Meta's AI tools changed our product in live ads. How do we turn off Advantage+ creative enhancements and AI backgrounds?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 4 minute read
The short answer
Open the ad in Ads Manager, go to its Advantage+ creative section and switch off each enhancement, then check Advanced preview, because Meta says some enhancements can only be turned off there. Use bulk edit for many ads at once, and Review defaults on every new ad. To stop Meta testing new creative features on your account, untick Test new creative features in Advertising settings.
How do we turn off enhancements on an ad that is already live?
Edit the ad, open its Advantage+ creative section and switch off the enhancements one by one, then repeat the check in Advanced preview. Meta's help article Turn off Advantage+ creative enhancements in Meta Ads Manager sets out these steps.
- In Meta Ads Manager, open the Ads tab and tick the ads you want to change
- Click Edit to open the side pane
- Find the Advantage+ creative section, which shows how many enhancements are on, and click Edit
- Turn off each enhancement you do not want, or customise it where Meta allows
- In the ad preview, click Expand to open Advanced preview, open the Advantage+ creative tab and turn off anything still on
- Click Save, then Publish
Do not skip step 5. Meta notes that some enhancements can only be turned off in Advanced preview and will not appear in the ad creative section, so the count in step 3 is not the whole list.
How do we stop enhancements switching on for new ads?
Check every new ad before it publishes, because Meta turns some creative features on by default when it predicts they will help. Its Review defaults tab, next to Advanced preview in the ad creation flow, lists every default-on feature by category, with a link to switch each one off.
The categories go beyond image enhancements. They include creative setup (extra ad sources such as your website or catalogue), related media (images or videos from existing ads or connected sources), format display options (carousels or collections built from your assets) and translations. Any of them can put something in front of a customer that you did not approve, so read the whole list.
At account level, Meta's creative testing setting controls whether new creative features in testing can be applied to your campaigns: go to Advertising settings in Ads Manager, find Creating ads, click Creative features and untick Test new creative features. Meta says only eligible advertisers see the option.
Can we turn enhancements off across many ads at once?
Yes, with Meta's bulk edit, provided every ad you select uses the same ad format. Select the ads in the Ads tab, open the menu beside Edit, choose Advantage+ creative and deselect the enhancements under Edit all selected ads.
Group the ads by format first (single image, video, carousel) and run the bulk edit once per group. Then open a sample of ads from each group in Advanced preview, because Meta notes that some enhancements can only be turned off there.
Who is responsible if Meta's AI changes our product in an ad?
Plan as if you are. The ad runs under your brand, Meta's help page says the media you upload may be adjusted, and Australian regulators judge the overall impression an ad creates, not what the business intended.
The ACCC and state regulators' guide, Avoiding unfair business practices, says a business can mislead without intending to. A generated background that makes the product look larger, or an expanded image that adds parts it does not have, is a claim made in your name. Treat anything Meta generates as your own creative, and keep the features that can alter the product switched off. This is general information, not legal advice.
Which enhancements are safe to leave on for product ads?
The ones that change text and layout rather than the image itself. Enhancements that generate new pixels, such as generated backgrounds, image expansion and image animation, can alter how the product looks, so check them in Advanced preview or leave them off.
| Kind of enhancement | Risk to the product | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Generates new image content: backgrounds, expansion, animation | High | Off, unless every variation in Advanced preview is accurate |
| Adjusts the image: touch-ups, brightness, cropping to placement | Medium | Check colour and crop in preview |
| Changes text or layout: headline variations, overlays, comments | Low to the product | Check the copy for claims you would not make |
| Adds other media or formats: related media, catalogue items | Medium | Off if you need to approve every image |
In Advanced preview, the arrows on each enhancement card show the possible variations. Look at all of them, not the first one.
Other questions people ask about this
Does turning off Advantage+ creative hurt performance?
It can cost some lift. Meta's own figure is a 2 to 3% lift in conversions from background generation on Advantage+ catalogue ads. Weigh that against the refunds and complaints a changed product causes, and test it in your account.
Why did enhancements come back after we turned them off?
Each new ad starts with Meta's defaults, and different formats and placements offer different enhancements, so a setting switched off on one ad does not carry to the next. Make Review defaults part of every launch.
Does this apply to catalogue ads?
Yes. Advantage+ catalogue ads have their own creative options, including generated backgrounds, so check those ads as well as single image and video ads.
Is turning off enhancements the same as turning off Advantage+ campaigns?
No. Creative enhancements are set on each ad, separately from campaign, audience and placement settings, so switching them off leaves your campaign structure as it is.
Still have a question? Ask us
Sources
- Meta Business Help Centre: Turn off Advantage+ creative enhancements in Meta Ads Manager
- Meta Business Help Centre: Review default-on creative features in Meta Ads Manager
- Meta Business Help Centre: Opt in to or out of testing new creative features
- Meta Business Help Centre: Bulk edit Advantage+ creative enhancements
- Meta for Business: Advantage+ creative
- ACCC and state and territory regulators: Avoiding unfair business practices (copy hosted by Consumer Affairs Victoria)