert the video again before re-uploading it (May 2023), or upload it ahead of time before you create the ad (an October 2021 tip).

What did not work: during the July 29, 2025 and May 4, 2026 outages, another browser, private browsing or smaller files changed nothing. In September 2026, the mobile app, other formats and clearing the cache did not help either. Converting to MOV did not work for one advertiser in May 2023, and switching browsers did not work for others in November 2021.

Several of these fixes date from before 2024: the Ads Manager upload flow may have changed since.

How to avoid it next time

• Export your videos straight to the settings in Meta’s guide: MP4 in H.264, fixed frame rate, progressive scan, stereo AAC audio, under 4GB.
• Use the upload button rather than drag and drop, in an up-to-date browser.
• Before a big launch, upload a test video: if it fails while the file meets the specs, check whether other advertisers report an outage before you redo everything.