Thanks to the new ad-review system Facebook recently rolled out, you can now create ad posts without getting tripped up by the image text limit.

If you work in social media, or at a social media agency handling clients' ad requests, one thing that's undoubtedly kept you busy is the famous "Grid Tool," with us since Facebook first introduced the boost option. This ad text limit — something a designer has to keep in mind at every stage of building a post image, and which you end up explaining to clients as if for the very first time, every single time — was introduced by Facebook to stop images being abused and to stop your timeline turning into a Karaköy hardware shop window.

Sound in principle, but over time this limit turned every agency employee into an open-document hunter — and while it hasn't been scrapped entirely, the way we all dreamed it would be, it's now come back to us revised, in a more reasonable form.

Worth noting: this change also applies to Instagram, which takes its ad service through Facebook.

How Does the System Work?

The "Grid Tool," which we used to keep permanently pinned in our bookmarks, has been replaced by a "Text Overlay Tool" section. You can reach it via the link here. Working on the same principle, the image you upload is analysed by the new tool and assessed across four sub-categories. It won't give you exact numbers for how many people your post will reach within your budget based on the amount of text in the image, but it will give you a rough estimate to work from. The categories are:

1- Text in Image: OK

Your ad will run as normal.

2- Text in Image: Low

Your ad's reach may be a little lower.

Because there's a lot of text in the ad image, you may reach fewer people. Facebook prefers ad images with little or no text. It may be worth changing your image before placing your order.

3- Text in Image: Medium

Your ad's reach may be significantly lower.

Because there's a lot of text in the ad image, your ad's reach may be well below normal. Facebook prefers ad images with little or no text. It may be worth changing your image before placing your order.

4- Text in Image: High

Your ad may not run at all.

Because there's a lot of text in the ad image, you may not reach your target audience at all. Facebook prefers ad images with little or no text. Unless your content falls under an exemption, change your image before placing your order.

The Sensible Category for Your Post

An image prepared with the old text limit in mind is still the sensible choice, but we can tell you that a "Text in Image: Low" image doesn't tend to cut your reach by much. Where budget isn't tight, or a campaign's key message genuinely hinges on a piece of text, the other options are worth considering too.

It's also worth remembering that there's no guarantee your image will run at all. If you get a "Text in Image: High" warning, your ad may still not be published, even under the relaxed policy.

The Reasons Behind the Change

Facebook, which has been under some pressure over this issue lately, seems to have made this revision less because of that pressure and more because of the boost it expects to its ad revenue. If we assume it will now accept around 80% of the ads it previously rejected — provided they reach fewer people — it's fair to say those extra revenues could stretch beyond our wildest calculations.

Whether this new policy will encourage advertisers and help Facebook hit its revenue targets is something we'll find out very soon.