The recent Andromeda update, the fastest and most advanced iteration to date of Meta’s ad-retrieval system, has dramatically changed the rhythm of Meta Ads. Delivery cycles are faster, creative gets picked up and exhausted with remarkable speed, and optimization feels more dynamic than ever.
But this increased velocity has also introduced confusion. Many advertisers assume that, because Andromeda adapts quickly, they can simply supply massive volumes of creative, rely on automation and let the system handle the rest. Others expect that the algorithm will surface insights, fix signal issues or compensate for budget constraints.
Andromeda is powerful but far from omniscient. It relies on the strength of the signals it’s fed, the strategic clarity of its objectives and the quality of the creative assets it’s trained and optimized against.
The brands seeing the greatest lift are those that have adjusted not by outsourcing judgment to the algorithm but by refining their approach to creative strategy. Three best practices define this shift and reveal where many advertisers are currently falling short.
1. Match creative volume to budget and campaign goals
One of the most persistent misunderstandings stemming from Andromeda’s rollout is the belief that uploading 20 or more creatives per ad set is universally beneficial.
In practice, this approach often works against the advertiser. When creative supply dramatically outweighs available budget, learning slows, delivery fragments, and the system struggles to distinguish signal from noise.
Many smaller or emerging brands fall into this trap, assuming they must keep pace with the creative velocity of global advertisers, only to discover that their budgets can’t support meaningful learning across so many assets.
A more effective approach is to align creative volume with the reality of the budget and the goal of the campaign.
Upper-funnel campaigns can support a broader range of concepts, but only at budgets that allow each asset to gain traction. Mid-funnel efforts generally require a tighter set of creative assets that reinforce memory and message. Lower-funnel initiatives, where signals are strongest, could perform best with fewer concepts and more performance-oriented variants.
The goal is not to overwhelm Andromeda with options; it’s to curate the right number of assets so the algorithm can learn quickly, efficiently and at sufficient data density. When volume matches budget and context, Andromeda becomes far more precise.
2. Build a structured creative testing framework
Andromeda’s speed leads many advertisers to assume it will also generate insights automatically. But while the system excels at optimizing delivery, it does not create a cohesive understanding of why certain assets work.
Without a clear hypothesis-driven testing approach, brands risk misinterpreting randomness as insight and volatility as a creative signal.
A structured framework is the counterweight. Successful advertisers clearly define what they’re testing, whether a new hook outperforms the last or if UGC beats studio content in prospecting or pacing improves completion rates. They isolate variables so changes can be attributed accurately. They document their findings, building a compounding knowledge base instead of a series of one-off tests.
And, critically, they strengthen their signals – pixel events, catalog structure, offline data – so Andromeda has high-quality inputs to make real-time retrieval decisions.
The system delivers speed, but advertisers must deliver structure. When those two forces meet, testing becomes a strategic engine rather than a chaotic churn of assets.
3. Balance diverse creative concepts with scalable creative variants
Another misconception in the wake of Andromeda is that success requires a constant flow of new campaign concepts, endless creative refreshes and a cadence that only elite brands can maintain.
But creative diversity is only half the equation. You also need to iterate on successful creative concepts to extend their impact.
Without variants, even strong concepts fatigue quickly under Andromeda’s faster optimization cycles. And without diversity at the concept level, creative variants become incremental tweaks that never materially change performance.
Fresh concepts provide the breadth Andromeda needs to reach the right people with the right story. Creative variants extend the lifespan of those concepts, control production costs and create the iterative data that help identify which elements are doing the heavy lifting.
This balance is especially valuable for advertisers who can’t produce dozens of new creative pieces every month. Variants provide creative velocity without creative burnout, while concept diversity ensures the system has enough range to retrieve insights effectively across audiences and placements.
The combination of breadth and iteration ensures advertisers stay ahead of ad fatigue while also refining the creative patterns that actually drive incremental performance.
Disciplined, long-term strategy
Across all three best practices, one theme holds steady: Andromeda performs best when paired with thoughtful, consistent, human-led strategy.
The system accelerates delivery, but brands must anchor that speed with clarity, structure and discipline. Matching creative volume to budget and funnel stage creates the conditions for clean learning. A proper testing framework turns rapid optimization into lasting insight. And a balanced creative portfolio fuels both efficiency and continuous improvement.
Andromeda doesn’t change the fundamentals; it raises the bar on discipline – how clearly advertisers define what they’re testing, how rigorously they learn and how consistently those lessons shape the system.
“Data-Driven Thinking” is written by members of the media community and contains fresh ideas on the digital revolution in media.
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