Reddit's main ad formats are image, video, carousel, and free-form ads, plus specialized options like AMA Ads and Reminder Ads and the automated Max Campaigns. Which one to use depends on your goal: image and video for reach, carousel for showing several products at once, and free-form for native, engagement-style storytelling. The core formats look like Reddit posts and can run in the feed or on a thread's conversation page.
Choosing the right format is half of a good Reddit Ads campaign. Here is every type and when to use it.
The core ad formats
Four standard post types cover most campaigns:
- Image ads are a single image with a headline, the simplest way to run a clean visual ad.
- Video ads use motion to tell a story or demonstrate a product, strong for awareness and consideration.
- Carousel ads let you include up to six images, each with its own landing page, so a redditor who taps an image is taken to that image's destination. They are ideal for showing multiple products or steps.
- Free-form ads are Reddit's native format. Reddit describes them as "an ad type built for engagement, letting you convey information complete with images, videos, inline links, and rich text in the body of your ad." They read like a real Reddit post, which makes them the most native option.
Specialized and automated formats
Beyond the standard four, Reddit offers a few purpose-built options. AMA Ads help you promote and host an Ask Me Anything, turning a conversation into a campaign. Reminder Ads let interested redditors opt in to a reminder for a launch or event, so you reach them again at the right moment. And Max Campaigns is Reddit's AI-automated campaign type, which handles bidding and creative selection for you. Reddit opened Max to all advertisers in September 2026. Max works with the traffic, app promotion, sales and leads objectives, and Reddit's Max help page lists no minimum spend. It is a different setup from the standard formats above.
How to choose a format
Match the format to the job. Use image or video ads when the goal is reach and awareness. Use carousel when you have several products, features, or steps to show in one unit. Use free-form when you want an ad that feels native and invites engagement, which suits Reddit's community context well. Then let your campaign objective, not the format alone, drive optimization, since the objective determines how you are billed and what Reddit optimizes toward. For that side of it, see our guides on Reddit Ads targeting and how much Reddit Ads cost, and the paid product overall in our Reddit Ads guide.
Frequently asked questions
What types of Reddit ads are there?
The standard formats are image, video, carousel, and free-form ads. Reddit also offers specialized options including AMA Ads and Reminder Ads, plus the AI-automated Max Campaigns type. The standard formats look like native Reddit posts and can appear in the feed or on conversation pages.
What is a free-form ad on Reddit?
Free-form is Reddit's native, engagement-focused format that lets you combine images, videos, inline links, and rich text in the body of the ad, so it reads like a genuine Reddit post rather than a banner.
What is a Reddit carousel ad?
A carousel ad lets you include up to six images in one unit, each with its own landing page. It is well suited to showcasing multiple products, features, or steps in a single ad.
Which Reddit ad format is best?
It depends on your goal. Image and video work for awareness, carousel for showing several things at once, and free-form for native engagement. Choose the format for the creative, and let your campaign objective drive how it is optimized and billed.