What are the standard banner ad sizes (IAB ad sizes)?
The banner sizes buyers expect, where each one works best on a news site, and what to think about when you add your own formats.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readStandard banner sizes are the display ad sizes, in pixels, that advertisers, agencies and ad servers all support. Most are based on the IAB guidelines, which means one creative can run on many publishers.
The most common banner sizes
| Name | Size (px) | Where it works |
|---|---|---|
| Medium rectangle | 300 x 250 | In articles and sidebars, desktop and mobile |
| Leaderboard | 728 x 90 | Top of the page on desktop |
| Half page | 300 x 600 | Sidebar on desktop |
| Billboard | 970 x 250 | Top of the page or between sections on desktop |
| Wide skyscraper | 160 x 600 | Sidebar on desktop |
| Mobile leaderboard | 320 x 50 | Top or bottom of the screen on mobile |
| Large mobile banner | 320 x 100 | In content on mobile |
| Large rectangle | 336 x 280 | In articles on desktop |
Nordic panorama formats
News sites in the Nordics also sell wide panorama formats, such as 980 x 240 and 980 x 300, at the top of the page. Mobile versions often use 320 x 320 or taller in-content formats. Check what local agencies expect before you change your layout.
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Which sizes earn the most
Viewable sizes
Formats that stay on screen, such as the half page and in-article rectangles, tend to sell for more.
Flexible slots
A slot that accepts several sizes gets more bids than one that accepts a single size.
Fewer, better units
A few viewable units usually earn more per page than many units nobody sees.
Size is only part of the price
Two identical 300 x 250 ads can sell at very different prices. What the buyer knows about the reader, and how likely the ad is to be seen, matters more than the size itself.
Frequently asked questions
The 300 x 250 medium rectangle. It works on both desktop and mobile and is accepted by almost every buyer.
Ad sizes recommended by the IAB so creatives can run across publishers without being resized for each one.
320 x 50 and 320 x 100 at the top or bottom, and 300 x 250 or taller formats inside articles.
It depends on the publisher’s creative specifications. Many sites set a limit for the first load, and lower limits for mobile.
Related terms
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