Facebook Ad Text on Video Policy Check: Avoid Disapproval in 3 Steps
Are your high-volume ad creatives being rejected or having delivery throttled because of too much text in the image or thumbnail? This common headache stops campaigns dead. The good news: you can fix this immediately and implement a workflow that guarantees compliance moving forward.
As your creative partner, we’re cutting through the complexity. This guide gives you a three-step SOP to diagnose text density risks, redesign your overlays safely, and generate compliant variants at scale.
Estimated Time: 45–90 minutes to set up; 10–15 minutes per future batch.
Difficulty: Intermediate (Requires familiarity with ad assets).
The Throttling Risk
The fear of getting hit with the "too much text" warning forces creative teams to guess. While the old 20% text rule Facebook enforced is gone, Meta still states that images with heavy on-image text may receive reduced delivery. You can find this guidance in Meta Business Help: About text in ad images.
Ignoring this risk means slower delivery and wasted creative effort. We need a system to ensure your creatives are compliant, highly legible, and optimized for delivery—not just for Meta, but for all platforms.
The 3-Step SOP for Compliant Ad Visuals
This workflow uses objective measurement and platform-aware design to ensure your assets are approved and delivered at scale.
Step 1: Detect and Quantify Text Density with AI
Goal: Identify assets at risk and quantify the "how much" text sits on the key image or video frame. This lets you move beyond guesswork.
Why This Matters for Compliance
Meta: Heavy on-image text risks reduced delivery, even when approved.
Google: Editorial standards can reject images with illegible or distracting text (see Google Ads: Editorial: Image quality).
TikTok: Low-quality or distracting text (excessive caps, symbols, or covered text) can fail review (TikTok: Common reasons ads fail review).
How to Implement (The Tech Approach)
You can use a quick AI text-detection scan (like those based on models described in the OpenCV text spotting tutorial) to localize all text regions. Then, calculate the combined area as a percentage of the total image area.
Risk Bands: Use this percentage to assign an internal risk score: Low (<5%), Medium (5–12%), High (>12%).
Video Check: Sample the first frame and any designated thumbnail, then run the same density check.
Manual Fallback (No Code Required)
If you don't have code access, use a human QC:
Legibility: Can you read every character comfortably at mobile size? If not, it risks rejection for illegible text.
Crowding: More than 2–3 text blocks on a small mobile creative usually feels crowded and risks density penalties.
Safe Zones: On vertical video, check that your text avoids the bottom caption area and the platform UI on the edges.
Output of Step 1: A report listing the asset, its text coverage percentage (or Low/Med/High label), and specific legibility notes. This is your foundation to avoid text penalty FB ads.
Step 2: Redesign Overlays with a Platform-Safe Visual Hierarchy
Goal: Keep the visuals clean and legible, moving persuasive text into the ad’s native caption and headline fields.
What to Change
Prioritize Placement: Move non-essential words out of the image and into the native headline or primary text fields. The image should carry one core idea: the product, a major benefit, or an engaging scene.
Keep Text Minimal: If you must use on-image text, use short phrases (2–5 words), maximize contrast, and ensure adequate font size. This is key to managing Facebook text overlay rules.
Respect Safe Zones: In vertical formats, ensure your text avoids the very bottom (where auto-captions/UI lives) and the side edges (buttons/icons).
Per-Platform Guardrails
Meta: Minimal text performs better. Think of the overlay as a visual headline, not the entire sales pitch.
Google (Search Image Extensions): These often require no text/graphics/logos. Use a clean product visual.
TikTok: Keep text brief and readable. Avoid excessive caps, symbols, or distracting stickers that obscure the message.
Quick Verification Checklist: Legibility is clear; Density is minimal (at most one short phrase); Contrast is strong; Placement is inside safe zones.
Step 3: Generate and Test Lightweight Variants at Scale
Goal: Create compliant, on-brand alternatives quickly so delivery is never compromised.
Variant Strategy
You need a minimum of three versions of every creative:
No-Text Version: For placements that prefer or require clean imagery (e.g., Google Search image extensions).
Low-Text Version: A single, short phrase (2–5 words) in a safe zone with high contrast.
Medium-Text Version: Slightly more context, used only in placements that tolerate it (e.g., certain Display/TikTok scenarios). Always keep it legible and sparse.
Placement Mapping Examples
Google Search image extensions: Use the No-text variant only.
Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Placements: Prefer Low-text; let the primary text/headline carry the detail.
TikTok in-feed: Use Low-text in safe zones; ensure the video ad policy guidelines are met.
How to Execute at Speed
Duplicate your base creative into the three versions. Re-run the Step 1 scan to confirm coverage and legibility for each new variant. Then, upload in bulk, making sure you map the clean, no-text variant to placements that require it. Monitor approval status and delivery metrics closely.
Creative Empowerment with NemoVideo
You've built the structure for compliance. Now, you need the tool to generate those compliant variants instantly.
NemoVideo (our AI Video Editor) can be used to streamline this exact process. It lets you:
Generate Variants: Quickly duplicate your base video and generate no-/low-/medium-text versions with simple text edits.
Simplify Versioning: Organize and export these compliant variants in bulk, ensuring the right version is ready for the right placement.
Optimize Placement: Focus on compliant ad visuals by speeding up the production of clean, high-contrast text overlays.
Stop Getting Rejected
Stop wasting time on manual fixes and slow approval cycles. By implementing this three-step workflow, you ensure your creatives meet the Facebook ad text on video policy and all other major ad network guidelines.
Ready to automate compliance and scale your creative volume?
Sign up for NemoVideo today and gain the speed to generate perfect, compliant ad visuals instantly!