Snapchat Spotlight Requirements and Specs (2026)

#What Spotlight accepts

Snap's creator guide is short and specific: Snaps should be vertical videos with sound. Still photos, horizontal Snaps, blurry Snaps and text only Snaps won't show up in Spotlight.

Snap's recommendation eligibility guidelines go further. Content is not eligible for recommendation if it has blurry, low resolution or pixelated imagery, incorrect orientation, unoriginal or poorly reformatted content, letterboxing, or missing audio.

Two of those catch people out when cross posting:

• Letterboxing. A 16:9 clip placed on a 9:16 canvas with black bars is exactly what Snap lists as ineligible. Reframe it properly.
• Unoriginal or poorly reformatted. A video downloaded from another app with its watermark still on is the obvious case. Export a clean master file instead.

#How long can a Spotlight be?

This is where Snap contradicts itself.

• In app minimum: Snapchat's help page says to create a video Snap that is 5 seconds or longer.
• API: 6 to 60 seconds for Spotlight, per Snap's developer docs.
• Web uploader: 5 to 60 seconds, per Snapchat's Business Help steps for posting from the web.
• In app maximum: In March 2024 Snap announced you could create videos up to three minutes and upload videos up to five minutes for Chats, Stories and Spotlight. Snap's current Spotlight help pages do not state a maximum.

So if you post by hand in the app you may be able to go longer than 60 seconds. If you post through any tool that uses the API, 60 seconds is the hard ceiling. I keep Spotlight cuts under 60 seconds so the same file works on every route.

If you want Spotlight earnings, there is a separate rule: Snap's monetisation help page says Spotlight videos must be at least 30 seconds long to be eligible to earn revenue. The program also needs at least 50,000 followers and you must be 18 or over. More on matching length to each platform in ideal Reel length by platform.

#Spotlight description and topics

In the app you can add a description, location or #topic before submitting, and the help page doesn't state a character limit. Through the API, the description can be up to 160 characters and can include hashtags. Write to 160 and you are safe on both. The caption length limits post compares this with Instagram and Facebook, and the caption counter will tell you if you are over.

#Every Spotlight is reviewed

Snap's API docs say a submitted Spotlight has to go through an approval process before it goes live, and a rejected one gets the status REJECTED. In practice that means a scheduled Spotlight does not appear the second its time arrives. Allow for a delay and don't plan anything time critical around the exact minute.

#How to post to Spotlight

#From the app

1. Create a video Snap that is 5 seconds or longer.
2. On the preview screen, tap Post, or pick Spotlight on the Send To screen.
3. Add a description, location or #topic if you like.
4. Submit. Snapchat also shares it to your Story by default, which you can switch off before posting.

The Post button appears for users 16 or older, in regions where Spotlight posting is enabled.

#From the web

Sign in at profile.snapchat.com, drop in your video, tick Spotlight Snaps under Send to, add any #Topics, agree to the Creator Terms and click Post to Snapchat. For a business Public Profile, Snap says you can also view, upload and schedule Stories and Spotlight content at snapchat.com/spotlight, and turn on Save to Public Profile so Spotlights appear on your profile.

#By API

The Public Profile API is allowlist only, so most people can't use it directly. Apps that have access post under the rules in the table above.

#Spotlight compared with Stories

Spotlight is the discovery feed, reviewed and recommended to people who don't follow you. Stories go to your subscribers for 24 hours. The specs overlap but the jobs are different, which is covered in Spotlight vs Stories and Snapchat Stories for business. For the bigger picture of posting one video to Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook, read the cross posting guide.

#Questions people ask

#Can I post a horizontal video to Spotlight?

Snap says horizontal Snaps won't show up in Spotlight. Reframe to 9:16 rather than adding black bars, as letterboxed video is also ineligible for recommendation.

#Does Spotlight need sound?

Yes. Snap says Spotlight Snaps should have sound, and missing audio makes content ineligible for recommendation.

#Why hasn't my Spotlight gone live yet?

Spotlights go through an approval process first. Snap doesn't publish how long that takes.

#Can I schedule Spotlight posts?

Yes, for Public Profiles on the web. The Business Manager dashboard I use states that Story and Spotlight posts can be scheduled up to 30 days ahead. See how to schedule Snapchat Spotlight.