How to Write Ad Copy for Meta Ads

You write ad copy for Meta by deciding the one action you want, saying it in one to three lines of primary text, and giving the headline and description a supporting job. Meta recommends keeping copy short and says communicating what you want people to do at a glance is the most important goal of the ad. The entry on text length limits holds the character counts.

This approach fits ads that people meet while scrolling. It fits less well when the offer needs a long explanation, such as a product with required wording. In that case, put the detail on the landing page and use the ad to earn the click.

What does Meta recommend for ad copy?

Meta’s page on text in ads gives two best practices:

• Keep ad copy short. Primary text should span 1 to 3 lines at most.
• Say what you want people to do. All your text should be developed with that goal in mind, and a range of call to action buttons is available depending on your business goals.

What you can do: write the action in one sentence first, then trim everything that does not support it.

How should the three text fields work together?

Meta’s recommended lengths for most placements are 125 characters for primary text, 40 for headline and 25 for description. When you use text variations, Meta says it shows variations of your primary text when it predicts that can improve performance, so the description should contain only nonessential information. Meta also says the primary text, headline and description should work together and not contradict each other. What you can do: read each combination aloud as a whole before you publish.

What kinds of text option does Meta suggest?

Meta’s text generation page lists six directions for effective text options: a stated price, data that shows business value, a quote from a review or testimonial, a question, encouragement to experience the product, and different product features. Its pricing example swaps “low prices” for “just $19.99”.

Any price, figure or quote you use must be true for your business. What you can do: write one option per direction, then keep the two or three that fit.

How do text options and generation work?

• Add text options. For single image or video ads you can enter several options for primary text, headline and description. Meta says the ad system uses them to optimize delivery and performance, based on individual preferences identified by its machine learning models.
• Text generation. Meta says it can generate up to 5 variations of primary text and headline from your original text. It needs five or more words in the primary text field, is optional, and can be turned off at any time. Meta lists English, Portuguese and Spanish inputs, and says it is not available in all regions or languages.
• Reporting. Meta says reporting is based on a single ad, so you will not see performance details for specific text variations.

What you can do: decide whether you want Meta to pick between your wordings or whether you need to learn which wording works. If you need to learn, test them in separate ads.

How do you tailor copy by placement?

Meta says placement asset customization lets you tailor ad copy to placements, with shorter copy on Stories or more brand-led copy on Instagram as examples. Meta also notes that if you leave the text blank, text may be pulled from the destination URL and you may not be able to edit it.

Advantage+ creative enhancements such as text improvements may adjust the text you upload, and Meta says you can turn them off at any time. The entry on Advantage+ creative enhancements covers the controls.

How do you test your copy?

Meta says testing your ad is the best way to find what works for your audience. To keep a test clean, change one thing at a time, such as the opening line or the call to action. The entries on testing ad creative and on A/B tests cover the setup. What you can do: name each ad after the copy angle it carries.

What are the trade-offs?

• Short versus complete. Short copy limits truncation but leaves less room for detail.
• Control versus automation. Text options let the system choose, but you see less about which wording worked.
• Effort. Copy tailored by placement means more versions to write and review.

FAQ

How long should Meta ad copy be?

Meta recommends primary text of 1 to 3 lines at most, and says text may be cut shorter by placement and device. Its recommended lengths for most placements are 125 characters for primary text, 40 for the headline and 25 for the description. Keep it as short as the message allows.

Can I let Meta write my ad copy?

Meta offers text generation, which creates up to 5 variations of your primary text and headline from your original text. It is optional and not available in every region or language. Review every variation before you use it.

Should the headline repeat the primary text?

Meta says the primary text, headline and description combinations should work together and not contradict each other. How you divide the work is your choice. A common approach is to give each field a different job so the ad says more in the same space. Check the preview in each placement.