Facebook has a 20% text rule for images and videos posted on pages. This rule requires that any image or video posted have at least 20% text accompanying it. The purpose of this rule is to encourage meaningful connections and discussions between page owners and their audience.
Why does Facebook have a 20% text rule?
Facebook implemented the 20% text rule to:
- Encourage thoughtful and meaningful connections between page owners and their audience
- Drive engagement through caption text and discussions in comments
- Provide context for images and videos
- Improve the user experience by giving people more information upfront
Pages that do not adhere to the 20% text rule may see their reach and distribution decrease. This is because Facebook wants to showcase content that aligns with its goal of meaningful connections.
How is the 20% calculated?
The 20% text requirement is calculated based on the total text in the caption relative to the size of the image or video file being posted. Specifically:
- Text included in the calculation: Caption text, title text, description text
- Text excluded from calculation: Hashtags, tagging other accounts, emoji
- Image/video file size is calculated by pixels (width x height)
So if you post an image that is 1080 x 1080 pixels (1,166,400 total pixels) you would need at least 233,280 text characters to meet the 20% text rule.
Example text calculation
Posting an image with dimensions 1080 x 1080 px:
- Total image size: 1080 x 1080 = 1,166,400 pixels
- 20% of 1,166,400 is 233,280 text characters
- If caption has 300 words with an average of 5 characters per word, that’s 300 x 5 = 1,500 text characters
- This post would not meet the 20% text rule requirement
How to check if you meet the 20% text requirement
There are a few ways to check if your images and videos contain the required 20% text:
Facebook Text Checker Tool
Facebook has released an official Text Checker tool that calculates the amount of text in your caption relative to the image/video size:
- Go to the Facebook Text Checker Tool
- Enter the width and height of your image/video in pixels
- Paste your caption text into the tool
- The tool will calculate and show if you meet the 20% requirement
Use a text percentage calculator
There are free online tools and calculators that allow you to input the image size and text character count to determine percentage. For example:
Manual calculation
To manually check if you meet the 20% text requirement:
- Multiply image width x height to get total pixels
- Take 20% of total pixels: Total Pixels x 0.2
- Paste caption text into a character counter and get total characters
- Compare total characters to 20% of total pixels
If total characters meets or exceeds 20% of total pixels, you satisfy the text rule.
Tips for meeting the 20% text requirement
Here are some tips to ensure your Facebook posts contain enough text:
- Write detailed multi-sentence captions that provide context
- Ask a question or encourage discussion in the caption
- Use captions over 250 words for larger images
- Include descriptive titles and multi-paragraph descriptions for videos
- Avoid overusing hashtags and tagged accounts
What happens if you don’t meet the requirement?
If your page frequently fails to meet the 20% text rule, Facebook may take one or more of these actions:
- Reduce the reach and distribution of your posts
- Disable your ability to advertise or monetize
- Demote your page’s visibility in searches and recommendations
- Remove your page’s verified badge status
In extreme cases where pages continually post images and videos with minimal text, Facebook may unpublished the page entirely.
Should you always aim for more than 20% text?
While Facebook requires a minimum of 20% text, aiming for more can further improve engagement and reach. Studies show:
- Posts with 40%+ text get up to 2x more engagement
- 3-4 sentences with 30+ words is optimal for engagement
- Posts with 80% text boost engagement by 60% compared to 20% text
Of course, you don’t want your captions to be excessively long. Finding the right balance for your audience and content is key.
Conclusion
Checking the 20% text requirement for Facebook posts is easy using Facebook’s Text Checker tool or a text percentage calculator. Having sufficient text provides context, drives engagement, and ensures your content is aligned with Facebook’s policies.
While 20% is the minimum, consider using detailed captions with at least 30-40% text whenever possible. This can significantly increase the reach and performance of your Facebook content.
By following Facebook’s guidelines and best practices for text, you can connect meaningfully with your audience while keeping your page in good standing.
| Image size | Total pixels | Minimum text req. | Caption text | Meet req? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1080 x 1080 | 1,166,400 | 233,280 chars | 300 words x 5 chars = 1,500 chars | No |
| 800 x 800 | 640,000 | 128,000 chars | 500 words x 5 chars = 2,500 chars | Yes |