Meta Ads 2026: The Andromeda Era – Liquid creative
If you’ve logged into Meta Ads Manager recently, the landscape has shifted. The familiar “Sponsored” label is gone, replaced by a simple “Ad” tag. More importantly, you may have noticed your carefully designed landscape images are being cropped in ways that would make a brand manager nervous.
Welcome to the era of Liquid Creative.
At imexpert, we view this not just as a UI update, but as a total pivot toward a social-first strategy powered by Meta’s new backend architecture: Andromeda.
The Engine Room: What is Meta Andromeda?
In a recent technical deep-dive, Meta Engineering revealed the “Andromeda” engine—a next-gen retrieval system designed to handle the exponential growth of ad variants.
According to Meta, businesses using these automated AI features are seeing a 22% increase in ROAS. To achieve this, the Andromeda engine uses massive parallel computing to “read” your assets and assemble the perfect ad for every individual user in real-time.
This is the definition of social-first. The algorithm is prioritising the end-user’s viewing habits over an advertiser’s rigid layout.
From ‘Fixed’ Formats to the ‘Creative Kit’
For a decade, digital advertising was built on “fixed” assets. You chose a format—Single Image, Carousel, or Collection—and Meta showed exactly what you uploaded.
Under the new Format Display Options, Meta has moved to a “Liquid” model. Instead of building one ad, you now provide a Creative Kit (a library of up to 10 images and videos). Andromeda then acts as a real-time art director, pulling from your kit to build:
- Dynamic Identity: Full-screen immersive layouts for Reels and Stories.
- Flexible Carousels: Automatically turning single images into swipeable cards.
- Personalized Collections: Tailoring product grids based on a user’s specific interests.
The Preview Dilemma: Why ‘Share Link’ is History
A major frustration for agencies right now is the message: “No preview sharing options are available for the current ad.” Because of the Andromeda engine, the ad doesn’t technically “exist” as a finished file until the millisecond a user scrolls onto it. Because it is being assembled in the cloud in real-time—tailored specifically to the viewer—there is no fixed URL to share.
The imexpert Solution: Since we can no longer rely on a single live link, we utilise the Advanced Preview grid to audit the primary variations. We focus on ensuring the “Master Assets” in your Creative Kit are perfect, knowing the AI will handle the final assembly.
Tactical Shift: The Death of the 1200×628 Landscape Format
The 1.91:1 landscape format was the gold standard for years. In 2026, it has become a technical liability. Because Andromeda prioritises filling the entire mobile screen, the AI often “zooms” a landscape image to fit a square Marketplace or Search placement, often slicing right through your value proposition.
The 2026 Social-First Blueprint for imexpert Clients:
- 1:1 (Square) – 1080×1080: Your essential asset for Feed and Marketplace.
- 9:16 (Vertical) – 1080×1920: The requirement for native-looking Reels and Stories.
- Retire the Landscape: By not providing a 1.91:1 asset, you force the AI to use your Square assets. These will “letterbox” (adding bars) rather than cropping through your call-to-action.
Why This Matters for Your ROI
This shift is about more than just aesthetics; it’s about survival in a machine-learning world. Meta’s data shows that “Liquid” ads—those allowed to change format dynamically—tend to achieve a lower Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) by finding cheaper “shelf space” across the platform that traditional ads simply can’t reach.
However, the risk of “AI-ruined” creative is real. At imexpert, we manage this by setting Creative Guardrails. We use Placement Asset Customisation (PAC) to lock in specific versions for high-value placements, ensuring that even as the AI gets flexible, the brand remains professional.
The landscape of Meta advertising is moving faster than ever. At imexpert, we specialise in navigating these technical shifts so you can focus on running your business.
Frequently Asked Questions: Navigating the 2026 Meta Update
Why did my ads change from “Sponsored” to “Ad”?
This is a global update to Meta’s labeling. The shift to a simple “Ad” tag is part of a broader move toward transparency and a cleaner UI. It doesn’t affect your ad’s reach or performance, but it does mean your creative needs to work harder to grab attention without the familiar “Sponsored” buffer.
Why is my “Share Link” for ad previews disabled?
If you are using the new Flexible Ad Format or Dynamic Identity, your ad is being assembled by the Andromeda AI engine in real-time. Because the ad changes its shape and content based on who is viewing it, there is no single “static” URL to share. At imexpert, we recommend using “Advanced Preview” screenshots for client approvals.
What is the “Andromeda” engine I keep hearing about?
Andromeda is Meta’s 2026 ad delivery engine. It has effectively replaced manual targeting with “Creative-Based Targeting.” Instead of you picking an audience, Andromeda “reads” your 10 media assets and headlines to find the users most likely to convert. In this new era, your creative is your targeting.
Why are my landscape images (1200×628) cropping so badly?
In the “Liquid” creative model, Meta prioritizes filling the screen. If you provide a landscape image, the AI will often zoom in to fill a square Marketplace or Search slot, which slices off your text. To prevent this, imexpert recommends retiring the landscape format and sticking to high-quality 1:1 and 9:16 assets.
How do the March 2026 site link changes affect my clicks?
Site links are now media-only thumbnails—no text overlays. This means users are clicking on an image to go to a specific sub-page. If your site link images aren’t visually distinct and high-quality, your click-through rate (CTR) will likely drop.
What is the difference between “Link Clicks” and “Engage-Through” in my reports?
As of the March 2026 update, Meta has separated these metrics. “Link Clicks” are now the only metric that counts toward your standard click-through attribution. Likes, saves, and image expands are now categorized as “Engage-Through.” If your “Clicks” look lower than last year, it’s likely just this reclassification at work.
Is your ad creative ready for the 2026 shift? The landscape of Meta advertising is moving faster than ever. At imexpert, we specialise in navigating these technical changes so you can focus on running your business.