What are the limitations for ad text?

Ad Text Guidelines by Channel

Each ad channel has its own limits on how much text fits in an ad and how much text should appear on an image. This article lists the current recommendations for every channel Metadata supports so you can write copy once and know it will display cleanly everywhere.

Each section shows two numbers: the channel's recommendation (what displays without truncation and performs best) and the maximum Metadata allows in the ad builder (the field turns invalid and Save is disabled beyond it). Metadata does not warn at the recommended length — the counter under each field only shows remaining characters — so aim for the recommendation, not the maximum.

Channel limits and recommendations come from each channel's official ad specifications and were last checked in August 2026; links to the source pages are at the end of each section.

Facebook & Instagram (Meta)

Text on your ad image

Meta no longer enforces the old "20% text" rule, and there is no hard limit on how much text an image can contain. However, Meta still states that ads with less text on the image perform better, and ads with a lot of image text may see reduced delivery and higher costs.

Best practices:

Keep text on the image minimal — a short headline or value proposition at most.
Put your message in the primary text, headline, and description fields rather than on the image.
Use high-quality visuals that carry the message on their own.
If text on the image is necessary, use a clear, readable font.

Facebook Feed — recommended character counts

Field	Meta recommendation	Metadata maximum
Primary text	50–150 characters	2,200
Headline	27 characters	250
News Feed link description	Optional; shown only on some placements — keep it under 30 characters	No limit enforced

Instagram Feed — recommended character counts

Field	Meta recommendation	Metadata maximum
Primary text	125 characters for optimal viewing (text after ~125 characters is hidden behind "more")	2,200
Headline	40 characters	250
Description	Short	30
Hashtags	Up to 30	—

Image specs (Feed, both platforms)

File type: JPG or PNG
Recommended ratio: 4:5, 1440 × 1800 pixels (1:1 at 1080 × 1080 also works)
Maximum file size: 30 MB

Meta's ad guide is organized by objective and placement, so exact recommendations can vary slightly by objective. Check the source for your specific combination: Meta Ads Guide — Facebook Feed image · Meta Ads Guide — Instagram Feed image

Single Image Ads

Field	LinkedIn recommendation	Maximum (LinkedIn and Metadata)
Introductory text	Up to 150 characters to avoid truncation (about 70 on mobile before "see more")	3,000
Headline	Up to 70 characters to avoid truncation	200
Description	Up to 100 characters to avoid truncation (shown on LinkedIn Audience Network placements only)	300

Metadata limits for other LinkedIn formats: Video — intro 3,000 / headline 200; Document and CTV — intro 600 / headline 200; Carousel — intro 255 / card headline 45; Conversation and Message ads — message 2,000, CTA button 25 (Conversation) or 20 (Message); Spotlight — headline 50, company name 25, description 70. Use the same 150 / 70 recommendations for anything shown in the feed.

Image specs:

File type: JPG, PNG, or GIF (animated GIFs up to 250 frames)
Recommended sizes: 1200 × 628 (1.91:1), 1200 × 1200 (1:1), or 720 × 900 (4:5)
Maximum file size: 5 MB

LinkedIn does not restrict text on images, but the same principle applies — put your message in the text fields and keep the image clean.

Source: LinkedIn — Single image ads advertising specifications

Google Ads

Responsive Search Ads

Search ads are text-only. You supply multiple headlines and descriptions and Google assembles combinations.

Field	Count	Character limit
Headlines	3 minimum, 15 maximum	30 characters each
Descriptions	2 minimum, 4 maximum	90 characters each
Display path (2 fields)	Optional	15 characters each

Metadata's ad builder enforces the same counts and character limits (3–15 headlines of 30, 2–4 descriptions of 90). Display paths are not set in Metadata's RSA builder.

Tip: if a specific line must appear in every ad, pin it to Headline position 1 or 2, or Description position 1. Content pinned elsewhere is not guaranteed to show.

Source: Google Ads Help — About responsive search ads

Microsoft Ads

Responsive Search Ads

Microsoft's limits match Google's, and Metadata enforces the same counts and character limits in the builder, so the same copy can be reused across both.

Field	Count	Character limit
Headlines	3 minimum, 15 maximum	30 characters each
Descriptions	2 minimum, 4 maximum	90 characters each
Display path (2 fields)	Optional	15 characters each (7 double-byte)

Source: Microsoft Advertising — Responsive Search Ads

Image, Video, and Carousel Ads

Field	Reddit recommendation	Maximum (Reddit and Metadata)
Headline	Roughly 100–150 characters or fewer so it displays fully on every placement	300

Reddit ads in Metadata have a headline and a call-to-action button; the destination URL comes from the offer's landing page, and there is no separate body-text field.

Image specs:

File type: JPG, PNG, or GIF (GIFs display as a still thumbnail)
Recommended sizes: 1080 × 1080 (1:1), 1080 × 1350 (4:5), or 1920 × 1080 (16:9)
Maximum file size: 3 MB (image); carousel cards 20 MB each, 2–6 cards

Reddit does not restrict text on images. Reddit's own creative guidance notes that ads with a visible logo tend to convert better, so branding on the image is encouraged.

Source: Reddit Ads Help — Ad Unit Specifications

Quick reference

Recommended length first, Metadata maximum in parentheses.

Channel	Format	Primary / intro text	Headline	Description	Text-on-image rule
Facebook	Image / Video / Carousel	50–150 (2,200)	27 (250)	keep short (no limit)	No limit; less text performs better
Instagram	Image / Video	125 (2,200)	40 (250)	— (30)	No limit; less text performs better
LinkedIn	Single image	150 (3,000)	70 (200)	100 (300)	None
Google Ads	RSA	—	3–15 × 30	2–4 × 90	n/a (text-only)
Microsoft Ads	RSA	—	3–15 × 30	2–4 × 90	n/a (text-only)
Reddit	Image / Video / Carousel	—	~100–150 (300)	—	None