How to Check if Facebook Ad Has Too Much Text

Confused about how much text you can put on a Facebook ad? You're not alone. The old, infamous "20% text rule" is gone, but that doesn't mean you can cram your ad creative with words. While your ad might not get immediately rejected, too much text can still penalize your ad's performance, driving up costs and limiting your reach. This tutorial will walk you through how to check if your ad has too much text and the best practices for creating high-performing visuals.

The Old "20% Rule" vs. Today's Reality

For years, advertisers lived in fear of Facebook's 20% text rule. This was a rigid policy stating that text could not cover more than 20% of the surface area of your ad creative. To enforce this, Facebook provided a grid tool that marketers had to use, carefully placing their images to ensure they didn't cross the threshold. If your ad violated the rule, it was flat-out rejected. No exceptions.

In late 2020, Meta officially removed this hard-and-fast rule, bringing a sigh of relief to advertisers everywhere. However, this is where the confusion starts. Just because the rejection rule is gone doesn't mean the principle behind it has disappeared.

Here’s the new reality: ads with images or videos containing little or no text still perform better. Although an image with too much text is no longer automatically rejected, Meta's ad delivery system will consider it lower quality. Consequently, an ad with too much text may:

• Reach fewer people.
• Have a higher cost per thousand impressions (CPM).
• In extreme cases, campaigns with excessive text overlay may not run at all.

The "20% rule" has become a strong recommendation. Instead of outright rejecting your ad, Meta will simply show it to fewer people and charge you more, leaving you guessing why the cost is so high.

Why Less Text is Still a Wiser Choice for Facebook Ads

Understanding Meta’s preference for less text comes down to two things: user experience and auction dynamics.

Improving the User Experience

Think about how you use Facebook or Instagram. You’re scrolling quickly through photos from friends, content from creators, and entertaining videos. A clean, visually engaging ad fits right into that experience. An ad plastered with text, on the other hand, feels disruptive, spammy, and more like an old-school classified ad. It screams "I'm trying to sell you something!" which makes users scroll right past it.

Visually-driven ads are absorbed faster and feel more native to the feed. Meta knows this, and their algorithm is designed to prioritize content that users are more likely to engage with positively.

Winning Over the Algorithm

The Facebook ad auction isn’t just about who bids the most. It's a complex algorithm that scores ads based on their bidding strategy, estimated action rates (how likely someone is to convert), and Ad Quality. One of the factors influencing Ad Quality is the amount of text in the creative.

Over billions of ad impressions, the system has learned that ads with low text-to-image ratios generally get higher engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversions. By favoring these ads, Facebook creates a better experience for its users and delivers better results for advertisers. If you follow this “best practice,” you are rewarded with lower costs and better reach.

How to Check if Your Facebook Ad Has Too Much Text

Since the official Text Overlay Tool has been retired, checking your creatives requires a mix of self-assessment and understanding Meta's internal rating system. Here is a simple, three-step process to follow.

Step 1: The Visual "Gut Check"

Before you get too technical, just look at your ad. Use your intuition. Does it feel heavy with text? Does the text overwhelm the main visual of the product or person? Step back and use the "squint test."

Squint your eyes while looking at your ad creative. Does the text blend in, or does it pop out as the most dominant element on the screen? If the text is the only thing you can make out, you likely have too much.

The goal is to train your eyes to recognize the balance that works in the "feed". Over time, this intuitive check will be your first line of defense against poor-performing creative.

Step 2: What Counts as “Text” for Ads on Meta

The main point of confusion is knowing what really counts as text in Meta's eyes. It’s crucial to note that not all types of text penalize or limit a campaign equally.

• Any text overlay on images and videos: Phrases like “50% Off”, “Sale Starts Now”, the name of your product, feature descriptions, and similar content are generally counted as text overlay.

But there are exceptions:

• Text that naturally occurs in your image or product environment: For example, posters, street signs, and logos.
• Labels and product packaging.
• Screenshots from your app.

In these scenarios, context matters a lot. An image focused on a wine bottle's label generally isn't classified as "text-heavy." However, if the logo takes up half the ad, you are essentially using text to advertise, so its performance may not be significant.

Step 3: The Best Way to Use Creative Texts

• First and foremost, focus on your headline and main text The image attracts, the text sells. It's simply a matter of knowing which part your audience looks at first - they pay more attention to the image. Once they're hooked by curiosity, they will read the details in the designated text field where you are free to craft a deeper message.
• Let your headline grab attention, succinctly explain with a subheader, and let your main text sell your message. Use each section to communicate one layer at a time, don't try to condense all bullet points into smaller text.
• Avoid forcing your "call-to-actions" into the visual: It's common to see engagement posts styled as “link in the comment” because including links directly in the image tends to reduce organic performance.
• Main Focus: “If you attempt to chase two rabbits at once, you'll miss them both.” This analogy couldn't be more apt, considering that you have very few seconds to capture the attention of most internet users who prioritize the clearest possible stimuli. The best approach is to make your message as concise and specific as possible.

Final Thoughts

In a nutshell, yes, you should worry about having too much text on your Facebook ads. Although Meta's notorious 20% Text Rule is now gone, the philosophy behind it continues to dictate which ads are favored in the market. When thinking critically about ad design, aim for clear visuals and short, impactful phrasing that can attract your potential customers or leads. Move longer chunks of copy and intricate writing to the ad description to convey a more powerful and longer message. This can be achieved through captivating headlines or in the description itself.

If you constantly find yourself uncertain whether certain creative decisions or ad copy are affecting performance, it's a sign that it's time to delve deeper into your campaign data. We've built Graphed for business owners and content creators struggling with data organization and time-sensitive matters, aiming to make all this data processing instant and seamless for your company.

Leverage your time using cutting-edge analysis tools like Graphed that provide direct insights into different variables to understand where you can improve. Check if your ads with text-heavy images are receiving good or bad engagement so you never waste another campaign spend!