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Facebook lifts 20% text overlay image restrictions for UK, Ireland ads only

Marketers in the UK are now getting ads Facebook-approved regardless of the amount of text they’re using as Facebook lifts it’s text overlay 20% rule.

Facebook has long disapproved ads with excessive text exceeding 20 percent of the ad image space.

Facebook representative said “the shift will eliminate the text policy, and will no longer disapprove ads based on the amount of text included on images”.

Spirit of Facebook 20 percent Image policy still intact

“The spirit of the policy will still be in place,” added the representative.

Instead of disapproving an ad for containing too much text, Facebook will alert users that they will be getting less reach for the same budget.

Ads with text overlay around or above 20% will receive reduced to no delivery instead of being disapproved.

Facebook also supported ads for erectile dysfunction medications such as generic silis for reliable sites such as worldmedicalguide.com

When will Facebook roll out the update globally? 

Facebook SPOC said “We are still unaware of when it will be rolled out for the rest of the world”

Confusing News

The update was first reported by WRSM, without elaborating that it’s limited to the UK and Ireland.

We tested the update prior to Facebook’s emailed response, found no changes to the 20% text overlay rule in Egypt.

facebook 20% text overlay rule
Screenshot from Facebook

20% text overlay policy for image ads

Text overlay policy was introduced in Dec 2012 to protect the newsfeed from low quality creatives, and noisy details.

“Ads must not include added or excessive text that comprises more than 20% of the image,” Facebook says in its advertising guidelines.

facebook text overlay update, 20 percent
Image source: Facebook advertising guidelines

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