How to write a 15 to 20 second Meta video ad script, scene by scene
Write it scene by scene, with a time for each. A 15 to 20 second Meta ad has room for five or six scenes of about 3 seconds each: a hook, the problem or a promise, the product, proof, and a call to action. One short line per scene, written to read on screen with the sound off.
By Emma Hollis. Writes our guides to Meta video ads, from what we see making ads with RhythmAds.
A pen name for the RhythmAds team. The photo is AI-generated.
Updated
These timings are the ones RhythmAds builds with. Our problem-solution ad is 19 seconds in six scenes: hook 3, problem 3, product 3.5, demo 3.5, result 3, call to action 3. Our listicle is 16.5 seconds: hook 3, three benefits at 3.5 each, call to action 3. Every ad gets word-by-word captions burned in, and you approve the script for every scene before any final video is made.
Why 15 to 20 seconds
Meta's video ads page generally suggests keeping ads to 15 seconds or less. We run most formats a little over, 15.5 to 19 seconds, because a demo needs a few seconds to read. If you go shorter, cut a middle scene, not the hook or the call to action.
Sources: [1]
Template 1: problem-solution, 19 seconds
| Scene | Seconds | Runs | What the line does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hook | 3 | 0 to 3 | Name the problem the viewer has, in their words |
| 2. Problem | 3 | 3 to 6 | Show what it costs them: the mess, the wasted time |
| 3. Product | 3.5 | 6 to 9.5 | Bring in the product by name |
| 4. Demo | 3.5 | 9.5 to 13 | Show it working, one action |
| 5. Result | 3 | 13 to 16 | The after, stated plainly |
| 6. Call to action | 3 | 16 to 19 | What to do next, plus the offer if there is one |
Template 2: listicle, 16.5 seconds
| Scene | Seconds | What the line does |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hook | 3 | Promise the list: '3 reasons…' |
| 2. Benefit one | 3.5 | The strongest reason, shown |
| 3. Benefit two | 3.5 | A different kind of reason (price, feel, time saved) |
| 4. Benefit three | 3.5 | The reason that removes a doubt |
| 5. Call to action | 3 | What to do next |
Put your strongest reason first, not last. Not everyone stays for the third benefit.
Writing it, step by step
- Pick one buyer and one problem.
- Write the hook so it makes sense with no sound and no brand name.
- Give each scene one line. If a line needs a comma and a second idea, it's two scenes.
- Say each line out loud against a timer. If it doesn't fit its seconds, cut words, not the pause.
- Make every claim something your product page can back up. No made-up numbers or reviews.
- End on one action: shop now, get yours, see the colors. Not three options.
An illustrative script
Example only, for a made-up product: Tidyloop, a magnetic cable organizer. Problem-solution, 19 seconds.
| Scene | Seconds | On screen | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hook | 3 | A hand pulling one charger out of a knot of cables | Still untangling chargers every morning? |
| Problem | 3 | Cables sliding off the desk behind it | They slip, they tangle, they vanish. |
| Product | 3.5 | The Tidyloop strip on the desk edge | Meet Tidyloop. It sticks where you need it. |
| Demo | 3.5 | Three cables snapping into place | Cables click in and stay put. |
| Result | 3 | A clear desk, each cable ready | Grab the one you need. No knots. |
| Call to action | 3 | Product shot and logo | Get yours at tidyloop.example |
Where this stops being true
These are starting templates, not a formula that guarantees results; what works depends on your product and buyer. Some products need longer, such as anything that takes time to demonstrate. RhythmAds makes ads from your product page and photos; it isn't an editor for scripting around your own long footage.
Questions
- How long should a Facebook video ad script be?
- For 15 to 20 seconds, about five or six short lines, one per scene. Meta generally suggests ads of 15 seconds or less, so keep every line short enough to read on screen in its scene.
- What should the first 3 seconds of a video ad say?
- The problem or promise, in the viewer's words, readable with the sound off. Save the brand name for the product scene unless your brand is already well known.
- Do I need a voiceover?
- Not necessarily. You can't count on sound being on, so the script has to work as on-screen text first. A voiceover helps those with sound on. Every RhythmAds ad gets burned-in captions either way.
- Problem-solution or listicle: which should I write first?
- Problem-solution if your product fixes one clear annoyance you can show. Listicle if it has several smaller reasons to buy and no single big problem. Testing both is a good first round.
See it on your own product
Paste a product page link. You get three ad ideas and a scene-by-scene storyboard, free, before you sign up.
Sources
- 1.Meta for Business: Video ads (in-stream, feed and Stories), checked October 30, 2026