The Trade Desk video ad specs
The Trade Desk publishes two different video paths, and the CTV mezzanine one is considerably stricter than hosted web. Both are below.
The Trade Desk — CTV Mezzanine
| Requirement | What they publish |
|---|---|
| Container | .mp4 |
| Video codec | H.264 (preferred) |
| Video bitrate | H.264 at least 15 Mbps |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 (preferred) |
| Scan and pixels | progressive only, square pixels |
| Frame rate | 23.98, 29.97 (constant only) |
| Audio codec | AAC, PCM |
| Audio bitrate | at least 192 kbps |
| Sample rate | 48 kHz |
| Loudness | -24 LKFS ±2 LU |
| Duration | 5s to 300s |
| Slate | not allowed — deliver the ad only |
| Rejected | black at head or tail |
| File size | up to 10 GB |
Verified against the published PDF (Media File Requirements, pp. 16-18). Bitrates vary drastically by publisher; Hulu-hosted video needs at least 15,025 kbps. Channel count and bit depth are not specified, so neither is asserted.
The Trade Desk — Hosted Web Video
| Requirement | What they publish |
|---|---|
| Container | .mp4, .webm, .mov, .mpg |
| Video codec | H.264 (preferred), VP8, MPEG-2 |
| Video bitrate | H.264 at least 2.5 Mbps; VP8 at least 2.5 Mbps; MPEG-2 at least 2.5 Mbps |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 (preferred), 1280x720, 640x360, 640x480, 480x360 |
| Scan and pixels | progressive only |
| Duration | 5s to 300s |
Not published: loudness or true peak, frame rate, audio. Nothing is asserted where the platform is silent.
Verified against the published PDF (Video Creatives Hosted by The Trade Desk, pp. 21-23). Audio sample rate, bit depth and channels are unspecified, so none are asserted. WebM assets must use VP8.
The spec is a PDF, which is why it moves quietly
The Trade Desk publish their creative specifications as a downloadable document rather than a web page. That makes it easy to cite and easy to miss when it is revised: nothing about the URL announces that the numbers inside it changed. The verification date below is the day the document itself was read.
Where these numbers come from
Every value above was read off the platform's own published page or document and carries the date it was read. Nothing here is inferred, and where a platform publishes no rule this page says so rather than filling the gap.
- The Trade Desk — CTV Mezzanine, read 1 September 2026
- The Trade Desk — Hosted Web Video, read 1 September 2026
Specs move. If you are reading this long after those dates, check the source before trusting a number.
Know it passes before you deliver it
SpotCheck is a free Mac app that checks a video against these specs for you.
Download for macOSWhat it checks
Free. Apple silicon, macOS 14 or later. By downloading you agree to the license agreement.