Facebook Advertising Removes 20% Text Rule on Images
Updated: Apr 26, 2021

To kickstart the brand-new year, Leaders in Digital is sharing another significant Facebook Advertising change that could be useful for your Facebook marketing efforts. This update has been shared in the last quarter of 2020 but in case you missed it, read more on this article to be informed.
Facebook decided to loosen their restriction in ad image which led to the removal of their previously imposed constraint on Facebook ads that includes more than 20% in the main image. This restriction has been known to cause slight trouble for advertisers since they had to undergo certain reconstructing for ad images in order to adhere to Facebook’s ad rules. Facebook hasn’t been so consistent in the enforcement process either, hence it will be good news for many to see those limits getting lifted.
Ever wonder why Facebook has these text limitations in the first place? Facebook had this restriction based on gathered data from Facebook and Instagram users. It seemed like there were numbers of disliked ads with too much text in the main image. Responding to this feedback, Facebook carried out the restriction to improve general user experience.
Facebook then started screening ads based on the amount of image text used in a certain advertisement. Based on that review, advertisements with higher percentage of image text may not be shown. Although there were exemptions applied for book covers, album covers, and product images. Along with this implementation, Facebook provided a Text Overlay tool to check if your ad aligns with the 20% restriction.
However, in 2018, Facebook amended the existing ad text rules where they enabled advertisers to add more text in their ads, on the other hand, the restriction reflected on their ad reach, relative to how much exceeded the limit.
With this latest update, the ad reach restriction being removed, and ads with more than 20% text in the main image will be advertised as normal and reach the same amount of people as any other Facebook ad. Although Facebook is still highly recommending advertisers to "keep your text short, clear and concise in order to get your message across effectively", and it’s been noted that ad images with less than 20% texts perform better.
Advertisers should all keep in mind that they are still required to abide by other Facebook Advertising policies. With this change, Facebook is giving advertisers a hand at maximizing their potential.
Ready to expand your digital reach this 2021 through effective Facebook advertising and digital marketing? Reach out to us at Leaders in Digital anytime, and let’s work together in achieving your business goals!