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People scrolling Facebook or Instagram read the first two or three lines of an ad. Then the feed cuts the text with See more, and most never tap it. Whatever sits after the cut does not exist for them.
This Facebook ad preview puts your own text in a feed on a phone 390 pixels wide. You see how many lines stay on screen on Facebook, and on Instagram, where your page name takes the start of the first line. Enter what everyone must see, such as your offer, and the tool tells you whether it comes before the cut.
The tool also reads your text for two kinds of refusal. An ad that assumes something personal about the reader ("Struggling with debt?") is refused by Meta. And a job, a home or a loan belongs in a special ad category with limited targeting. The tool flags both before you hit publish.
An ad that needs a special category
Why it was rejected
- Text
- "Are you overweight" assumes something about the reader
- Claim
- 8 kilos in 4 weeks is a result nobody can promise
- Image
- No before-and-after photo, which is good
- Page
- Landing page works and matches the ad
- Rewritten
- Start in March with a six-week programme and a coach next to you.
Change the text and submit it again. If you think Meta got it wrong, request another review in Account Overview.
An example of what we can build, with made-up names.
The Facebook ad character limit
Meta publishes recommendations, not hard limits. Longer text is allowed; it is cut off.
| Part | Meta recommends | What we see on a phone |
|---|---|---|
| Primary text | 50 to 150 characters | 3 lines on Facebook, 2 on Instagram |
| Headline | 27 characters | longer runs off the screen |
| Description | 27 characters | often hidden on a phone |
Where the cut falls exactly, Meta does not say. It depends on the device, the font and the length of your words. The tool measures your text at the width of an ordinary phone; treat it as a guide value, not a promise.
What gets a Facebook ad refused
Most refusals are about the text, not the image. Two rules catch small advertisers most often.
| You write | What Meta does | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Do you suffer from back pain? | refuses: assumes your health | Back pain? Our physios can help. |
| Are you deep in debt? | refuses: assumes your finances | Budget advice, first talk free. |
| We are hiring a roofer | asks for the Employment category | run it in that category |
| Flat to let in Ghent | asks for the Housing category | run it in that category |
In a special ad category you can no longer set age, gender or postcode, and a radius is at least 15 kilometres. What that means for a job ad or a listing is in what a special ad category is. For estate agents the rule shapes the whole campaign; see Facebook ads for real estate and recruitment advertising.
Three ads that pass
| Kind | First line | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Local shop | New in town: fresh pasta, made every day in our kitchen. | place and offer in one line |
| Offer | Up to 300 euro off electric bikes, this month only. | the number comes first |
| Event | Open day Saturday 15 November: taste from 10 am to 5 pm. | date and time before the cut |
More ideas for shops and service firms are in Facebook ads for local businesses.
A last look at the ad
- Your offer or key word sits in the first line.
- The headline stays under 27 characters.
- The text speaks about your offer, not about the reader's health, money or beliefs.
- A job, home or loan ad runs in its special ad category.
- The link is in the button and the website field, not only in the text.
- The link carries a UTM code, so Google Analytics shows the visits apart.
Facebook ad preview questions
Can I put a link in the primary text?
On Facebook yes, but on Instagram a link in the primary text cannot be tapped. Use the button and the ad's website field; that works on both.
Are emoji allowed?
Yes. Meta does not refuse emoji, unlike Google in a search ad. One or two can help; a row of them makes the text hard to read.
What does a Facebook ad cost?
You set the budget, from a few euros a day. What it buys depends on your audience and trade; the numbers are in what Facebook ads cost.
Is this preview an exact copy of Facebook?
No. It is a schematic view at a common phone width. Meta does not publish where the cut falls, so our lines are a measurement of our own.
From a good ad to a campaign you can measure
An ad people read is the start. Next you need to know what it brings in. Tag your link with the UTM builder so Google Analytics shows the visits apart, install the Meta pixel with consent, and check with the ROAS calculator whether the campaign pays for itself. Weighing Meta against Google? Read Meta ads or Google Ads.
What the preview cannot show
The preview shows where your text breaks and how the headline sits under the image. It does not show how Meta crops a video, which placement gets most of your budget, or whether the ad passes review. Check the image in Ads Manager per placement before you publish, and read the rules on personal attributes and special categories in why was my Facebook ad rejected. An ad for a job, a home or a loan needs the Special Ad Category, whatever the text says.
A good routine: write three versions of the first line, test each in the preview on mobile, and keep the one that says the most before "See more". Then tag the link with the UTM builder, so you can compare the versions in Analytics.