Under Andromeda, how different do creatives need to be?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 3 minute read
The short answer
Different enough that someone would notice before reading a word: a new visual, setting, person or format, not a new headline or colour on the same image. Andromeda is the system Meta uses to choose which ads to consider for each person, and Meta says creative that is too similar may not be recognised as different, so near-identical ads compete for the same people.
What is Andromeda, and why does it change creative?
Andromeda is the retrieval system Meta uses to narrow tens of millions of eligible ads down to a few thousand worth considering for each person. Meta described it on its engineering blog in December 2024, built to cope with the growth in ad creative that Advantage+ and generative AI tools are bringing.
With broad targeting, the ad itself becomes the main clue to who it is for. Two ads that look the same give the system the same clue, so they tend to reach the same people. That is the practical meaning of “creative is the new targeting”.
Do near-identical variations count as one ad?
In practice they behave like one. Meta has not published a similarity threshold, but it says that when creative is too similar its system may not recognise it as different and could deliver it to the same audiences, which limits reach and leads to Creative limited or Creative fatigue.
So twenty colour or headline versions of one image are one test with twenty results, not twenty tests. They split the spend that one good test would have used, and they compete for the same people.
What makes a creative materially different?
A change to what the ad shows, or who it speaks to, rather than how it is finished. Meta’s own diversification guidance groups the changes that count under visuals, messaging and formats.
| Change | New creative? |
|---|---|
| A new headline or primary text on the same image | No |
| A different crop, colour, button or overlay | No |
| The same video with new captions or music | No |
| The product in a different setting or room | Yes |
| A person using the product instead of the product alone | Yes |
| A static turned into a video, or a single image into a carousel | Yes |
| A new angle, such as a problem, an offer or a comparison, with a visual to match | Yes |
How should we plan concepts so each one is distinct?
Plan by angle and persona first, then pick the format. A concept is one reason to buy, for one kind of buyer, shown with its own visual.
- Angle: the reason to buy, such as durability, cost per use, a problem solved, an offer or a comparison
- Persona: who it is for, such as first-home buyers, renters in small apartments or parents of young children
- Visual: a setting, person and scene that belong to that buyer, not a reused hero shot
- Format: static, video or carousel, chosen to suit the idea
A grid of angles against personas shows where the gaps are. Each new batch should fill empty cells rather than add more versions of the busiest one. Organising creative by angle, persona and format covers the naming that makes this readable in Ads Manager.
Is iterating on a winner still worth it?
Yes, when the iteration changes the visual hook rather than the finish. A new opening shot, a new scene or a new person carrying the same winning message gives the system a new signal; a new headline on the same frame does not.
How to split a batch between new concepts and iterations has its own answer.
How many distinct concepts does an account need?
More than most teams can make by hand, and the number rises with spend. Making that many genuinely different ads is a production problem more than a strategy one, because each concept needs its own visual.
In an e-commerce brand Dan ran creative for, new ads went from under 5 a month to 50 to 100 once production stopped depending on shoots, and they got better as well as more numerous. For the numbers at your spend, see how many new creatives a month you need.
Other questions people ask about this
Does Advantage+ creative count as creative diversity?
Not on its own. Its enhancements make variations of one image or video for different people and placements, which helps a concept fit, but it does not replace distinct concepts.
Should different concepts sit in different ads?
Yes. Keep the sizes and small variations of one concept together in one ad, and give each concept its own ad so you can read which idea is working.
Does Andromeda change how we should structure the account?
It favours fewer, broader campaigns and ad sets with more distinct creative in each. The structure question has its own answer.
Read the full answerStill have a question? Ask us