At first glance, Flexible Ad formats and Dynamic Ad formats on Meta may look very similar. However, they handle ad assembly and optimisation differently. We highlights the key distinctions, helping you choose the right approach for your campaign.
At first glance, flexible ad formats and dynamic creative formats on Meta may look like very similar placements. However, they handle ad assembly and optimization differently.
We highlight the key distinctions, and pros and cons, helping you choose the right approach for your campaign.
A comparison of the key features of Flexible Ads and Dynamic Ads in Meta
| Feature | Dynamic Ads | Flexible Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign Level | Ad Set | Ad |
| Reporting | Asset-level | Ad-level (Asset reporting is rolling out) |
| Best for Testing? | Yes - detailed breakdown available | No - Black Box functionality |
| Performance & Delivery | Good | Excellent - maximises inventory |
| Placements | Limited | Wide (Feeds, Reels, Stories, Explore) |
| Creative Workload | Low | Lowest |
| Best for ... | Insights | Performance |
| Strategy | Testing phase | Scaling phase |
Pros and cons of Dynamic Ads in Meta
Once you understand the basic features of the two types of ads, it is useful to dive a little deeper and compare their key advantages and disadvantages.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Controlled creative testing | Only allowed one ad per ad set. Testing against different creative requires additional budget |
| Multiple CTAs supported | Limited control over creative |
| Asset-level reporting (image, text) | Aggressive optimisation hides the logic |
| Faster to establish best-performing ads than manual ads | May under-perform in comparison with manual ads |
| Automatic optimisation | |
| Ideal for early stage testing | |
| Great for broad audiences |
Pros and Cons of Flexible Ads in Meta
Flexible Ads work differently and so suit different circumstances.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Allows grouping of creative versions of ads for concept testing | Limited asset-level reporting (not yet rolled out) |
| Multiple ads allowed per ad set so can share a budget | Algorithm tends to favour 1 ad variant choosing a 'winner' too quickly |
| Usually improves CPA, CTR, CPM quickly and efficiently | Less creative control than dynamic due to AI optimisations applied |
| Lowers creative workload | Harder to identify performance drivers due to 'black box' optimisations |
| Supports multiple placements for one ad | |
| Great for broad audiences |
What are Dynamic Ads and Flexible Ads best suited for and when should you avoid using them?
In summary, Dynamic Ads are great for:
- Exploratory testing
- Broad audiences
- Delivering performance insights
- On-going BAU activity
- Where you have limited creative resources
But AVOID when:
- You want to up-scale campaigns featuring exisitng 'winning' creative formats.
- You want clean A/B testing
And Flexible Ads are great for:
- Performance focused campaigns
- Broad audiences
- Up-Scaling budgets
- Retail/sales campaigns showing products
- Time limited campaigns
- Limited creative resources
But AVOID when:
- You require clear creative asset level results insights
- You need placement-specific ad customisation
If you would like help planning and executing your Meta campaigns, please get in touch! Our experts would love to help you.
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| Author | Rhiannon Bull |
| Channel | Media |