Facebook’s 20% text rule for ads has been a point of confusion for many advertisers over the years. The rule states that ads on Facebook must contain at least 20% text. This requirement was originally put in place to ensure that ads contained enough context and were not simply images or videos without explanation. However, as Facebook’s advertising platform has evolved, the 20% text rule has become less black-and-white. Here is a quick overview of where things currently stand with Facebook’s 20% text requirement.
What is the 20% text rule for Facebook ads?
The 20% text rule for Facebook ads means that 20% of the total real estate in your ad creative must contain text. Originally, this text had to be overlaid directly on the image or video creative itself. The goal was to ensure that ads contained sufficient text to provide context for the visual content of the ad.
Over time, Facebook has clarified and updated its guidance on the 20% text rule. But at its core, the purpose remains the same – Facebook wants to provide a good user experience by making sure ads aren’t just images or videos without explanation. The 20% minimum text requirement helps enable this.
Where does the 20% text rule apply?
The 20% text rule applies to any ads that contain image or video creative. This includes:
- Image ads
- Video ads
- Carousel ads
- Slideshow ads
Essentially any Facebook ad format that uses visual creative is subject to the 20% text rule. Text must make up at least 20% of the overall real estate of the visual creative portion of your ad.
What counts as text?
The 20% text in your Facebook ad creative can include:
- Overlaid text on images/videos
- Text written within the image itself
- Text in the headline, body text, or link description of the ad
- Text on the video that is visible as the video plays
So the text does not necessarily need to be overlaid directly on the visual creative, as was originally required when the 20% rule was first introduced. The key is that text makes up at least 20% of the total space taken up by the visual creative part of your ad.
Does the 20% rule still apply today?
Facebook has eased up a bit on the 20% text rule over time. But it is still very much in effect for Facebook ads today in 2023. Some key things to keep in mind:
- The 20% minimum text requirement still applies to image and video ads.
- Carousel ads also must abide by the 20% text rule for each individual carousel card.
- You may now have less than 20% text if using the single image ad format, but this is an exception.
- Too little text in your ads may still cause them to be rejected upon review.
So while Facebook may be a bit more flexible in how the 20% text requirement can be met, advertisers should not assume they can simply do away with overlaid text. The 20% rule does still apply in most cases.
Why does Facebook require 20% text?
Facebook instituted the 20% text rule to enhance the user experience on its platform. Some key reasons for the requirement include:
- Provides context – Text explains what the ad is about, what you’re advertising, your brand, etc.
- Avoids misleading ads – Scammy or misleading ads are less likely to contain 20% text.
- Improves relevance – More text means the Facebook algorithm has more data to assess ad relevance.
- Offers more information – Viewers understand your ad and offering better with descriptive text.
While sometimes annoying for advertisers, the 20% text rule exists to help protect Facebook users from low-quality and scammy ads. The extra context provided by text makes for a better user experience.
User Experience Benefits
Specifically looking at it from a user experience perspective, the 20% text requirement for Facebook ads provides the following key benefits:
- Prevents shocking or explicit images from being shown without context
- Provides necessary information about products/services advertised
- Explains the action or destination of ad clicks
- Gives insight into brands, products, offers, etc without needing to click
- Improves accessibility for those using screen readers
Facebook’s 20% text rule certainly makes advertisers’ jobs tougher. But it does importantly protect users from low-quality and inappropriate ads.
What happens if you don’t have 20% text?
If your Facebook ad creative does not contain at least 20% text, here are some potential consequences:
- Ad rejected – Your ad may not be approved upon submission for review
- Ad disapproved – Your ad can be disapproved and taken down if found non-compliant
- Reach limited – Your ad reach can be restricted significantly
- Account restricted – Repeated violations could potentially restrict your ad account
While Facebook may allow the occasional minor deviation from the 20% text rule, consistently submitting non-compliant ads can clearly trigger negative consequences. Don’t risk limited reach or even account restrictions – follow the 20% guideline.
Automated vs Manual Review
One important note – whether your ad is subjected to automated or manual review can impact how strictly the 20% text rule is enforced:
- Automated – More leniency, may pass approval with 15-18% text
- Manual -getStricter enforcement, risks rejection under 20%
So while you may sometimes squeeze through automated review with a bit less than 20% text, expect your ad to be rejected if it gets flagged for manual review by Facebook’s ad reviewers. Stick as close to the 20% rule as possible in all cases.
Tips for integrating 20% text
Here are some tips to smoothly integrate at least 20% text into your Facebook ad creative:
- Include good descriptive headline text
- Add an informative body text description
- Leverage the text link description
- Overlay key text on images
- Add text banners, overlays, and graphics
- Include text captions on your carousel cards
- Display opening text frames in videos
- Create text render videos with product information
Get creative to seamlessly blend text into your ad visual design. The right 20% of text can reinforce your brand and messaging while meeting Facebook’s requirements.
Tools to Calculate Text Percentage
It can sometimes be tricky to know if your ad truly contains 20% text or not. A few tools can help:
- PicMonkey – Photo editor with text percentage preview
- Snappa – Design tool that calculates text percentage
- AdEspresso – Integration generates text percentage previews
Leverage tools like these to guarantee your ads contain over 20% text before submitting for review. This helps get ads approved faster.
Examples of 20% text in Facebook ads
The best way to understand how to properly integrate 20% text into your Facebook ads is to look at some examples. Here are a few samples showcasing at least 20% text:
Overlay Text on Image Ad
This single image ad uses a bold white text overlay on top of the image to describe the product and grab attention. The overlaid text takes up over 20% of the image space.
Text Banners on Video Ad
This video ad uses text banners that bookend the start and end of the video. These text banners detailing the brand and product exceed 20% of the total video ad space.
Carousel Cards with Text Captions
This carousel ad includes substantial caption text under each image card describing the products shown. Each card contains well over 20% text.
Descriptive Body Text Under Image
This single image ad relies on a detailed two sentence body text description under the image to satisfy the 20% text requirement.
These examples illustrate how 20% text can be integrated elegantly into visually compelling Facebook ads. When done effectively, the 20% text rule need not detract from your ad creative.
Conclusion
While sometimes considered annoying and limiting by advertisers, Facebook’s 20% text rule for ads serves an important purpose – improving quality and context for Facebook users. The long-standing rule requires that at least 20% of the space in image and video ads must contain text.
Compliance is still required for most Facebook ad formats in 2023. Automated reviews may allow slightly less than 20% text, but manual reviews will reject ads without sufficient text. Integrating descriptive text overlay, frames, captions, and banners can help meet the 20% guideline in a visually appealing way.
With proper planning and preparation, the 20% text requirement does not need to detract from the look and feel of your Facebook ads. The right blend of text and visuals can result in compelling, compliant ads that drive results.