Meta Andromeda and Why Creative Variety Now Drives Results
What changed in how Meta picks which ads to show, and how to plan creative that works with it.
Key Takeaways
- Andromeda is the system Meta uses to pick which ads are eligible to show to each person before the auction runs.
- Ads that look and sound alike are treated as close to the same ad, so twenty versions of one idea get roughly one chance to find new people.
- Several genuinely different concepts give the system more ways to match ads to different people.
- Meta now rates each ad set's creative variety as Low, Medium or High in Ads Manager.
On This Page
Meta's Andromeda system decides which ads are worth considering for each person before any auction takes place, and it works best when an advertiser gives it several genuinely different ads. For a business, the practical change is simple: replace many small variations of one ad with a handful of distinct ideas, refreshed every few weeks. Accounts that made that switch in 2025 and 2026 generally found that broad targeting with varied creative outperformed carefully built interest audiences.
What Andromeda Is
Meta describes Andromeda in its engineering blog as a retrieval system: from the very large number of ads available, it selects a smaller set of candidates likely to be relevant to each person, which then go into ranking and the auction. Meta has said the system powers its Advantage+ automation and lets it consider more ads for each person than before.
In practice, retrieval now leans heavily on the ad itself. The images, video, words and offer tell the system which people the ad might suit, which is why creative now does much of the work that interest targeting used to do.
Concepts and Variations
A concept is the core idea of an ad. A variation changes a detail, such as a headline or background color. The difference matters because similar ads are grouped together during retrieval.
| Same concept (variations) | Different concepts |
|---|---|
| One testimonial video with five different headlines | A testimonial, a demonstration, an owner explaining a common mistake, a before and after, a price-led offer |
| One product photo in four colors | A product in use, a comparison, a customer unboxing, a behind-the-scenes clip |
The left column gives Meta one idea to match. The right column gives it five.
How Many Ads an Ad Set Needs
No official number exists. In the small business accounts we manage, an ad set with four to six distinct concepts running at once, with two or three new concepts added each month, usually gives Meta enough variety without spreading budget too thin. Larger budgets need more concepts, since more spend reaches more people who have already seen the existing ads.
The Creative Diversity Rating
In August 2026, Ads Manager began showing a creative diversity rating of Low, Medium or High for ad sets, based on how varied their ads are. A Low rating is a useful prompt to add new concepts. A High rating does not guarantee results, since varied ads that are all weak will still underperform.
Briefing Creative for Variety
Plan concepts by the reason a customer might buy, then make one ad for each:
- Problem. The customer's situation before, shown plainly.
- Proof. A customer story, review or before and after.
- Process. How the work is done or the product is used.
- Person. The owner or team explaining something useful.
- Offer. The price, deadline or guarantee, stated directly.
A small business can film most of these on a phone in one afternoon. Vary format as well as message, mixing short video, static images and carousels.
Reading Results by Concept
Name ads by concept so reports group naturally, for example "Proof - Maria kitchen review". Compare cost per result by concept over several weeks, keep the concepts that work, retire the ones that do not and use the winners to guide the next batch. Judge on results in your own sales or lead records as well as Meta's reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Andromeda make audience targeting useless?
Location, age limits and exclusions still matter. Detailed interest targeting rarely beats broad targeting with varied creative in current accounts.
Is more ads always better?
More distinct concepts help. More variations of one concept add little and can spread budget too thin.
How often should creative be refreshed?
Add new concepts every two to four weeks for most small business accounts, sooner when frequency climbs and results fall.
Sources
- Search Engine Land Meta coverage searchengineland.com
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