Instagram Safe Zone Checker

Upload your Instagram Reels video to preview where UI overlays appear. Keep your text, logos, and visuals in the safe zone so they won't be covered by Instagram's UI.

Instagram Overlay

How to Use Safe-Zone Checker in Your Workflow

Use the safe zone checker inside Kreatli so you can preview platform overlays, get feedback, and get approvals in one place. Follow these steps to ensure your Instagram Reels looks perfect on Instagram Reels.

Step 1

Upload Your Video in Kreatli

Sign in to Kreatli, open your project, and upload your Reels video or asset. The safe zone checker is built into the platform—use it right where you review and approve content.

Kreatli platform showing project with video upload, ready to use the in-platform safe zone checker for Instagram Reels
Step 2

Open It and Turn On the Safe Zone Overlay

Open the video in the player, then turn on the safe zone overlay to see where Instagram's UI will appear: profile picture, username, like, comment, share, and music display. Keep important text and visuals outside those areas so they stay visible in the app.

Kreatli in-platform safe zone checker with overlay turned on, showing Instagram Reels UI element placement
Step 3

Preview Instagram Reels (or Toggle Platforms)

View the Instagram Reels overlay: profile and username at top, engagement buttons on the right, music display. Toggle to YouTube Shorts or TikTok in the same view to compare and make sure your content is safe on every platform you post to.

Kreatli safe zone checker with platform selector and Instagram Reels overlay preview
Step 4

Turn the Platform Overlay On or Off as Needed

Turn the platform overlay on to see where Instagram's UI elements will sit on your content, or off to view your video without the guide. Toggle on and off at key frames to verify that text and visuals stay in the safe zone before you move to review and share.

Kreatli safe zone checker with platform overlay toggled on or off for Instagram Reels
Step 5

Review, Get Feedback, Share for Approval, or Download

Review key frames, get team feedback, share for approval, or download a reference with the safe zone overlay. Everything stays in your Kreatli project before you publish to Instagram.

Kreatli platform showing share, export, and download options for Instagram Reels content with safe zone validation complete

Platform-Specific Safe Zone Recommendations

Each platform has unique UI overlays and cropping behavior. Follow these recommendations for optimal visibility across all devices and viewing contexts.

Instagram Reels

Top margin: ~108px (avoid feed/profile crop)
Bottom margin: ~320px (captions, comments overlay)
Side padding: ~60px (UI elements)

Ensures text/logos avoid feed/profile crop, and UI overlays won't cover CTAs.

YouTube Shorts

Main visuals: Central 4:5 area (≈1080 × 1440px)
Avoid: Bottom 10–15% for text
Focus: Top and center areas

Prevents overlay from captions, progress bar, and ensures clear thumbnail visibility.

TikTok

Top margin: ~130px
Bottom margin: ~250px
Side padding: ~60px

Avoids overlap with caption box and action icons; ensures clarity on different device sizes.

What are Safe Zones and Why They Matter

Safe zones are buffer areas inside your video canvas where important visual elements are guaranteed to remain visible, regardless of device differences or UI overlays.

Protect Your Content

Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube put playback controls, profile bars, comment buttons, captions, and overlays on top of your video. Placing critical content too close to the edges risks accidental cropping or hiding.

Professional Results

Treating safe zones as a built-in editing discipline means fewer layout surprises, fewer reworks, and fewer delivery delays. Your content looks polished and intentional across all platforms.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

With vertical video reaching everywhere - stories, shorts, social feeds, ads - inconsistent visibility can silently erode audience engagement.

Hidden Impact

Missed captions, hidden logos, or obscured CTAs don't surface as technical failures - they lower effective deliverables and weaken brand clarity.

Protect Creative Intent

By embedding safe-zone discipline early and standardizing across projects via templates and project workflows, you protect creative intent.

Reduce Errors

Reduce errors and deliver polished content no matter where it lands. Your content will look professional across all platforms and devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to Ensure Your Content Looks Perfect?

Use our safe zone checker tool to preview your content with accurate platform overlays. Ensure your videos, titles, logos, and CTAs stay visible across all devices and platforms.